Repairing the smoke chamber above your fireplace in Fontainebleau
If parging would only hide a weak wall, we say so and explain what a sound repair involves.
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Chamber symptoms worth mentioning when you call
- Brick chips fallen past the damper
- Stepped brick visible above the damper
- A fire that is slow to draw
- Debris piled on the smoke shelf
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Repairing the smoke passage between firebox and flue
Stair-step brick and where deposits gather
When chamber walls are built by stepping each brick course inward and left unparged, the surface looks like a staircase. One maker of chamber repair products describes how that stepped brick traps smoke and encourages deposits to build up on the ledges.
Those ledges are also hard to brush clean. Parging the chamber smooth removes them and gives brushes an even surface to work on. We explain whether your chamber is stepped, how much of it, and what parging would change.
A small conditioning fire after curing
After the initial air cure, one chamber coating maker calls for a small conditioning fire before normal use. The aim is to drive out remaining moisture gently. Larger fires too soon can turn trapped moisture into steam.
We give you the conditioning steps for the product used. Keep early fires small for the period the instructions describe. If anything looks wrong during those fires, stop and tell us before continuing. The written record repeats these steps, so they are at hand when you light that small fire.
Leave loose chamber material where it is
It can be tempting to reach up past the damper and pull at loose mortar or brick. That can bring down more than expected, and the pieces may be hot, sharp or covered in deposits.
Leave the chamber as it is until the assessment. If pieces have already fallen, set a few aside to show us. Sweeping the firebox floor is fine once it is cold. We examine the area and explain what is loose and what is still sound.
Named materials for lined smoke chambers
Where the code allows a firebrick lining in the smoke chamber, it names the grade of firebrick and asks for it to be laid with medium-duty refractory mortar. A vitrified clay lining has to meet the standard written for clay flue liners. Each material has a defined role above the fire.
Repairs to a lined chamber should use materials of the same kind. Common brick or general-purpose mortar would not match what the code asks of that location. Our estimate names the refractory products for any lining repair, so you can see what will go into the chamber before approving it.
Checked and priced before chamber work begins
- Loose mortar scraped back to sound
- Inside corners rounded and smoothed
- Droppings cleared before they set
- Rebuild extent described where needed
Smoke chamber answers for your fireplace
What should I avoid burning after the chamber is repaired?
Household trash, plastics, and painted, coated or pressure-treated wood. Federal wood-burning guidance recommends dry, split, well-seasoned wood. The chamber product's maker also rules out corrosive chimney cleaners. We pass these points on in the written record.
Why do you ask whether I have a chimney cap?
Rain falling down an open flue lands on the shelf and chamber walls. Chamber coating makers call for a rain cap to protect the repair from excess moisture. Cap work is a separate service, and we explain it so you can decide.
How do you protect the room during chamber repair in Fontainebleau?
The hearth, surround and nearby floor are covered before work starts, and mortar is mixed outside. Droppings are cleared as we go. When the job ends, debris is hauled away and the firebox is left ready for curing.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Hurricane and Storm Damage Chimney RepairAssess storm-related chimney concerns and distinguish temporary protection from permanent component repair.
- Chimney Damper Repair and ReplacementRestore a usable damper mechanism after checking the plate, frame and control linkage.
- Gas Fireplace InstallationCreate a complete gas fireplace installation plan for the room, appliance and connected systems.
- Chimney Leak RepairFind the chimney water entry point and plan a repair before restoring the damaged finish.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo