Our Process
The work behind restoring your Heathrow fireplace
Removing smoke stains from an old brick fireplace
Smoke stains are the most visible sign of a neglected fireplace. The BIA's cleaning guidance says scrubbing with scouring powder and a stiff bristle brush is often effective on smoke, and that is where our crew starts on your brick.
Before the face is cleaned, we find out why the smoke escaped, since a fireplace that still spills will stain the fresh face again. Once the cause is repaired, the brick in your Heathrow home is cleaned section by section and rinsed at low pressure, matching the test patch you approved.
Water pressure and old fireplace brick
Water does much of the work in cleaning brick, but pressure has limits. BIA guidance describes pre-wetting at very low pressure, under 100 psi, and rinsing at low pressure of 100 to 400 psi, and it notes that excessive pressure can damage brick surfaces.
Indoors, a fireplace face is rinsed with even more care, because the water has to be controlled around floors, walls and furniture. Our crew protects the room, keeps the pressure low and works in small sections, so your Heathrow home stays dry while the brick gets clean.
White deposits on a restored fireplace face
White, powdery deposits on fireplace brick are efflorescence. As Brick Industry Association guidance explains, three things have to come together: soluble salts in or near the brickwork, enough water resting on them to dissolve them, and pores that carry the solution to the surface.
Brushing the deposit away treats the symptom. Our specialists find the water behind it, whether from above the fireplace or a wet wall, and fix that first. The restored face in your Heathrow home is cleaned once the source is dealt with. Deposits that return after cleaning are a sign the water has not been stopped yet.
Restoring or replacing old fireplace doors
Old glass doors on a masonry fireplace often have seized hinges, rusted frames or cracked glass. Listed fireplace accessories are installed under their listing and the maker's instructions and comply with UL 907, per section R1001.13 of the Florida code.
Where the doors are worth keeping, our crew frees and adjusts them, reseats the frame in sound masonry and replaces broken glass with the correct part. Where they are past repair, we explain the replacement options that fit your Heathrow fireplace opening before quoting one. Frames anchored into loose joints are reset once the joints behind them have been repointed.
