Firebrick and refractory mortar repair in Kendall
Book the firebox work within 72 hours of your free inspection and it carries a 10% discount.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Warning signs inside the firebox
- Open joints between firebricks
- A brick that rocks when touched
- Cracks running through a firebrick
- Stepped cracks climbing a side wall
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Firebox Repair for masonry fireplaces in Kendall
Keep fresh firebox mortar dry until it is cured
Refractory mortar makers say to protect new mortar from direct water until it has been heat cured. Water dripping into a freshly repaired firebox can soften the new joints before they ever see a fire.
If water has been reaching the firebox, the source needs attention before the repair, not after it. We note any staining or damp and name the chimney service that traces leaks. Repairing the firebox under an active drip wastes the work and leaves you paying twice. Once the chimney side is dry, the firebox repair can go ahead on a firm footing.
Room for the lining to expand with heat
Firebrick grows slightly as it heats. Brick industry guidance recommends a small air space between the combustion chamber and the masonry behind it. A compressible, noncombustible insulation keeps that space open, so the lining can move without pushing on the wall.
When a lining is rebuilt tight against the backing with rigid mortar, that allowance is lost. Cracks in the face or the wall behind can follow. On a rebuild we explain how the new lining will meet the backing, and the estimate names the material used between them where the design calls for 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.
Firebox signs that should not wait
Some firebox faults can sit until a convenient date; others should stop fires now. Pieces falling from the walls during a fire belong in the second group. So do a gap where the backing masonry shows through and a unit that moves when touched.
If you see any of those, let the fire burn out, keep the screen closed and do not light another until the firebox has been checked. Describe what you saw when you call. We tell you on the visit whether the repair is urgent or can be planned.
The firebox scope we put in writing
- Lining type identified
- Ash dump frame reset where present
- Return-to-use guidance
- Grate condition noted
Questions about firebrick and mortar
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 a high-temperature caulk seal firebox cracks?
Only if the product is a refractory mortar made for firebrick joints. Many heat-resistant sealants are made for lower temperatures and char or shrink in the fire chamber. We read the label before anything goes into a joint.
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.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Spalling Brick Repair and Chimney Brick ReplacementReplace deteriorated chimney bricks while retaining suitable surrounding masonry.
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Chimney Flashing RepairRepair the chimney-to-roof connection with a scope that accounts for the adjoining roofing and masonry.
- Stone Chimney RepairRepair affected stone chimney surfaces with the supporting construction and visual match considered together.
- Chimney Flue RepairAssess repairs to damaged existing flue linings and distinguish them from a new liner installation.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo