Repair Options

Smoke chamber problems we fix in Alderene Park

Stepped brick inside the chamber

Many masonry chambers are built by stepping each course of brick inward over the one below, known as corbeling. The Florida Building Code keeps corbeled walls within 30 degrees of vertical and asks for the inside to be parged smooth. Left bare, the steps form a row of ledges facing the smoke.

Parging turns those steps into a smooth, sloping surface. Our family-owned team prices it upfront for homeowners in Alderene Park, with no hidden fees.

Materials tested for the job

UL Subject 2505 is a test standard for cementitious materials used to resurface the smoke chambers of masonry fireplaces, and some parging products are listed to it. Products like these are made for the heat and the acidic byproducts of wood smoke. We use a parging material intended for smoke chambers and follow its maker's steps.

The product name goes in your estimate, so homeowners in Alderene Park know exactly what is being applied. Book within 72 hours of the inspection and save 10%.

Coats, thickness and drying time

Refractory parging goes on in the number of coats and at the thickness its maker specifies, with each coat worked smooth and allowed to set. Drying and first heating follow the product's own directions, which differ from one material to the next. Rushing either step can leave a coat that cracks early.

Drying and first-fire steps for your exact product are left in writing, so homeowners in Alderene Park never have to guess when the fireplace is ready.

Where the chamber meets the flue

At the top of the smoke chamber sits the first section of flue. The joint between the two can open over time, leaving a gap where heat and smoke escape into the masonry. We seal that joint as part of the chamber repair. If the flue itself is cracked or damaged higher up, flue repair is priced as a separate item.

Our smoke chamber pros explain where their work ends and what else they saw during the free inspection in Alderene Park.

Sealing around the damper frame

The damper frame is set into the masonry at the base of the chamber, and the joint around it can open as the metal heats and cools. Smoke and heat can slip through that gap into the wall. We clean the joint and seal it with refractory mortar as part of the chamber repair, without locking the damper plate in place.

Our smoke chamber pros check the plate works freely before they leave your Alderene Park home, and the inspection is free.