Fireplace

Fireplace restoration in Goldsboro, part by part

Refractory mortar for a restored firebox

Firebox joints are laid in refractory mortar, and the code names medium-duty refractory mortar that meets ASTM C199 for the job. Many old fireboxes have been patched over the years with ordinary mortar, caulk or cement, which may not stand up to the heat of a fire.

During restoration those patches come out and the joints are rebuilt in refractory mortar, kept thin and tight. The product and its curing instructions are written on your record, so you know exactly when the restored fireplace in Goldsboro is ready for its first fire.

Matching new mortar color on a restored fireplace

The Park Service brief says new mortar should match the historic mortar in color, texture and tooling, and that the match is made to unweathered portions of the old mortar. It also notes that, with a proper match, the best way to handle small color differences is usually to let the mortar age naturally.

We mix and compare samples against the old joints on your Goldsboro fireplace before repointing starts. Fresh joints look a little new at first. We tell you that plainly instead of promising an instant, exact match that no mortar can deliver.

What the brick can and cannot tell us about a fireplace

It is tempting to date an old fireplace by its look, but appearance alone is a poor guide. Brick, mortar and design details can come from the original build, a later repair or a remodel. We do not assign a history to your fireplace that we cannot support.

Records, drawings or old photographs of the room are worth sharing. They help our specialists judge what is original on your Goldsboro fireplace and what is not, and that shapes what the restoration tries to keep. What the restoration can promise is a fireplace that works properly and looks like itself.

The first fire after a fireplace restoration

Fresh refractory mortar, new firebrick and repointed joints need time before a fire. The curing instructions for the materials used set how long to wait and how to bring the fireplace up to temperature, and some ask for small fires at first.

Our specialists write the waiting time and first-fire steps for your restored Goldsboro fireplace on your record before they leave. For the fires that follow, EPA guidance to burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood keeps the restored firebox and face cleaner. Questions about the first fire are welcome, and a quick call to our office is all it takes.