Repair Options
Smoke chamber problems we fix in Astor Farms
The tapered space above the damper
Above the throat and damper, the fireplace narrows from the width of its opening to the size of the flue. That tapered space is the smoke chamber, shaped roughly like a funnel turned upside down, and every bit of smoke and heat passes through it. Because it cannot be seen from the room, damage there tends to go unnoticed for years.
Our smoke chamber experts look at it with a strong light during a free inspection in Astor Farms and tell you what they find.
Sprayed parging for tight chambers
Some chambers are too narrow or too high to reach well with a trowel. For those, manufacturers make sprayable refractory material applied through the damper opening or from above. One such system offers a sprayed version alongside its trowel product for chambers that are not easily accessible. The prep, cleaning and repair of loose brick still come first.
You learn which method suits your chamber and why. Call (645) 465-4122 for a free smoke chamber inspection in Astor Farms.
The ledge behind the damper
At the base of the chamber, behind the damper, most masonry fireplaces have a flat or dished ledge called the smoke shelf. Anything dropping down the flue lands there, mortar crumbs and leaves included, and it holds rainwater when the top of the flue is open. Over time its mortar surface can crack and crumble.
We clear and check the shelf on every smoke chamber inspection in Astor Farms, and the look is free.
When to hold off on using the fireplace
If we find loose brick, open gaps or crumbling parging in the chamber, we recommend leaving the fireplace unused until it is repaired. Heat and smoke find their way into those openings, and loose material can drop onto the grate. It is a short pause that protects the rest of the fireplace.
Our family-owned team schedules the repair as soon as the calendar allows. Call (645) 465-4122 to book your free look in Astor Farms.
Chambers that lean toward an offset flue
The flue does not always sit directly above the middle of the fireplace. When it is off to one side, one chamber wall slopes more steeply than the other to reach it. Parging has to follow that uneven shape and stay within the slope the code allows, so the smoke is still led cleanly to the flue.
We measure and plan the parging around your chamber's real shape. Call (645) 465-4122 for a free smoke chamber inspection in Astor Farms.
