Our Process
The details behind fixing your Lake Mary fireplace
Cracked or sinking fireplace hearth repair
Concrete or masonry is required for both the hearth beneath the fire and the extension ahead of it, supported by noncombustible materials, with no combustible material left against the underside (R1001.9). The code sets the hearth at 4 inches thick and the extension at 2 inches, with a thinner extension allowed only where the firebox opening is raised at least 8 inches.
A crack across the hearth, tiles lifting or an extension that has settled below the floor can mean the support under it has moved. We check what the hearth sits on before repairing the surface. New tile laid over a moving hearth only hides the fault, so the Lake Mary estimate starts with the support and ends with the finish.
Hearth extension repair when the hearth falls short
Sparks and rolling embers land in front of the opening, which is why the hearth extension has minimum dimensions. Section R1001.10 asks for 16 inches of extension in front of the opening and 8 inches to either side, and for 20 and 12 inches once the opening reaches 6 square feet.
Flooring projects sometimes trim an extension back, and some remodels left it short. During the free inspection we measure yours and tell you whether it meets the dimensions for your opening. If it does not, our pros explain how the extension can be enlarged with masonry that suits the finish in your Lake Mary home.
Keeping wood framing clear of a masonry fireplace
Inside the wall, wood framing is kept back from the masonry. Section R1001.11 calls for an air gap around a masonry fireplace, 2 inches at its front and sides and 4 inches behind it, and that space is not to be filled, apart from the fireblocking the code requires.
Most of that space is hidden, so we look for the signs we can reach: framing visible through an access opening, insulation packed against brick or a finish added tight to the masonry. If something in your Lake Mary home needs opening up to check, we tell you why, and who will restore the finish, before any work starts.
Factory-built chimney parts found during a fireplace repair
The metal chimney above a factory-built fireplace belongs to the same listing. The code allows a decorative shroud at the top only when it is listed for that fireplace system (R1004.3), and factory-built chimneys are installed and terminated under the maker's instructions (R1005.1).
Loose pipe sections, a missing spacer or an unlisted shroud can come to light while a fireplace repair is investigated. Our pros record what they find above the fireplace and quote any chimney work as its own line, so your Lake Mary estimate separates the fireplace from the chimney that serves it.
