The fireplace is the part of the system you actually see and touch, and it takes the most direct heat abuse of anything in your home. Firebrick joints erode, panels crack, dampers seize, gas valves fail, and glass doors lose their seals. Peters Chimney Masters repairs wood-burning masonry fireplaces, prefabricated units, gas log sets, and inserts — safely, and with parts appropriate to your specific appliance.
A fireplace that will not draft, will not seal, or is showing cracked refractory is not just an inconvenience. It is a path for heat and combustion gases to reach places they should never reach.
Firebox and refractory repair
In a masonry fireplace, the firebox is built from firebrick set in refractory mortar. Over years of heat cycling the mortar joints erode and the brick faces crack. Once a joint opens past about a quarter inch, heat begins reaching the common brick behind the firebox — masonry that was never rated for those temperatures — and eventually the framing beyond it. Rebuilding eroded joints or replacing damaged firebrick restores that barrier.
Prefabricated metal fireplaces use molded refractory panels instead. Cracks wider than the width of a dime, or gaps at panel joints, mean the panel is no longer providing its rated protection and needs replacement. Critically, these are listed appliances: replacement panels must be the manufacturer's parts for that model. Generic panels void the listing and, in a fire, void insurance arguments too.
We will tell you plainly when a prefabricated unit has reached end of life. These are manufactured assemblies with finite service lives, and there is a point where replacement is safer and cheaper than continued repair.
Dampers, draft, and smoke problems
A damper has two jobs: open fully for burning and seal completely when closed. Throat dampers rust, warp, and seize, and a damper that will not seal lets conditioned air pour up the chimney year round — a measurable energy cost. We repair, replace, or upgrade to a top-sealing damper mounted at the flue top, which seals with a gasket and blocks downdrafts and animals at the same time.
Smoke entering the room is a draft problem with several possible causes: a flue that is undersized relative to the fireplace opening, a smoke chamber that was never parged smooth, creosote restriction, a blockage, insufficient chimney height above the roofline, or negative pressure in a tightly sealed modern home. Solutions range from a smoke guard that reduces the opening height, to parging the smoke chamber, to adding combustion air.
We diagnose before we prescribe. Guessing at draft problems is how homeowners end up paying for three fixes when the first one should have been the right one.
Gas fireplace and insert service
Gas fireplaces need annual service just as much as wood-burning ones, and homeowners often do not realize it. We clean and inspect burners, check pilot and thermocouple operation, test the gas valve and safety shutoff, verify log placement — which is not decorative; incorrect placement causes sooting and carbon monoxide — clean glass and reseat door gaskets, and check the venting system end to end.
Common gas complaints have common causes: a pilot that will not stay lit usually means a failing thermocouple or thermopile; sooting on the glass typically means incorrect log placement or an air shutter out of adjustment; a persistent gas smell means stop using the appliance and call immediately.
Inserts add another layer, since they must be properly connected to a correctly sized liner running the full flue height. We see a surprising number of inserts installed with no liner at all, venting into an oversized masonry flue — a configuration that causes condensation, poor draft, and creosote accumulation.
Get your fireplace burning safely again
We repair fireplaces across Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Altadena, Glendale, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Temple City, Duarte, South Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley, seven days a week, with same-day appointments available.
Every fireplace repair starts with an inspection of the whole system, because firebox and draft symptoms frequently originate in the flue, crown, or cap. You will see photos of anything we recommend and get a written estimate before work starts.
If we find a condition that makes the fireplace unsafe to use, we will tell you clearly and prioritize the repair — no vague warnings designed to sell you something.
Warning signs to watch for
Cracked firebox panels or joints
Gaps wider than a dime let heat reach materials that were never rated for it.
Smoke entering the room
A draft, sizing, or blockage problem that needs diagnosis rather than guesswork.
Damper that will not open or seal
Seized dampers are a safety issue burning and an energy leak when idle.
Pilot won't stay lit or glass is sooting
Classic gas appliance faults — usually thermocouple, valve, or log placement.
Schedule your fireplace repair today
Free written estimates, same-day appointments, and licensed technicians seven days a week. Call now and speak with someone who actually works on chimneys.
Call (866) 752-4313