Local top sealing damper installation in St. Nicholas
Order a top sealing damper for your St. Nicholas fireplace in the 72 hours after we measure, and a local family business takes 10% off the install.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
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Damper experts who measure before they order
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
The adhesive's cure time is written down before the fireplace is used.
- Free inspection and estimateYour flue tile in St. Nicholas is measured and the crown checked on a free visit before any damper is ordered.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesThe model, the handle position and any tile or crown work are priced in writing up front.
- 100% satisfaction guaranteedIf the lid does not seal or open the way we showed you, we return and adjust it.
Rain finding its way down an idle flue
A fireplace that sits unused still has an open flue above it, and rain gets in wherever the top is uncapped or the cap is loose. It lands on the smoke shelf, rusts the throat damper and stains the firebox. Water that sits on the smoke shelf also soaks into the masonry below it.
With the lid shut between fires, rain has no way into the flue, and with it open, the lid works as a rain cover. We check the crown and tile on your chimney in St. Nicholas before fitting one, since the damper needs a sound base.
St. Nicholas falls within Duval County. St. Nicholas lies inland.
Top damper work we take on in St. Nicholas
- Flue tiles measured for the right damper size
- Old throat dampers removed or fixed open
- Your St. Nicholas chimney's tile and crown checked first
- Make and model of your St. Nicholas damper written down
The order of a top damper install
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Tile measured on the roof
The flue tile's outside size, height and rim are checked on a free visit, with the crown around it.
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Model ordered to fit
The damper is chosen from the maker's size chart for your tile and approved on the estimate first.
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Frame set, cable run
The frame is set in the maker's adhesive, the old plate made safe and the cable run to the handle.
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Adjusted and demonstrated
The lid is adjusted to seal, and you try the handle before we leave, with the cure time written down.
Standard models inland in St. Nicholas
Away from the coast, the standard top damper models fit standard fireplace flue tiles in St. Nicholas, and salt resistance is not the deciding factor. Fit and size are.
We choose the model from the tile measurement and the maker's size chart.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Leaky throat damper? A top damper ordered within three days of the inspection is 10% off.
Setting the frame in its adhesive
Top damper frames are set on the tile in a high-temperature adhesive supplied with the damper. One maker's instructions call for a continuous 1/4 inch bead of the furnished adhesive and a 24 hour set before the damper is used.
We follow the instructions for the model we fit, clean the tile rim first and press the frame down evenly so the bead is continuous. The cure time goes on the ticket, and the fireplace stays unlit until it has passed. Adhesive squeezed out along the joint is tooled into a neat fillet so water runs off rather than sitting against the frame.
Running the cable down the flue
From the lid, the stainless cable hangs down the middle of the flue, passes the throat and ends at the firebox. It must not rub on a sharp tile joint or the edge of an old damper frame, since a cable that chafes will fray.
We route it clear of obstructions, pass it through the throat where the old plate was, and leave enough length for adjustment at the handle. A cable that has to bend around an offset in the flue gets guides where the maker allows them. Where the cable passes the throat, a smooth path is left so it does not snag when the lid opens and closes.
Repairing the crown before the damper
The crown around the flue tile keeps water out of the chimney and supports the tile the damper sits on. A crown that is cracked or pulling away from the tile lets water in beside the damper and loosens the tile over time.
Crown repair is priced ahead of the damper when the crown needs it. The crown's joint with the flue tile is left as a flexible bond break, as R1003.9.1 calls for, so the tile and damper can move with heat. If the crown is recast, the damper waits until the crown has cured enough to work on.
What we check before fitting a top damper in St. Nicholas
- Round flue or liner top matched with the maker's adapter
- Gasket, spring and cable condition noted on the ticket
- Make, model and flue size written down for your records
- Cap needs for other flues on the chimney listed separately
Before the damper is ordered
Do I still need a chimney cap?
On a single fireplace flue, the open lid sheds rain like a cap, so one may not be needed. Other flues, or a wish for a spark screen, can still call for one, and we explain it on the estimate.
Can a top damper go on any chimney?
It needs a masonry fireplace flue with a sound tile standing high enough above the crown. Flues for other appliances and listed metal chimneys are handled differently, and we tell you which applies.
More services in St. Nicholas
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Learn more about top-sealing damper installationAll services in St. Nicholas
Rusted throat damper in St. Nicholas?
A lid at the top, a handle in the firebox, and your chimney in St. Nicholas closed between fires. Call (904) 920-5495.
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