Our Process
How fireplace repairs are done in Sanford
Cracked or loose firebrick in the firebox
Firebrick is the lining that takes the direct heat of a wood fire. The Florida Building Code calls for a firebrick lining at least 2 inches thick, made to ASTM C27 or C1261, with joints between the bricks no wider than 1/4 inch (section R1001.5). With use, joints open, faces flake and single bricks crack through or work loose.
A fine crack in an otherwise sound brick is often watched rather than replaced. A brick that moves, a joint you can push a key into or a face that has shed its surface is replaced, and the bricks around it are checked at the same time. We show you which bricks in your Sanford firebox are marked before the work is priced.
Burning habits that protect a repaired firebox
EPA wood-burning guidance is to burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood and never trash, cardboard or painted or pressure-treated wood. It also warns never to start a fire with gasoline, kerosene or charcoal starter. Those habits keep smoke down, which also helps a freshly repaired firebox and damper stay clean.
Before we leave, our pros go over the first-fire instructions for the products used in your repair, since some refractory materials ask for a gradual start. The steps that apply to your Sanford fireplace are written on your record, so nobody in the house has to remember them.
Repairing water and rust damage inside the fireplace
Rust on the damper, damp ash, water marks on the firebox walls or a musty smell after rain means water is reaching the fireplace from somewhere above it: the cap, the top of the chimney or the roof around it. The fireplace shows the damage, but the entry point is higher up.
We repair the rust and water damage inside the fireplace and trace the leak during the free inspection. The fix for the source is quoted on its own line through our chimney leak service, so you can tell apart the work that stops the water and the work that repairs the damage it already did in your Sanford home.
A fireplace repair estimate with separate lines
A single price for fixing the fireplace tells you very little. Our estimates list each repair on its own line: the firebrick to replace, the damper work, the hearth, any access and finish work, and anything found above the fireplace that belongs to another service.
You approve the lines you want before we start, and the price does not change unless you agree to added work. There are no hidden fees, the inspection costs nothing, and booking the repair within 72 hours of your Sanford inspection takes 10% off.
