Cracked firebrick replaced in Durrs fireplaces
Your firebox gets firebrick and mortar made for the heat, set in the pattern the chamber was built with.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Firebox problems to mention when you call
- Crumbling faces on the back wall
- Grit falling from the firebox walls
- Thick, lumpy joints from past repairs
- A loose ash dump frame
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Repairing firebrick and mortar the right way
A previous firebox patch that is failing again
Old repairs often show up as smeared joints, lumps of gray cement or a glossy sealant line across a crack. When those start to crack or fall away, the damage behind them has usually kept going.
We identify what the earlier patch was made of and whether it has to come out. Material that does not belong in a firebox is removed before the repair, even where it still looks attached. Repeating the same patch over it would bring you back to the same point after a few fires.
A grate that grinds into the floor bricks
A grate with worn or missing feet sits unevenly and digs into the floor units. Its weight, plus the logs on it, concentrates on a few points. Cracked and loose floor bricks under the grate are a common result.
Tell us if the grate rocks or sits lower on one side. Replacing the floor units without dealing with the grate sends you back to the same damage. We note the grate's condition on the estimate, and suggest a suitable grate if the current one is past use.
How repaired joints will look
Refractory mortars come in a limited range of colors, often gray, buff or black. New joints may look different from old ones that have darkened with use.
If the firebox is on show, ask about color before the repair. We choose from what suits the product and the firebox, and explain how the joints will change as they season. Performance comes first, but color is worth a moment of discussion when it is a free choice. Color choices do not override the product the firebox needs; they are made within it.
A grate that suits the size of the firebox
A grate that is too wide or too deep for the firebox pushes burning logs against the walls. Flame then plays directly on the side and back firebrick instead of rising from the center of the chamber.
When we see scorching and spalling in a band just above grate height, the grate is often part of the cause. We check its size against the chamber and note whether a smaller grate would help. Replacing firebrick without changing an oversized grate leaves the same units under the same stress.
What we check before pricing firebrick work
- Deep voids built up in layers
- Medium-duty refractory mortar named
- Mortar cleaned from brick faces
- Curing steps written down
Questions about firebrick and mortar
Will the new firebrick match the old lining?
In size and thickness, we match it as closely as available stock allows. In color, new units start lighter and darken with use. We talk through any difference before the repair so there are no surprises.
Do factory-built fireplaces ever use firebrick?
Some factory-built wood units are lined with the maker's firebrick, placed as the manual shows. Replacements come from the maker's parts list for that model. Others use panels, which go to our prefab repair service.
What goes into the written record for firebox work?
The walls and areas repaired, the units replaced, the joints repointed, the mortar product and the curing steps still to follow. It also notes anything we saw but left as it was.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Chimney Crown RepairRepair the damaged chimney top with an approach matched to the crown and supporting masonry.
- Chimney Cap Installation and ReplacementProtect the chimney opening with a cap chosen for its fit, attachment and compatible system.
- Ventless Gas Fireplace ServiceService the identified vent-free appliance without bypassing its required safety components.
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
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Local service. Careful repairs. A fireplace worth coming home to.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo