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ALL THINGS CHIMNEY

Expertise and Experience

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When it comes to all things fireplace and chimney related, MARK JAMESON and the professionals at MARK JAMESON CHIMNEY  know exactly what it takes to make sure that your chimney is in the best shape ever so that your home and family are kept safe all winter long. 

Masonry Chimneys

Masonry Chimneys are likely the style most people see in their minds when they think of a fireplace. Brick or stone masonry work is what makes the traditional dwelling structure that’s served as a smokestack for most fireplaces throughout history. These often remarkable stacks are not just fine craftsmanship but the type of heating system that’s kept families warm for thousands of years.

No other type of chimney venting system offers the same sort of longevity and style as a masonry chimney does. When kept in good condition, a well-maintained masonry chimney can provide thousands of dollars worth of value to the home it serves.

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Brick & Mortar Construction

Masonry Chimneys are a kind of chimney that is built on-site from accessible, non-combustible materials. Assembled or constructed using bricks, blocks or stone, and always mortar. These components are weather-resistant, capable of handling medium temperatures, and extremely durable. When brick and mortar chimneys fail, it’s often due to misuse, poor original construction, or flawed design.

 

Masonry Chimney Types have the following characteristics:

  • square or rectangular terra-cotta flue tiles, often one or two feet in length

  • the crown on the top row of brick is cast mortar or cement

  • a deep foundation of blocks, stone or reinforced concrete

  • a pyramid-shaped smoke chamber roughly as tall as the fireplace opening is wide, bridging the flue tile liner to the firebox

  • a rectangular cast iron fireplace damper, in the throat of the fireplace, located below the smoke chamber

  • firebrick in the firebox, hand-assembled with high-temperature refractory mortar

  • an iron or steel grate, wider in the front than the back

  • a steel or cast iron lintel at the top of the fireplace opening

When well maintained, these types of masonry chimneys can last for hundreds of years. All too often, however, these brick or stone structures can suffer from freeze and thaw damage caused by water soaking the porous surfaces. Lightning and flue fires are also to blame for the early demise of brick chimneys! 

Chimney Liners

A flue lining in a masonry chimney is defined as "A clay, ceramic, or metal conduit installed inside of a chimney, intended to contain the combustion products, direct them to the outside atmosphere, and protect the chimney walls from heat and corrosion."

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