Our Process

How fireplace restoration is done in Bertha

Deciding what to keep during fireplace restoration

The point of restoration is to keep what is still good. Sound firebrick, a damper that only needs freeing, a hearth that needs its joints repaired and a brick face that needs cleaning all stay. Material that has cracked through, crumbled or lost its bond is what gets replaced.

Our pros mark each part of your Bertha fireplace as keep, repair or replace, and the estimate follows those marks line by line. If a part you love has to go, we explain why and show you the replacement that comes closest to it before you decide.

Restoring or replacing an old fireplace damper

A masonry fireplace needs a metal damper worked from the room and set at least 8 inches above the top of the opening (R1001.7.1). In an old fireplace the damper has often rusted, warped or seized, and the handle may be missing altogether.

Where the metal is sound, our pros clean, free and adjust the original damper so it opens fully and closes properly. Where it is not, they fit a replacement sized to the throat and still worked from the room. Either way, your restored Bertha fireplace gets a damper you can rely on.

Replacing broken brick on a fireplace face

A brick that has cracked through or lost its face is replaced rather than patched. On a restoration the replacement should look like its neighbors, so our pros look for a brick that matches in size, color and texture, and show it to you before it goes in.

Each replaced brick is set in mortar matched to the surrounding joints. The count of bricks to replace is on your Bertha estimate, so a few damaged units never become an open-ended line. Where a damaged brick sits at the edge of the opening, the masonry around it is supported while it is replaced.

Your written fireplace restoration record

When the restoration is finished, you get a written record of the work: what was repaired, what was replaced, the materials used and the first-fire instructions. It is useful the next time someone services the fireplace, and useful if you sell the house.

Keep it with your Bertha home's papers. If something changes later, such as a new crack or a damper that sticks, the record shows whether it involves a part we restored or another part of the fireplace. It also lists anything we noticed outside the restoration, so nothing found during the job is forgotten.