Local chimney flue repair in Airport North

Pieces of tile on the smoke shelf or in the firebox

Fragments that fall down a flue collect on the smoke shelf behind the damper or land in the firebox. Flat, hard pieces of fired clay usually come from the flue tiles themselves, and they mean some part of the lining has broken.

Keep a piece if you find one and show it to us. We identify what it is, look for where it came from and check whether more material is loose above. Until the flue has been assessed, it is safer to leave the fireplace unused.

Repair or reline, how the choice is made

The decision between a local repair and a new liner rests on a handful of findings. We record each one and show you how they point toward one option or the other.

Where the findings are mixed, we say so and give you both options in writing.

• How many sections are damaged, and where
• Whether the tiles are still in line and supported
• Whether damage is visible end to end or only in part
• What the flue serves now and will serve later
• Whether a listed repair system fits the flue's condition

Pellet stoves vented into a masonry chimney

Section R1003.11.4 of the Florida residential code limits flue lining and vent systems for pellet fuel-burning appliances in masonry chimneys to the general lining systems of R1003.11.1 or pellet vents listed for installation inside masonry chimneys.

If a pellet appliance is using your chimney, we check how it is vented before discussing tile repair. Often the vent itself runs inside the flue, and the repair question is about that listed vent rather than the clay around it. Pellet vents are listed systems, so any repair to them uses the vent maker's parts and instructions.

Using the fireplace before the repair

If you suspect the flue is damaged, the safest course is to leave the fireplace unused until it has been assessed. A crack you cannot see can let heat and smoke reach places they should not.

We know that waiting is inconvenient, especially when guests are coming. Call us and we will schedule a free inspection as soon as we can, and tell you honestly whether the fireplace is fit to use while a repair is planned. If the assessment shows the damage is confined to a section that does not affect safe use, we tell you that too, in writing.