How do you tell if a firebrick repair is urgently needed? Here is what to look for when it is time to call a professional to replace the fire brick if needed. In the Knoxville TN area, firebrick is frequently inspected as part of our Platinum Chimney Sweep Service. There are several reasons why the fire brick condition is so critical to the health of your fireplace or wood burning stove. Let’s go through the issues.
First, the brick serves two purposes. It protects the outer housing from high temperatures. A wood burning stove can produce temperatures up to 600 degrees internally. In addition, without the brick, the heat and flames would do major damage to the metal, access doors and surfaces. The brick forms a barrier between the fire and the walls of the stove or wood structure in a fireplace.
Second, the fire brick also absorbs and radiates heat inside the stove or fireplace. This allows the heat to continue to radiate out into the space even as the burning wood starts to fade.
In addition, ask for a full inspection of your flue and chimney cap.
After a thorough cleaning, inspect the insides to see if a firebrick repair is required.
By inspecting the stove or fireplace annually, any damage to the firebrick will quickly be seen. A reliable, professional chimney sweep company inspects this brick very closely for damage.
Firebrick and other masonry repairs in a chimney are usually not a do it yourself project. This is special brick and is sourced from different reliable vendors. However, outside patio fire pits use firebrick also and chimneys as well. Pay attention to the type of brick needed for your home’s safety and protection. For instance, brick is expensive. Only buy quality fire brick. Use qualified professionals to install it. Therefore, necessarily hire a contractor based on low price. A fire is expensive. Fire from a chimney issue is often very substantial. Even if it is contained early your insurance cost will go up. Check out the 5 star reviews of chimney sweep companies near youfor reliable installers of firebrick.
Is firebrick special?
Firebrick is used in chimneys on decks and around pools. We inspect these bricks as part of the home inspection process for chimneys also. Outdoor bricks are exposed to the elements. Rain harms bricks. Similarly, snow harms bricks. Freezing rain harms bricks. In other words, the weather breaks down the bricks in addition to the fire.
In conclusion, the brick is special because it stands up to very high temperatures. It is a special type of brick. First, it gets pitted and degrades over time. The effectiveness of the brick is lowered in protection. Secondly, we check for excessive pitting and crumbling of the brick. This indicates it is time to replace the brick. Brick can not be fixed or made new. Finally, it must be replaced for safe operation.
