Local smoke chamber repair for Aloma fireplaces

What open joints do to the chamber wall

Mortar joints inside a chamber are exposed to heat, moisture and acidic deposits every time the fireplace is used. Over the years, some of that mortar can erode and leave open channels between bricks.

An open joint is a short path for heat and gases into the wall. It also gives deposits a place to lodge where a brush cannot reach. We rake out loose material, fill the joints with refractory mortar and then parge, so the wall is sealed and smooth from the throat to the flue.

• Heat reaches deeper into the wall
• Deposits lodge out of brush reach
• Loose mortar falls onto the damper

Checking for loose or missing brick first

Before a chamber is coated, the masonry has to be sound. The data sheet we follow calls for the chamber to be checked for cracked, loose or missing bricks, failed mortar and obstructions that could prevent correct installation.

Loose units are reset in refractory mortar, missing ones are replaced, and badly broken sections are rebuilt. Those repairs go in before the finish coat, because a smooth coat laid over a moving brick will crack along the same line within a short time.

Where the chamber meets the flue

At the top of the chamber, the tapered walls meet the first section of flue lining. That transition should be sealed and even, with the chamber finish running cleanly into the flue.

Gaps, a misaligned first tile or a ledge at the transition can catch deposits and let heat into the surrounding masonry. We look at that joint from below and from above where access allows, and the chamber coat is carried up to meet the flue cleanly.

Mixing coatings away from interior finishes

Dry refractory products raise dust when they are poured and mixed. The directions we follow advise mixing outdoors to protect interior finishes, and using a drop cloth or tarp around the area.

We set up a mixing station outside or in a protected spot, carry the mixed material in covered buckets and clean tools outside when we are done. The mixing stays outside, and only the application happens in your living room.

Aftercare for the first weeks

After the curing steps are done, the chamber is ready for normal use. For the first weeks, watch the firebox floor and damper plate for any loose material and keep fires to a sensible size.

Burn dry wood and keep trash, treated lumber and plastic out of the firebox. If anything looks wrong, call and describe it. Questions about a chamber we repaired are always welcome, and a follow-up look is part of how we stand behind the work.