Your family-owned chimney company in Colonialtown South

Cracked or crumbling bricks inside the firebox are something our technicians look at closely in Colonialtown South, an Orlando neighborhood in Orange County, because the firebox is the part of a masonry fireplace that takes the direct heat of every fire. Its lining is not ordinary brick. It is firebrick, laid with refractory mortar made to withstand that heat, and the Florida Residential Code's chapter on fireplaces sets out that construction.

Hairline cracks in firebrick are not unusual after years of use. Wide cracks, missing mortar between bricks, bricks that move when touched or pieces falling onto the firebox floor are different. Open joints can let heat reach the materials behind the firebox wall, and that is not something to wait on. Keep the fireplace unlit until it has been looked at if you see gaps you can fit a coin into.

The repair depends on how much of the lining is affected. Open joints can be cleaned out and refilled with refractory mortar. Individual damaged firebricks can be cut out and replaced. When the back wall or floor is failing across a wide area, rebuilding that panel of the firebox is often the more lasting job.

We explain which case you have, and the estimate describes where the work begins and ends. A firebox is also a good place to see what else is happening in the chimney. Heavy soot, water stains on the back wall or debris on the floor can point to a cap, crown or flue problem above.

Our technicians check those while they are there, so the new lining is not damaged by the same cause. The inspection in Colonialtown South is free, and the estimate is written out with honest, upfront prices. Our company is family owned and local, booking within 72 hours after the inspection takes 10% off, and firebox repairs carry our workmanship warranty.