Smoke chamber repair in Isleworth

The first day of air curing

After the coat is finished, the maker's directions call for the repair to stand for 24 hours with natural air flow, with the damper removed or left open so warm room air can enter the chamber.

We tell you exactly when that period starts and ends. The fireplace stays unused during it, and the damper stays open. Those steps go on your invoice in writing, so everyone in the household has the same instructions.

A small conditioning fire

Once the first day of air curing is over, the same directions call for the repair to be conditioned with a small fire, described as a manufactured fire log or three to four small wood logs of two to three inches in diameter.

The small fire drives off remaining moisture gently. A large fire too early could heat that moisture fast enough to make steam inside the coat. We explain the conditioning fire in plain terms and write down what to burn and when.

Protecting the room before chamber work

Chamber repair brings soot, mortar dust and wet material close to your living space. Before any tool comes out, we lay covers from the entry to the hearth and seal the fireplace opening around our work area.

Furniture near the fireplace is moved or covered with your permission. At the end of each day, the covers come up clean and the room is ready to use, even while the chamber is still curing.

• Floor covered from entry to hearth
• Fireplace opening sealed around the work
• Room left usable at day's end

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.

Fireplaces used only now and then

Occasional fires still heat and soot the chamber, and debris from the flue lands on the shelf whether or not the fireplace is in use. Light use slows wear, but it gives debris and moisture more time to sit undisturbed.

We size the repair to the condition we find. A lightly used chamber in good order may need only cleaning and a note in the findings, and we say so plainly when that is the case.