Firebox Rebuilding & Repair
The walls of your fireplace’s firebox are the first line of defense against the intense heat, flames and toxic gases produced when the fireplace is in use. When a firebox becomes damaged, it must be repaired quickly and correctly.
Oliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace of Huntington Beach, CA, would like to share some helpful information about firebox rebuilding and repair that you’ll want to know.
Why Do Fireboxes Become Damaged?
A quality-built firebox will include durable firebricks and special refractory mortar to hold the bricks together. Over time, heat from fires can begin to cause decay in the materials of even the best-built firebox. Decay is compounded during heating and cooling cycles by the rapid temperature changes within the materials.
Water is another problem for fireboxes. If there’s a chimney leak through the chimney crown, chimney cap or exterior masonry, water can wind up in the firebox and begin to affect the bricks and mortar.
Oliver Twist recommends annual professional fireplace inspections, which will alert you to early signs of problems. In between inspections, you can take a look at your firebox (after a fire and once it’s had time to cool off).
The Danger of a Compromised Firebox
There are two primary dangers that can happen when a firebox is sufficiently damaged:
- Heat and flames can escape the fireplace and start a fire in nearby building materials of the home. Remember that high heat can ignite materials as effectively as flames.
- Combustion gases can move into the air you breath inside your home. The biggest concern among combustion gases is carbon monoxide, which is invisible and odorless but is known to be potentially fatal when inhaled by people and animals.
Firebox Repair & Firebox Rebuilding
After a close inspection, we’ll know how to resolve the problem. Minor damage can be addressed by replacing bricks and mortar and applying a sealant to the surfaces.
Fireboxes can also be partially or completely rebuilt. In some cases, there’s the option of upgrading to a powerful fireplace insert made of heavy-duty metal. The insert simply goes into the existing firebox, and everything functions like a normal fireplace.
How to Tell if Your Firebox is Damaged
Look for signs of deterioration, chipping, cracking, crumbling and rusting. You can use a screwdriver to scrape some of the mortar joints and see if any mortar crumbles away.
All problems should be reported at once to your chimney services company or technician.
Contact the Firebox Rebuilding Experts Today
Oliver Twist specializes in firebox repair and fireplace panel replacement throughout the Southern California Southland. If you see areas of damage in your firebox (as described above), give us a call at (714) 843-9944 or get in touch with our handy contact form. We’ll perform an inspection and then explain to you what we found and how we recommend solving the problem.
We provide complete fireplace and chimney services across Los Angeles County and Orange County. We serve Huntington Beach CA, Long Beach CA, Torrance CA, Anaheim CA, Santa Ana CA, Lake Forest CA, Mission Viejo CA, San Juan Capistrano CA, Costa Mesa CA, and many more SoCal communities.