What’s the most efficient way to build a chimney for a smoke-free hearth?

Building a chimney in Valheim is essential for ensuring your hearth or campfire doesn’t fill your home with smoke, which can cause damage to your health and structures. Smoke mechanics in Valheim are straightforward: smoke rises and disperses if it has a clear path to the open air. If smoke is trapped, it will accumulate and cause problems. To build an efficient chimney, you need to understand how smoke behaves and how to guide it outside.\n\nFirst, start by placing your hearth or campfire in the desired location. Ensure it’s not too close to walls or other structures, as this can trap smoke. Smoke rises vertically, so you’ll need to create a vertical shaft above the fire. Use wooden beams or stone blocks to build a chimney structure that extends at least 2-3 meters above the fire. This height ensures smoke has enough space to rise and disperse without spilling back into your home.\n\nNext, leave the top of the chimney open to the sky. Smoke needs a clear path to escape, so avoid covering the chimney with a roof or other structures. If you want to protect the chimney from rain, you can use angled roof pieces to create a small overhang without fully enclosing the top. This allows smoke to escape while keeping the fire dry. Be cautious not to block the chimney’s opening, as even a small obstruction can cause smoke to back up.\n\nFor larger builds or multi-story structures, you may need to extend the chimney higher. Smoke can travel through vertical openings, so you can use walls or beams to create a chimney shaft that runs through multiple floors. Ensure each floor has a small opening or vent to allow smoke to continue rising. This is particularly useful for longhouses or tall buildings where the hearth is on the ground floor.\n\nA common challenge is smoke leaking into adjacent rooms or floors. To prevent this, make sure your chimney is fully enclosed except for the top opening. Use walls or beams to seal any gaps around the chimney shaft. If smoke is still leaking, check for small openings or misaligned pieces that might be allowing smoke to escape sideways. Adjusting the placement of your building materials can often solve this issue.\n\nIn colder biomes like the Mountains, you may want to build a chimney inside your home to retain heat while venting smoke. In this case, use stone or iron materials for the chimney, as they are more durable and better suited for harsh environments. Stone chimneys also look more aesthetically pleasing and can be integrated into larger stone structures.\n\nFinally, test your chimney by lighting the fire and observing the smoke. If smoke escapes cleanly, your chimney is working correctly. If not, adjust the height or structure until the smoke flows freely. Remember, a well-built chimney not only keeps your home smoke-free but also adds to the overall design and functionality of your base.\n\nPractical tips: Always build your chimney taller than the surrounding roof to ensure proper ventilation. Use angled roof pieces to protect the chimney from rain without blocking smoke. For multi-story builds, create vents on each floor to guide smoke upward. And don’t forget to use durable materials like stone in harsh biomes for a long-lasting chimney.