Fireplace
Inside a fireplace restoration in Wekiwa Springs
Relining a worn firebox with new firebrick
The firebrick lining takes the heat of every fire, so it is often the first part of an old fireplace to wear out. The Florida Building Code calls for a lining at least 2 inches thick, of firebrick made to ASTM C27 or C1261, with joints no wider than 1/4 inch (R1001.5).
Where the old lining has cracked, spalled or thinned, our crew removes the failed bricks and relays the firebox in new firebrick, keeping the pattern the fireplace was built with where that is possible. A partial relining is quoted when the damage is confined to one wall of your Wekiwa Springs firebox.
Smoke chamber parging in a fireplace restoration
Above the damper, the smoke chamber narrows the smoke into the flue. Section R1001.8 has its inner surface parged smooth in a refractory mortar meeting ASTM C199. In old fireplaces that parging has often cracked or fallen away, leaving rough, stepped brick.
Our specialists inspect the smoke chamber from below with the damper open. Where the surface has failed, it is cleaned and parged again with refractory mortar, and the work is listed on its own line of the Wekiwa Springs estimate so you can see it even though you will never see the chamber itself.
Testing a cleaning method on old fireplace brick
Brick Industry Association guidance on cleaning brickwork starts with a trial on an inconspicuous area, done under conditions close to the real job. Once the result is approved, that test area becomes the standard the rest of the face is cleaned to.
We follow the same order on your Wekiwa Springs fireplace. We clean a small hidden patch first and let you see it once it has dried before the rest of the face is treated the same way. It is the simplest way to find out what the old brick will and will not tolerate before it is too late to change course.
Keeping a restored fireplace in good order
NFPA's recommendation is a yearly cleaning and inspection of heating equipment and chimneys by a qualified professional. For a restored fireplace, that yearly look catches a loose brick or a sticking damper while it is still a small repair.
Our fireplace maintenance visits cover the firebox, damper, hearth, doors and face, with a written record each time. Homeowners in Wekiwa Springs can book them on the same terms as the restoration, and same-day visits are available when the schedule allows. Each visit adds to the written history of the fireplace.
