Problems We Fix

Smoke chamber repair, done in order in Elder Springs

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 Elder Springs, with no hidden fees.

Deposits on every ledge

Soot and creosote cling to the flat tops of corbel steps and to rough patches where parging has fallen away. A standard sweep may not reach all of it in a stepped chamber. We clean the chamber thoroughly first, then parge it smooth so there is far less for deposits to catch on in future. Heavy glazed buildup is priced as its own item.

Our family-owned team shows homeowners in Elder Springs what was removed and what the parging will change.

Repairing a cracked smoke shelf

A shelf with cracked or missing mortar lets water and debris sit against the masonry below. Repair means clearing it, cutting out anything loose, rebuilding missing brick and finishing the surface with refractory mortar so it sheds what lands on it. The walls rising from the shelf are checked at the same time, since the two usually age together.

Our family-owned team prices shelf repair as its own line for homeowners in Elder Springs, with no hidden fees.

When the chamber walls need rebuilding

A chamber with widespread loose brick, missing sections or walls that have shifted needs rebuilding in solid masonry before it can be parged. The work is done from inside the fireplace and, where needed, from the top. We keep the original proportions so the chamber still funnels smoke properly into the flue.

This is a bigger job, and you see exactly what comes out and goes back before you approve it. Call (645) 465-4122 for a free assessment in Elder Springs.

Protecting the room below

Smoke chamber repair is done through the fireplace opening, so soot and old mortar have to be kept in the fireplace. We cover the hearth and nearby floor, seal the opening around our work and keep a vacuum running while we scrape. At the end of each work day an open chimney is covered, and we always clean up and haul the debris away.

A clean room is part of our 100% satisfaction guarantee in Elder Springs.