What's Included

Smoke chamber repair in Geigers Landing, step by step

What the code asks of the chamber walls

The inside surface of a masonry smoke chamber must be parged smooth, the Florida Building Code states, using refractory mortar that meets ASTM C199. That coat seals the joints and gives the smoke a clean path to the flue. A chamber that was never parged, or whose parging has fallen away, is missing that layer.

During a free inspection, the surface is checked and you see where the parging is missing or failing. In Geigers Landing, confirming the repair within 72 hours of that inspection takes 10% off.

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 Geigers Landing know exactly what is being applied. Book within 72 hours of the inspection and save 10%.

Working around the damper

The damper sits right at the bottom of the chamber, and its plate can block the view and the reach. On some fireplaces the plate lifts out for access and goes back in once the work is done. If the damper itself turns out to be worn, rusted or warped, that repair is priced as a separate item so you can decide.

Our smoke chamber pros explain what they will move and put back before starting in your Geigers Landing home.

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 Geigers Landing, and the look is free.

Rain that reaches the chamber

With no cap on the flue, rain drops straight onto the smoke shelf and soaks the lower chamber, where it softens mortar and rusts the damper. Repairing the chamber without stopping the water leaves the new parging to fight the same problem. We check the top of the flue and list a cap, if one is needed, as its own item.

You decide the order of the work. Our family-owned team gives homeowners in Geigers Landing both prices in writing.