Masonry and factory-built fireplace repair in Windhover
Book a free fireplace inspection in Windhover and see every repair in writing before you decide.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Your fireplace repair scope, line by line
- Fireplace type confirmed, with the model where labeled
- Lintel over the opening and where it bears
- Blower parts on factory-built wood units
- Old patches removed and redone in refractory mortar
Fireplace repair details worth knowing
Smoke drifting out of the opening
EPA wood-burning guidance says a properly installed, correctly used wood-burning appliance should make very little smoke, and that if you regularly see or smell smoke, you may have a problem. A fireplace that puffs smoke past the screen deserves a look.
If smoke starts filling the room, take everyone outside and dial 911 from there, without staying to fan the smoke or tend the fire.
Once the room is clear and the fireplace is cold, the causes are checked in order. The damper may not open fully, the passage above the firebox may be smaller than the flue, the wood may be wet, or a change to the opening, such as new doors or a narrowed opening, may have altered how air moves. Our technicians go through each one and write down which it is, with the repair that fixes it.
The passage above the firebox and the flue
Smoke leaves the firebox through the throat, past the damper and into the smoke chamber before it reaches the flue. For a masonry fireplace, the Florida Building Code says that whole passageway cannot be smaller in cross-section than the flue it feeds. When something narrows it, smoke has less room to leave and more reason to turn back toward the opening.
Narrowing can come from a damper that only opens partway, a warped plate, debris on the smoke shelf, fallen masonry or an earlier alteration that reduced the throat. Some of these are fixed from the firebox. Others need smoke chamber or damper work.
From below, we look at the passage and compare the damper opening with the size of the flue. The estimate names what is narrowing the passage and which repair opens it back up, with separate lines for any work above the damper.
Mesh curtains and screens that sag or tear
NFPA advises a sturdy fireplace screen to stop sparks flying into the room. Many fireplaces have mesh curtains that hang from a rod and slide open, and those curtains can tear, sag, wear through at the bottom or come off their rings.
A gap at the side, a hole low in the mesh or a curtain that will not close fully lets sparks and rolling embers reach the hearth and beyond. A freestanding screen that does not fit the opening does the same thing.
Torn mesh is replaced, rods and rings are renewed and curtains are adjusted so they meet in the middle. On factory-built units, screens come from the maker's parts list. For masonry fireplaces, we measure the opening and fit a screen that covers it. Screen parts are listed with their sizes, which makes a future replacement simple.
Dry split wood and a cleaner fire
Burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood, EPA wood-burning guidance advises. Seasoned wood is darker, weighs less and sounds hollow when knocked against another piece. Wet or green wood is on EPA's list of things not to burn, and it tends to smolder rather than burn cleanly.
EPA also notes that a smoldering fire is neither safe nor efficient for most appliances. In a fireplace, smoke from damp wood can darken the face, dirty the doors and leave deposits on the damper and in the throat.
We are glad to look at your wood supply while visiting your Windhover home. If the wood is part of the problem, the written note says so beside any repair, so the fix is not undone by the next load from a damp pile. We can also show you how to tell seasoned wood from green by weight, color and the sound it makes.
Other work in Windhover
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Learn more about fireplace repair and serviceWindhover services
Related fireplace repair work
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What homeowners ask about fireplace repair
Should I light a fire to show you the problem?
No. Leave the fireplace cold and describe what you saw, when it happened and what the fire was like. Our technician checks it cold, which is safer, and your description fills in how the fire behaved.
Can glass doors be added to my factory-built fireplace?
Only doors the fireplace's manual and listing allow, and a gasketed door only where the fireplace system has been tested, listed and labeled for it, as the Florida Building Code requires. We check the manual before recommending any doors.
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