Smoke shelf and chamber repair for Sunbeam homes
Parging or rebuilding, the smoke chamber in your Sunbeam fireplace gets the repair its shape and walls call for.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
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Smoke chamber pros who measure before they trowel
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
A draft test after the cure shows whether the repair did its job.
- Free inspection and estimateWe look above the damper in your Sunbeam fireplace, measure the chamber and write down what we find at no cost.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesCleaning, resets, parging and cure time are priced line by line before the first trowel goes in.
- Family owned and operatedA family-owned local crew does the reaching and troweling through the throat, and cleans up after itself.
Walls that seem thin from inside
The code asks for an 8 inch masonry shell around the chamber, reduced to 6 inches when firebrick or vitrified clay lines it. A chamber built thinner, or thinned by years of eroded joints, puts heat closer to whatever lies outside it. Thin walls also make the chamber more sensitive to open joints, since there is less masonry between the heat and the house.
When the walls of a chamber in Sunbeam look thin, we measure where we can and check the space around the chimney for combustible framing. The estimate states what we could confirm and what would need opening to see.
Sunbeam is part of Duval County. Sunbeam lies inland.
From the smoke shelf to the first flue tile
- Chamber walls troweled smooth with refractory mortar
- Smoke shelf cleared and repaired
- Your Sunbeam fireplace protected while we work above it
- Chamber findings in Sunbeam written wall by wall
How our masons repair a smoke chamber in Sunbeam
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Tell us what the fireplace does
Spilling smoke, a stale smell or grit on the damper plate tells us what to bring to the free visit.
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Chamber measured and mapped
Height, width and wall slopes are measured, and each wall, the shelf and the flue transition are checked.
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Cleaned, reset, parged
Soot and glaze come off, loose units are reset, joints filled, then refractory mortar goes on in layers.
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Cured and draft tested
The product cures as its data sheet directs, then a small fire shows how the fireplace draws.
Rain down an inland flue in Sunbeam
An inland chimney still takes rain at its top. In Sunbeam, a cracked crown or a missing cap still lets water run to the smoke shelf, where it rusts the damper frame and soaks the chamber.
We trace that water before we parge, so the new coat in Sunbeam goes onto dry masonry.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Book the chamber work at the inspection or up to 72 hours later, and 10% comes off.
Why the parge coat is refractory mortar
The code wants the inside of the chamber parged smooth with refractory mortar that meets ASTM C199, the test for mortars meant to hold up in fireplaces and flue linings. Ordinary masonry mortar or a patch of portland cement is not made for the heat and the acid in smoke, and it breaks down faster.
We use a refractory product whose data sheet lists it for smoke chamber use, and the name goes on the ticket. If a previous repair used the wrong material, we remove it before the new coat goes on. The same data sheet sets how thick each coat may be and how long it must rest before heat.
Keeping the room clean during chamber work
Chamber work loosens soot, old mortar and dust right above the firebox. The opening is sealed off while we work, floors and hearth are covered, and the debris is collected at the source with a sealed, filtered vacuum.
When work stops, the room goes back the way it was and the firebox is cleaned out. If work runs over more than one day, the opening stays sealed overnight, so nothing drifts into the house. Nothing from the chamber is swept into the room, and the damper plate is cleaned before it goes back.
Why steps collect deposits
Each step in a corbeled chamber is a ledge. Soot and tar settle on ledges, and the rough, turbulent surface cools the gases so more of them condense there. A brush sweeps the faces of the steps but leaves the corners behind.
Creosote that builds up in those corners is fuel sitting in the path of fire gases. A smooth parge coat gives it nowhere to hide and lets the next sweep reach the whole surface, which is the main safety reason for the work. A smooth chamber is also easier to inspect, since a crack or an open joint stands out plainly against the parge coat.
What we check above the damper in Sunbeam
- Wall slopes checked against the 30 and 45 degree limits
- Loose chamber brick reset in refractory mortar, units counted
- Smoke shelf cleared, repaired and shaped to drain to the firebox
- Transition to the first flue tile built up smooth
Before the chamber is parged
When can I light the fireplace after parging?
The refractory product's data sheet sets the cure time and how to bring it up to heat. We write both on your ticket with the date the work finished.
What if the chamber work in Sunbeam does not hold up?
If the parging or resets we did come loose or fail to do what we described, we return and correct it.
More services in Sunbeam
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Learn more about smoke chamber repairAll services in Sunbeam
Smoke chamber repair from local masons in Sunbeam
Smoke chambers in Sunbeam are parged with refractory mortar by local masons, and the job carries our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Free Inspection