Smoke chamber repair specialists for Pershing homes

Removing failed patches and old parging

Earlier repairs are not always sound. Old parging can lose its bond and sound hollow when tapped, and patches made with ordinary mortar or filler tend to crack and drop pieces once they see heat.

We tap, probe and scrape every earlier repair we can reach. Anything that has let go comes out, and the surface behind it is cleaned and checked. What stays is sound. The new coat then goes onto one consistent base instead of a patchwork of old materials.

Why the coat is left alone once shaped

The directions warn against overworking the material once it has been placed, because too much troweling can break the suction bond between the coat and the wall.

Our crew shapes the coat, smooths the flat surfaces once and then lets it be. It takes discipline in a tight space, since the urge is to keep touching up. A coat left to set properly holds better than one that looks perfect for an hour and then lets go.

The joint around the damper frame

A cast or steel damper frame expands with heat at a different rate from the masonry around it. Over many fires, the mortar joint around the frame can crack and open, leaving gaps between the damper and the chamber walls.

We clean that joint out and repoint it with refractory mortar, so the chamber finish meets the frame without gaps. If the frame itself is loose, it is reset before any chamber coat goes on. The written estimate describes both steps in plain words.

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.

What a chamber estimate lists

A clear chamber estimate separates the work into parts you can understand and approve one by one. Ours list preparation, masonry repair, the coat itself, the shelf and any damper, cap or firebox work beside it.

Each line has its own price, and the total does not change later without your approval. If cleaning uncovers something new, we stop and talk it through before adding anything.

• Cleaning and glaze removal
• Loose brick, joints and throat repair
• Refractory coat, walls and thickness
• Smoke shelf repair
• Related items on their own lines