Wear and Tear on the Fireplace Firebox

The firebox is the part of your fireplace at the floor level of the room where you place the wood to be burned. Just like other parts of your home, your firebox can deteriorate over time. As houses age, they will settle, creating cracks and gaps in the walls and floors. This process is exactly the same in your firebox. Furthermore, exposure to extreme heat from fires and other factors such as water leaks can cause your firebox to deteriorate even faster. The mortar holding the firebox’s bricks together can begin to crack and separate, causing gaps to open up between the bricks. These gaps can quickly become dangerous, allowing fire to escape the firebox and spread into the walls of your home.

Picture in picture showing fireplace firebox wear and tear

Total Chimney Care will examine your firebox and make recommendations for the best course of action. If your firebox bricks are in good condition, but the mortar is eroded, we can do something called tuckpointing. During this process, we remove the old mortar and replace it with high-temperature refractory mortar.  To learn more about firebox and smoke chamber repair, watch the video below.

When to Rebuild the Firebox

If your firebox is too damaged or deteriorated to repair with tuckpointing, we can tear out the old firebox and install a new one. Total Chimney Care’s expert chimney technicians are highly experienced at rebuilding fireboxes. We will remove your old firebox, protecting your floors and furniture while using the proper tools and equipment to make it a mess-free and stress-free experience for you.  We will rebuild your firebox by hand, using bricks and mortar that are designed to withstand the high temperatures typical with wood-burning fireplaces. When we finish rebuilding your firebox, it will look and work like a brand new fireplace.

We have the expertise to handle all types of firebox rebuilds and repairs. Once we’ve completed the work on your firebox, our technicians will advise you on how to properly care for your new fireplace. We want to make sure you get the best value for your investment and that you are able to enjoy it for years to come.

Even when your firebox is in good repair, you still need to be sure the chimney lining is in good shape to prevent other damage and stay safe. Repairing or installing new chimney liners is all part of the service we offer here at Total Chimney Care, so give us a call.