Family-owned smoke chamber repair serving Eagles Nest

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

Rounding the corners of the chamber

Sharp inside corners are where smoke tumbles and deposits collect. After the coat is placed, the directions we follow suggest radiusing the corners, and a straight-sided jar or bottle is one tool the maker mentions for doing it.

Rounded corners also make the finished chamber easier to brush. Our crew works each corner from the top down so the curve runs continuously into the flue, then smooths the flat faces between them with a trowel.

Fine surface cracks after curing

Depending on the application and curing conditions, small surface cracks or crazing may appear on a chamber coat after it cures or after use. The maker's data sheet describes these as of no functional concern.

We mention this before the job so it is not a surprise. At the next inspection, we look at the surface again. Crazing is one thing, and a crack that opens, lifts or drops material is another. The second kind is covered by our workmanship warranty.

Flue and liner work kept separate

A chamber inspection often reveals something about the flue above it, such as cracked tiles, open joints or deposits. Those findings belong in the report, but flue repair and liner installation are separate services.

We describe what we saw in the flue, explain whether it needs attention soon or can be watched, and give it its own line when a repair is needed. Chamber work can go ahead on its own when the flue is sound enough to use.

Bringing an idle fireplace back into use

A fireplace left unused for years can collect debris on the smoke shelf, rust on the damper and loose mortar in the chamber, all out of sight. The first fire after a long gap is the wrong time to find out.

Before that fire, we check the chamber, shelf and damper along with the rest of the chimney. Most idle fireplaces need a cleaning and a few repairs, and the written findings tell you exactly which ones.