Smoke chamber parging and repair in Mills 50

Cracked mortar on the smoke shelf

The shelf surface sees heat from below and water from above. Its mortar can crack, erode or come loose, and bricks at the edge of the shelf can shift.

We rake out loose material, reset any displaced bricks in refractory mortar and resurface the shelf so it is sound and even. Where the design allows, the surface is shaped so water and debris do not collect in one low spot. Shelf repair carries its own price on the estimate.

When the damper has to come out

A throat damper can block the way into the chamber. The coating directions we follow even mention leaving the damper off during curing so air can reach the new coat. On some fireplaces, the plate comes out easily and goes back in afterward.

On others, the damper is rusted in place or damaged, and removing it means replacing it. We check this at the inspection and tell you which case you have. Any damper parts are written up separately, with the reason explained.

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

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.

Naming the product in the estimate

Two chamber quotes can look alike until you ask what goes on the walls. We write the product name into every chamber estimate, along with the walls it covers and the planned thickness.

That lets you compare quotes fairly and keep a record for future inspections. If a different product would suit your chamber better once we open it up, we explain why before making any change to the plan.