Fireplace Repair
Inside a fireplace repair in Geneva
Refractory mortar for firebox joint repair
Ordinary masonry mortar is made for walls, and the inside of a firebox is a different place. The code names medium-duty refractory mortar conforming to ASTM C199 for laying firebrick (R1001.5), and the same kind of mortar for parging the smoke chamber (R1001.8). A patch in general-purpose mortar or caulk may not hold up once the fireplace is used again.
When our specialists relay or replace firebrick, the old mortar is cleared out, the bricks are set in refractory mortar and the joints are kept thin. The product and its curing instructions go on your written record, so you know when your Geneva fireplace can be lit again.
Fireplace damper repair for a stuck or loose damper
Section R1001.7.1 of Florida's residential code gives every masonry fireplace a metal damper, operable from the room and mounted 8 inches or more above the top of the opening. Rust, warped plates, broken handles and debris resting on the plate can leave it frozen open, stuck shut or flopping loose.
A damper stuck shut sends smoke into the room the moment a fire is lit, and one stuck open lets cooled indoor air escape up the chimney whenever the fireplace sits unused. Our pros free, adjust or rebuild the existing damper where the metal is sound and tell you plainly when it is past saving. Please do not force a handle that will not move.
Glass door repair on factory-built fireplaces
Adding glass doors changes the airflow through a fireplace and the temperatures its parts reach. For factory-built fireplaces, the code allows a gasketed door only when the fireplace system has been tested, listed and labeled for it under UL 127 (R1004.5). A door kit that fits the opening is not automatically approved for the unit behind it.
We repair hinges, handles and loose frames on doors made for your model and replace cracked door glass with the listed part. If the doors on your Geneva fireplace were added later and are not listed for it, we tell you what the manual allows before any repair is quoted.
Cleaning soot stains off the fireplace face
Black streaks above the opening usually mean smoke has been escaping into the room, so the stain is a symptom first and a cleaning job second. The Brick Industry Association's cleaning guidance says scrubbing with scouring powder and a stiff bristle brush is often effective on smoke stains, and it recommends a trial on an inconspicuous area first.
We find out why the fireplace spilled smoke before cleaning the face, then clean the brick or stone with the gentlest method that works. The same guidance warns against unbuffered muriatic acid and excessive water pressure on brick. You see a test patch on your Geneva fireplace before the whole face is done.
