2 issues here. In an attempt to remodel a fireplace, the lintel was removed making the fireplace opening taller. This might be aesthetically pleasing, but now the fireplace has been damaged and likely will not draft properly. Nearly impossible to repair.
The black streaking shows evidence of cracks in firebox allowing smoke and hot gasses to potentially get into combustibles.
Had to replace all these bricks. Sprinklers kept soaking bricks and got rebar wet. It rusted and destroyed the bricks. The black stains are from creosote/soot/smoke/ hot gases escaping flue and firebox, potentially getting into combustibles and house fire.
The masonry firebox is the box that surrounds the flames. It’s at the base of your chimney. After a while, the firebricks get wear and tear, and it may be time for a repair.
Here is a before and after masonry firebox repair we recently did.
The smoke from your fireplace needs a place to escape. Otherwise, things could get dangerous, fast. A smoke chamber repair includes sealing gaps or voids in the chamber so that smoke has a smooth passageway to exit your chimney.
The black stains is soot from hot gases leaking through crack getting close to combustibles.
Factory built or zero clearance fireplaces have different design. This type of chimney is easily identified by having stucco or wooden sided chimneys. Further, this type of fireplace has a metal firebox with refractory panels forming the firebox with a metal flue. Almost all of these already have a chimney cap, but they are subject to deterioration from the elements and from aging. Close to beach these rust out and need to be replaced. When parts of the top up there start rusting, rainwater will start becoming an issue.
Another issue is that several of these designs provide a nesting place for birds. Occasionally, screening can be added to prevent this.
Another aspect of these types of fireplaces is that the refractory panels, which form a protective barrier between the fire and metal firebox, can develop cracks in these panels. I might mention that if these cracks are hairline, they are usually not an issue. But most manufacturers of these type fireplaces recommend replacement of panels when crack is large enough to put a coin into crack.
A chimney chase cover is a chimney topper that is provided for pre-fabricated fireplaces that have wood-framed chimney chases. Chimney chase covers seal of chase openings, preventing moisture from getting into your chimney and causing thousands of dollars of expensive repairs. These covers are similar to a lid on a shoe box with a central opening to let smoke and gases escape while sealing the top from moisture getting in.
Here is a recent install we did of a custom chase cover, also known as a custom shroud.
Custom glass fireplace doors protect your family and home and help prevent heat loss. Here is a recent before and after of glass fireplace doors we installed.
We get calls frequently about cracks in a firebox. Cracks depending on where they are and what type of cracking can be potentially hazardous situations or insignificant. There are about 3 different construction types of fireplaces employed in the last 70-80 years. A virtual assessment can often determine the severity of the situation and type of construction.
This picture shows a fireplace built probably prior to 1980 or so, where there were cracks inside the firebox top front opening. One can see staining where heat was traveling toward the wood combustibles. Someone removed the lintel and bricks of the the façade (incidentally a terrible idea as someone was looking to remodel). So, some cracks are potentially dangerous, while others not so much. But a virtual assessment can often determine the necessity for an in person inspection.
The National Fire Safety Institute recommends that all chimneys and fireplaces be inspected when a property is sold.
One of the major causes of home fires in the winter are fireplaces and it is reported that there are about 15,000 house fires caused by fireplaces and chimneys in the U.S. every year. In 2020 Rachael Ray, TV Host, had her large home burn down, reportedly due to gaps or cracks in the chimney. This was despite getting the chimneys swept regularly.
Many people, including some chimney sweeps, think that just dropping a handheld mirror down the chimney will detect hazards. In most cases it will not. We have been to properties where a chimney sweep had been there before and said the property was safe, but there were major cracks and gaps in the flue which are a severe fire hazard. Read more
There are a number of types of Pre-Cast Fireplaces and Chimneys. The one that is most common in this area is the Rampart General Pre-Cast Fireplaces which were built in Santa Ana from the mid 1960’s to the early 1990’s. They are often located in neighborhoods with hundreds of these tract homes.
The chimneys and fireplaces were built at a factory and dropped off at the building site. They often look like a light tan or off-white painted brick, but that is just the color of the cement. Sometimes homeowners have painted them for various reason, including to cover cracks. Sometimes it will look like an antenna has been added, but this is sometimes to stability the chimney. Read more
