Repair to fireplace brick, anyone ever done it themselves?

[yy4me]

We have some bricks in our 200 year old fireplace that have chipped (in the real wall of the firebox)and cracks have appeared in the brick and mortar. We spoke to a mason who said that there is no real
danger, he will be here soon to fix it. Well, soon was last year and he is still not here. The damage does not look severe and we are do-it-yourselfers. Just need a little guidance. Anyone ever done this type of project? Any suggestions other than calling the mason again. $$$ is a little short. Love to be able to do it myself. Thanks.

[mopinko]

1. all i know is

you can't use regular mortar mix on chimneys, etc. you have to use portland cement. i know you can get 2 types of mortar mix at home depot, and one uses portland. but i don't know if that is adequate.
ok, i know one other thing. i am a bit of a weakling, so i am always looking for the easy way to do things. if i have to chip out a brick, i drill several holes in the mortar. this makes it easier to break out the brick, and also keeps down the "collateral damage" to nearby bricks.

[nedbal]

2. portland cement+sand+lime = mortar, portland cement +sand (aggregate)=concrete

the mason you hired should know all this. the burnt lime makes it sticky. while I'm not a mason, I believe it's the same mix mortar for between the firebrick as outside the house

[133724]

3. If it is in the firebox you need to have FIRE BRICK

AND FIREPROOF MORTAR TO GO WITH IT...

I used to work at a company that manufactured all types of brick. Ordaniary brick will crack in a very short time do not use it...

PS get it done professionally, you do NOT want to burn down your home.....

[Stinky The Clown]

4. This is a job a homeowner *could* do ..... but shouldn't!

Fixin' bricks is fixin' bricks. It ain't rocket science.

That said, this is about materials and safety.

First .... you say the fireplace is 200 years old. That alone tells you something. It needs to be treated with care and respect. Not that you'd be either careless or slap-dash, but you need to be certain you know what you're doing and what materials to use that are both safe and compatible with what's there.

There are all manner of 'fire brick'. They differ by temperature tolerance, color, size, and other factors. Mortar is also quite variable, even in the broad range of high temp mortars.

If for no other reason than aesthetics, you want to use mortar and brick that, after its been in service, will match the color of what's already there.

Your mason is probably right in saying there's no immediate danger, so just wait until you can get the job done right ..... by a professional.

[unhappycamper]

6. Hey H2S - welcome back.

How are you feeling? :hi:

(This is not a thread hijack attempt.)

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Read at this site for some info

and would recommend you get a "How To" book specific to doing this work.

The site:
http://tinyurl.com/2mbylf