Fireplace Repair near you

A fireplace that spills smoke is telling you the draft isn't strong enough to carry combustion gases up the flue. Sometimes the cause is simple: a damper only partly open, a cold flue on the first fire of the day or wood too wet to burn cleanly. Sometimes it's the house. Kitchen and bathroom fans, a clothes dryer or a newly tightened envelope can pull air down the chimney, and the smoke comes with it; if cracking open a nearby window stops the smoking, pressure is the likely culprit.

Other causes need a professional: a flue narrowed by creosote, a fallen flue tile or a nest; a firebox opening too large for the flue that serves it; a chimney too short for nearby roof lines or trees, so wind pushes smoke back down; or a damaged smoke chamber. A sweep's inspection, often with a camera, usually identifies which one it is before any money goes into repairs.

A damaged firebox or flue can let smoke and gases into the living space, which is why Health Canada advises smoke alarms and at least one carbon monoxide alarm in any home that burns wood. Let the fireplace go cold and call for an inspection if you notice any of the following:

A solid masonry fireplace with a few damaged bricks and a sticky damper is usually worth repairing. The picture changes when the firebox or flue lining needs major work, when a damaged factory-built unit has parts that are no longer made, or when the open fireplace sends more heat up the chimney than it gives to the room. At that point the realistic options are a certified wood insert, a gas insert or log set, or retiring the fireplace altogether.

An insert slides into the existing firebox and vents through a liner sized for it, so the chimney has to be assessed first; our chimney repair page covers liners. Health Canada recommends choosing CSA or US EPA certified wood-burning appliances. Converting to gas means new gas piping and venting, regulated work for a licensed gas technician, such as a TSSA-registered fuels contractor in Ontario; our gas fireplace service and fireplace installation pages cover that route.

Repairs that change the firebox, the liner, the hearth or the clearances around the opening can change how your insurer sees the risk. Insurers commonly ask about wood-burning appliances and may request a WETT inspection, which checks the appliance and its venting against building and fire code requirements; in Quebec, the inspection is done by a qualified heating professional.

Call your insurer or broker before adding an insert or undertaking major firebox or liner work, and keep the sweep's report, the repair invoice and any inspection report together. An undisclosed appliance or an unapproved alteration can complicate a claim after a fire, and that paperwork is also what a buyer's home inspector will ask to see.

A fireplace that isn't drawing properly puts fine smoke into the room, and Health Canada notes that children, older adults and people with heart or lung problems are most at risk from wood smoke. It also advises against burning wood on days when air pollution levels are high. Good habits cut indoor smoke and slow the damage that brings you back to the repair list: