Masonry and factory-built fireplace repair in Windermere

What we look at on a fireplace service call

A fireplace service call starts with the same walk-through whatever brought us out. It gives our technician a baseline and keeps small faults from being missed while attention goes to the one you called about.

We also note the fireplace type, any label or model information and signs of past repairs. Everything goes into writing, with the item you asked about at the top. Parts that are sound are marked sound, so you know what was checked and not only what needs money spent on it. That record also gives next year's visit a starting point.

• Firebox walls, floor and joints, or the panels in a factory-built unit
• The damper, its handle and how far it opens
• The hearth, the facing and the trim around the opening
• Doors, screen, grate and the ash dump where fitted

Parts from another maker stay out

It is tempting to fix a factory-built fireplace with whatever fits. A universal grate, a panel from a similar model, doors sold to fit many openings or chimney pipe from another brand can look close enough. They are still not the parts the fireplace was tested with.

At least one chimney maker states the rule plainly. DuraVent's DuraChimney II installation instructions, as one example, say to use only that maker's listed parts and not to mix parts from other systems or improvise. The same thinking applies to the fireplace below, which is tested with its own components.

Every replacement is matched to the label and the manual. When a part is sold only by the maker, it is ordered through the maker's parts channel. If a proposed substitute has no listing behind it, we tell you and leave it out of the job, even when it would be quicker.

Water in the firebox comes from higher up

Water in the firebox, rust streaks on the back wall or damp ash after rain are fireplace symptoms with a cause somewhere else. The water is usually getting in higher up the chimney and running down until it reaches the fireplace.

Repairing the firebox without stopping the water means repairing it again. Wet firebrick, a rusted damper or a water-damaged panel in a factory-built unit can keep failing for as long as the source stays open.

During the visit in Windermere, our technician records the water damage inside the fireplace and routes the source to our chimney leak repair service, which traces where the water enters. Once the leak is fixed, the fireplace repairs follow, in that order, and both appear on one plan so nothing falls through the gap between two visits.

Wax and sawdust logs belong in open fireplaces

Manufactured firelogs made of wax and sawdust are convenient, but EPA wood-burning guidance says many are made for open-hearth fireplaces only. They should not go into a wood stove or a fireplace insert unless its instructions allow them.

For open fireplaces, EPA advises following the log maker's instructions and burning one log at a time, both for cleaner air and for fire safety. Stacking several at once goes against that advice.

If you have a factory-built fireplace, its manual may give its own guidance on firelogs, and our technicians check it whenever a customer asks. If firelog residue or signs of overheating turn up during a repair, we explain what we saw and add a note for your fireplace to the written record. That note covers the fuel your model is meant to burn.