[Contractorswife]

Our home has a wood-burning fireplace. We used it up until we discovered that it was falling forward (mantel level on down) from the wall at the point where it meets the actual chimney. Mantel height is apart about 2 inches, V's down from there. The cement is brittle & crumbling where its come apart.

My husband has been in commercial construction for many years & wants to repair it himself, if at all possible but does not have specific knowledge of masonry fireplaces. He wants it done properly for safety of course & we've been quoted an approx. $2000 CAN for the repair (depending on how far up the separation goes), so we want to save money too.

If it helps: house shell/fireplace is aged 50 yrs, the rest of house was rebuilt in 2006(due to fire - not caused by fireplace because it wasn't lit) Chimney sweep hired to clean fireplace after house fire discovered the damage.

Knowledgeable advise would be appreciated, I really miss my fireplace.

[21boat]

Hi contractors wife. Old mason here.
A standard fire place is basically in two parts.
1. The firebox is built and rolled to the damper. From there is the throat which the brick steps in on the sides and steps even more form the front to back to where the first flue is set. The sides of the firebrick box normally has 4" block beside that.

2. The hearth and face are usually laid together. The face as you see it is normally held with metal wall ties or is back laid with brick tie in.

The face does more than looking pretty. The sides of the face comes in about 1 1/2 to cover front brick on fire box. Now here's the important part. The top opening of the face needs to be 6 to 7 inches down from the height of the damper behind it. I wish I had a picture to see the fireplace and box and throat. If the brick is crumbling then how is the throat above the damper not to mention the firebox? The back of the face gets filled in front of the throat to protect the brick corbal from flamables. Brick fill.

If the face is dried out how's the functioning part?

What was going to to be done for $2,000.00 ?

I would be more concerned for the functioning part of the fireplace then the façade.


Signed 21 Boat

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[Contractorswife]

Here are the pix requested. Want to know if it's possible to clean, re-brace & parge to make the repair.

[21boat]

Thanks for the pics. You definitely have a structural problem with the face leaving the firebox.

You can't parge anything that heat hits. It won't take the heat. The best mortar for heat is refractory cement. Its for mortar joints etc.

You should not "rebrace" the face needs tied into the fire box and the upper throat for natural support.

Form the pics I see, it appearers to be more of a basic structural failure than a crumbling old problem. The brick return into the fire box seems like OK brick. The gap behind that shows separation of box to brick. This either due to box leaving brick or face leaving box r could be both.

The lower face wasn't tied into the box. Two reasons, the fire brick was laid on its skinny side and that by course doesn't line up with the face brick courses.

I see cracks on the floor of the firebox that also shows possible movement. What is under the face for support?

Is there a hearth and how far out from the face? I should have asked you to post images of the whole setup. Heart, total face. Support under hearth if there is a support.

At this point remove the face. As you remove it see if there were any wall ties or physical ties from the face to the throat of the fireplace. That helps create counter weight for the face.

At this point check for support under face for brick/hearth load.

Check to see if chimney outside is sound and no movement from house.

Remove face completely. If you are at that point I would check the throat for dry soft brick in the throat. Light tapping with a brick hammer on the throat brick and listen to the sound of the tap for soft dry brick.

I would piece remove old firebrick and lay new in. They laid the fire brick on its 2"+ side and not its 4"+ side. I would reline if possible on the flat 4"+ side. This would also help to use brick wall ties that would line up closer to the face brick return to tie it all in. Also it gives a wider protection of mass form heat exchange.

I still don't know what the $2,000.00 covers in the estimate you were given?

Signed 21 Boat

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[Damon70]

I'm a mason also and if I could give you a suggestion I would say it looks to me like the support under the hearth is insufficient!
The reason I say it's is that the floor of the firebox has a crack in it and the separation of the brick façade makes it look to me like there is a consistent drop or sag to the outside direction. Check how the support under the fireplace looks! If there is one!

[ma0641]

I'm a mason also and if I could give you a suggestion I would say it looks to me like the support under the hearth is insufficient!
The reason I say it's is that the floor of the firebox has a crack in it and the separation of the brick facade makes it look to me like there is a consistent drop or sag to the outside direction. Check how the support under the fireplace looks! If there is one!!

Damon. Thanks for your reply but please note that the question was asked 3 years ago. Feb 2009. Look for the original posting date when you want yo answer. Thanks tor joining AMHD!

[Damon70]

Yes I realized this after I sent it!