Adding a fireplace or chimney to your home is an exciting project, but it can also be expensive and time consuming. A good masonry contractor will help you design the perfect fireplace or chimney that fits your needs and budget.
At A&K Artistic Masonry we have been building custom fireplaces for over 15 years. Our experienced team of professionals includes stonemasons, bricklayers, carpenters, and more who are ready to bring your vision to life with our unique craftsmanship. We'll work with you from start to finish on every step of the process so that your new fireplace looks exactly how you want it!
You do not want to wait until your chimney has serious problems and then hire an expert chimney repair contractor.
The chimney is one of the most difficult parts of a house or building to reach which makes it very important for every chimney structure, brick, stone, and masonry chimney included, be checked thoroughly on a regular basis with chimney cameras equipment or chimney licensed inspector.
The best way is to hire a skilled chimney repair specialist so you can rest assured he/she will inspect the entire chimney from top to bottom at least once a year even if you don't use your fireplace during the winter months.
The chimney is like the exhaust system of your fireplace or furnace. It releases toxic fumes and dangerous carbon monoxide gas outside so it's important to make sure everything is in good working order.
If you are still not convinced, consider this; chimneys need special attention because they easily collect hazardous creosotes that can cause chimney fires if left untreated for too long especially during the winter season when chimneys are used time after time without proper chimney maintenance. Hiring an expert chimney contractor at least once a year will keep your local chimney professional tickled pink because he/she can get on with other more challenging chimney repairs, masonry crack repair, stone cleaning projects knowing your winter months.
The chimney is a great architectural element used to bring comfort and warmth into your life. No matter how beautiful or ornate the chimney may be, it will not be able to function without good repair.
Chimneys are so important to our homes since they can release dangerous gases from inside the home and provide ventilation for the fireplace chimney. But this very feature also makes chimneys susceptible to damage from water intrusion from rain or melting snow down its length which in turn, ends up inside the chimney system built of masonry materials such as brick and/or stone.
If you have a chimney in your house, then there is a great chance that at some point in time you would have that chimney repaired. There are chimney repairs that can be done from inside the chimney flue and others that require chimney repair from the outside.
Chimneys made with mortar, brick, or stone have one common enemy. That is moisture intrusion. If moisture can work its way into your mortar and in behind and in between the brick and/or stone it will cause major problems.
An interior chimney repair requires a mason to remove all debris from chimney flue, inspect for cracks or damage in chimney walls, caulk all joints of replacement bricks with a high-temperature resistant cement-based caulking, re-pointing any deteriorated areas of chime tones mortars, replace corroded flashing metal at chimney structure surrounding the chimney, and chimney crown work if the chimney was severely eroded.
Non-conformance chimneys and fireplaces can be found in any home. There is usually a minimum of one chimney per house and sometimes even more than one chimney on certain homes.
A chimney is an oblong or rectangular structure that serves as a shaft for the passage of smoke from combustion inside the fireplace to allow it to escape into the open air. Chimneys are typically used to prevent smoke from filling up an enclosed space such as a room or building, and instead allow the smoke to escape through chimneys erected on rooftops.
The chimney can be made out of metal (steel, galvanized steel) materials or masonry materials (brick, stone, concrete). If you have chimneys made out of metal or masonry material you may want to check them for cracks.
On this chimney, the chimney was poorly built up against an exterior brick chimney wall that had no isolation membrane present between the steel chimney and the exterior brick chimney wall. This causes moisture leakage into the chimney, and over time creates a rusting issue.
It is important to understand chimneys and fireplaces (chimneys), and how they are built is vastly different.
Most chimneys are made with two walls, the chimney itself and then an exterior chimney wall that contains insulation. The chimney itself is built with a chimney liner or chimney chase, this is an upside down U-shape that is stacked brick on top of a chimney liner.
A&K Artistic Masonry specializes in custom masonry, brick and stone fireplace restoration. If you have a custom or one-of-a-kind chimney we can restore for you, call today!
We specialize in custom masonry and brick fireplaces. A&K Artistic Masonry will work with you to ensure that your custom brick and stone fireplace is restored to its original beauty and safety. Some of our custom projects include custom chimneys for fireplaces, custom stone hearths, and custom mantels.
If you have a custom masonry fireplace that is in need of restoration or repair, contact us today! We can service your custom masonry fireplace from start to finish.
If you have a custom masonry fireplace that is in need of restoration or repair, contact us today! We can service your custom masonry fireplace from start to finish.
New brick masonry build services are another specialty of A&k Artistic Masonry. If you're looking to add new brick to your home we can help! Our experienced craftsman will construct and install new brick around your custom masonry fireplace and chimney with care and attention to detail. From custom mortar work to new custom-built brick chimneys, we do it all!
We specialize in new masonry building projects including custom new masonry builds, clay tile roofs, clay replica reproductions, custom landscaping, custom stone work, and custom iron works.
Over time and many heat cycles, the masonry holding your fireplace together can become cracked and you’ll start to notice loose brick or stone. There are other indicators as well such as the fireplace leaning to one side, or starting to actually collapse in some circumstances. If your fireplace and chimney have cracks in the mortar then you’re going to need structural repairs.
More often than not these are caused by natural processes due to fireplace heat that can cause structural damage over many years if not properly maintained. The fireplace, by virtue of it being inside the home, sees heat cycles from all sides and this can cause mortar cracks, loose brick or blockage in fireplace chimneys. You’ll need to have a professional fireplace structural repair company assess the damage before you go ahead with fireplace installation, fireplace replacement or fireplace cleaning projects.
Fireplace Installation: Fireplace Repair Structural Repairs
If your fireplace is leaning or otherwise structurally compromised you should have a fireplace installer come and assess it to see if fireplace structural repairs are needed before you go ahead with the installation. The fireplace may need fireplace grates as well as other fireplace accessories depending on its condition.
Fireplace Replacement: Fireplace Installation Structural Repairs
If your home is rather old it is possible the fireplace was built with a lime mortar, instead of today's based mortars. The acid in the creosote, the heat from the fire eventually break down this mortar and turn it into a dusty, sandy material. If these steps are not properly cleaned up they can sometimes fall into the inner workings of your damper or flapper doors, causing them to jam or not open at all. If this happens you have now created a chimney fire!
If your fireplace is made of brick, there are two ways moisture can get in between the bricks. If your house sits low on the ground moisture will seep into under-fired brick through cracks that develop around window frames and outside walls. If your house is built up off the ground like most homes, moisture gets in between the bricks through capillary action. If you haven't heard of this term before it is because water drains through small gaps in between bricks without actually soaking them.
As time goes on these brick stacks located at each side of your fireplace start to get damaged from heat and cold. If not properly repaired they can become loose and fall out of place. If they are very saturated with water over a period of time the extreme temperature changes, they eventually crack in half or explode!
Obviously the mortar that holds your fireplace isn’t supposed to have cracks. This can pose several dangers to your home. A cracked chimney flue for example could mean that your chimney might not be venting outside correctly, instead venting soot and dangerous gases into your home. Cracks in the fireplace or chimney could also pose a risk of fire or at worst case scenario a total structural failure of their the fireplace or chimney or both, (leaning or pulling away from the house). We’ve had to fix this before fairly often.
If you suspect there may be a problem with your chimney speak with us immediately. The sooner we identify any problems, the less likely it will be that they will become worse.
