Our Services
Fireplace installation in Lock Arbor, from plan to first fire
New fireplaces built and installed across Lock Arbor, beginning with a free inspection.
A chase top that sheds rain
One fireplace maker's manual has the chase top pitched away from the pipe opening, and one chase maker's instructions call for the storm collar to be sealed where it meets the pipe. Both details keep rain moving off the chase.
We set the slope and seal the collar as the manuals for your system describe. A chase top that holds water can rust early, so this is a detail worth getting right on day one. We also check that the storm collar sits snug against the pipe and that the cap is fastened the way the system lists it.
Firebox walls and depth
The Florida Building Code sets the firebox walls of a masonry fireplace at least 8 inches thick including a 2-inch firebrick lining, or 10 inches without a lining. It also sets a minimum firebox depth of 20 inches.
We build the firebox to those minimums with firebrick and refractory mortar and check the depth before the throat is formed. The firebox is the part that takes the heat, so it is built without shortcuts. Firebrick is laid with thin joints of refractory mortar so the lining stands up to repeated heating and cooling.
The throat and the damper
Above the firebox, the throat narrows into the smoke chamber. Under the Florida Building Code, the throat sits no less than 8 inches above the fireplace opening, with a ferrous metal damper set above the opening and operable from the room.
We form the throat and set the damper to those rules, then check that the damper handle is easy to reach and moves freely. A damper that works well from the first fire is one less repair later. The smoke chamber above the damper is shaped and parged smooth, so smoke rises without catching on rough masonry.
Dry, seasoned firewood
The EPA's Burn Wise guidance calls for firewood that is dry and split, seasoned six months or longer and kept outdoors on a raised stack covered only on top. Wet wood burns poorly and leaves more deposits in the chimney.
We explain how to buy, stack and check firewood at handover. A new fireplace burns best when it starts life on good fuel. A simple moisture meter tells you whether a delivery is ready to burn or needs another season on the stack. Seasoned wood also keeps the glass doors cleaner.
