Firebrick and refractory mortar repair in Coral Ridge
Tell us what fell from the firebox walls, and we will find out why before proposing a repair.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
When firebox repair is due in Coral Ridge
- Crumbling faces on the back wall
- Rust streaks on the upper back wall
- Spalled units above grate height
- Stepped cracks climbing a side wall
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Firebox repair from lining to curing
Getting the firebox ready for our visit
Let the firebox go cold, with no fire the day before if you can manage it. Once the ashes are cold, remove them into a covered metal container and keep it outside. Leave any loose pieces of brick or mortar where they are.
Clear the hearth in front of the opening so we can kneel and work. Move screens, tools and log holders aside. If there is a manual or a note of earlier repairs, set it out for us, because it helps us read what we see inside.
Open joints let heat into the wall
A joint that has lost its mortar leaves a path for heat and hot gases into the masonry behind the lining. Over repeated fires that path can dry out and weaken the backing.
Filling open joints with refractory mortar restores the barrier. We look along each joint line, not only where the gap is obvious, because loss often runs further than it appears. The estimate describes which joints will be raked and repointed, wall by wall. Joints near the top courses and around the floor edges are checked with the same care as the obvious gaps.
Firebox and hearth damage at the same time
Damage often shows in both the firebox floor and the hearth extension in front of it. They meet at the opening, but they are different parts built to different rules.
We list the firebox floor and the hearth extension as separate items. That lets you see what each needs, and it keeps materials straight: refractory inside the firebox, noncombustible finish materials on the hearth. You can approve them together or one at a time. The estimate shows which work must come first where the two meet at the opening.
Corners where the side walls meet the back
The inside corners of the firebox are where two walls, and their movements, meet. Joints there often open before the flat faces of the walls do, and the units at the corners are the first to loosen. Movement at a corner also shows up as a crack that climbs in a stepped line.
We check each corner from floor to top course. Repointing an open corner joint is a small repair when caught early. Where corner units have shifted, we reset them so both walls bear evenly again, and the estimate names each corner that is included.
What we check before pricing firebrick work
- Loose and cracked units marked
- Replacement firebrick sized to the lining
- Mortar cleaned from brick faces
- Workmanship warranty on the repair
Your firebox questions, plainly answered
What mortar goes between the firebricks?
A refractory mortar made for firebrick joints. The residential code calls for medium-duty refractory mortar in a firebrick lining, laid in thin joints. We name the exact product on the estimate and follow its directions.
Can I keep using the fireplace with a loose firebrick?
It is better not to. A loose or missing unit leaves the masonry behind the lining exposed to heat it was not built for. We tell you on the visit whether the fireplace should stay out of use until the repair.
How should I prepare the firebox before you arrive?
Let it go cold, remove cold ashes into a covered metal container kept outside, and leave loose pieces where they fell. Clear the hearth so we can kneel and work, and set out any manual or note of earlier repairs.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Gas Fireplace VentingAssess and repair the gas fireplace vent arrangement using components suited to the identified system.
- Smoke Chamber RepairRepair identified smoke-chamber surfaces with the access and material requirements clearly defined.
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Spalling Brick Repair and Chimney Brick ReplacementReplace deteriorated chimney bricks while retaining suitable surrounding masonry.
- Chimney TuckpointingRenew deteriorated mortar joints around chimney bricks that can appropriately remain.
We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo