Chimney repair in Brickell Key, explained before you approve

Converting an open fireplace to a wood-burning insert is a job our family team handles in Brickell Key from the assessment to the finished installation. We are locally owned. We also sweep and reline chimneys and repair masonry. That matters here, because an insert depends on the chimney it vents through. A wood-burning insert is a listed appliance, tested as a room heater for use inside a fireplace.

Its manual sets the rules for the job. Those rules usually include a continuous liner from the insert to the top of the chimney. They also cover the protection needed on the hearth in front and the clearances to the mantel and trim. The fire protection standard for chimneys calls for a close inspection when an appliance is changed.

The existing flue and smoke chamber are therefore examined before the insert goes in. Before you buy an insert, tell us the size and shape of the opening, the height of the mantel and whether the chimney has been swept recently. If you already have a model in mind, send us its name so we can read the manual beforehand.

The fireplace itself has to be sound enough to hold an insert, and cracked firebrick or a damaged damper may need attention before installation. Burning dry, split wood makes an insert cleaner and easier to run. Federal wood-burning guidance says the same. The free inspection covers the fireplace, the flue and the chimney top. The written estimate, free and priced upfront, lists the insert work, the liner and any repairs separately.

Book the insert work in the 72 hours following the inspection and 10% comes off the installation. We clean up and haul away packaging and debris. You get the manual back with a written record of the work, and the installation carries our workmanship warranty.