Chimney damper replacement serving Southport
Get control of your fireplace back. Our damper pros repair handles, linkage and plates, or replace a damper that is worn out.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
What your damper estimate covers in Southport
- Warping or cracks in the casting
- New throat damper supplied and set
- Firebrick around the throat relaid if disturbed
- Written scope before work begins
Damper repair details that matter
What the building code says about fireplace dampers
The Florida Building Code, Residential, section R1001.7.1 calls for masonry fireplaces to have a ferrous metal damper located at least 8 inches above the top of the fireplace opening. The damper goes in the fireplace or the chimney that vents it, and it has to be operable from the room.
When we replace a damper, we keep those points in mind, a metal damper, set above the opening, with a control you can reach from the room. If your fireplace has no working damper at all, the estimate explains what a proper replacement involves.
Older fireplaces sometimes have dampers set lower or made of lighter metal than the code now describes. When we replace one, we follow current practice where the throat allows it and explain any limits the existing masonry places on the new damper.
A damper you can work from the room
A damper only helps if you can open and close it without climbing into the fireplace. The code language for masonry fireplaces calls for the damper to be operable from the room containing the fireplace, which means a handle, lever or knob you can reach safely.
If your handle is missing, bent out of reach or disconnected from the plate, our technicians restore a working control. You should be able to set the damper position with one hand and know where it stands.
A control should also hold its position. If the handle drifts or the plate creeps shut, the damper is failing at its job even though you can reach it. Our technicians check that the control stays exactly where you set it.
Rust holes through the damper plate
A damper plate with holes rusted through it cannot seal, no matter how well the handle works. You may see daylight through it from below, or rust flakes collecting on the firebox floor.
Rust that deep usually means water has been reaching the damper for a long time. Our crew replaces the damper and checks the top of the chimney for the source of the water, so the new one does not go the same way.
Holes in the plate also let heat and embers pass when the damper is closed over hot ashes, one more reason to wait until the fire is out and cold. A new damper restores a solid plate, and a cap keeps it that way.
A family business at your fireplace
Our company is family owned and operated. The technician kneeling at your fireplace answers to the family that owns the business, and so does the office that books your visit.
That means we call back when we say we will, protect your floors and give you honest advice, even when the honest answer is a simple repair instead of a new damper. We would like to be the fireplace company Southport neighbors recommend.
A family business depends on the word of the people it has worked for. When a friend asks who fixed your fireplace, we want you to give our name without a second thought. Every damper job is held to that standard.
Other work in Southport
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Learn more about chimney damper repair and replacementSouthport services
What homeowners ask about dampers
Will damper work make a mess in my living room?
We lay drop cloths over the hearth and floor, keep tools on protected surfaces and clean up the soot before leaving. Most damper work happens inside the firebox, so the rest of the room stays as it was.
Can I light a little newspaper to see whether the damper is open?
Please do not. If the damper is shut or jammed, that smoke comes straight into the room and can stain the fireplace face. Leave the fireplace cold and book the free inspection, and our technician checks the plate directly.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
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