Our damper does not seat properly. Why?

Metal and masonry expand at different rates, and Fresno's wide annual temperature swing works that joint repeatedly. The characteristic local fault is a plate that no longer seats squarely or a frame that has shifted, rather than the corroded-solid dampers found in coastal cities.

We have a newer house in north Fresno. Is that different?

Yes. Newer northern development uses factory-built units, and metal moves more than masonry through the same temperature range. The chase cover on top takes the worst of it, exposed to full summer sun on a Fresno roof.

The firebrick has cracks. Is that serious?

Fine surface crazing is common here given the thermal cycling and generally not significant. What matters is cracks that go through, missing sections, or failed mortar joints between firebricks, because the firebox is the barrier between the fire and the structure.

Smoke comes into the room. Is that a fireplace fault?

Usually not — it points above the firebox. In Fresno a damper that no longer seats squarely is a plausible contributor, since it affects how the flue draws. But flue restriction and draft conditions are the more common causes and they are not appliance faults.

Fireplace Repair · Fresno

Fireplace Repair in Fresno, CA

A Fresno firebox is worked by the weather even in the months when nobody lights a fire in it.

Request an Estimate Describe the problem

Chimney & Fireplace

Sweeping, inspection and repair

Wood, Gas & Factory-Built

Different systems, different work

Inspection Is Separate

Not bundled into a cleaning

California Service Areas

Find your city

What is different about fireplace repair in Fresno

Fresno summer temperatures above 100°F heat the entire chimney structure including the firebox, so the masonry expands and contracts annually whether or not any fire has been lit.
That off-season thermal movement stresses firebox mortar joints and damper components in a way that mild-climate fireplaces never experience during their unused months.
The city's newer northern development around Woodward Park installed factory-built units whose metal components expand and contract through the same extreme range, which is harder on a manufactured appliance than on masonry.

Summer Works the Fireplace Too

In most of California an unused fireplace is simply idle. In Fresno it is being heated to well over 100°F every summer afternoon and cooling substantially overnight.

That is thermal cycling without any combustion involved. It works the firebox mortar joints, it moves the damper plate in its frame, and over enough summers it produces the kind of wear that elsewhere only comes from burning. It is why a lightly used Fresno fireplace can need firebox attention that a lightly used coastal one does not.

The Damper Shows It First

A damper is a metal plate in a masonry throat, and metal and masonry expand at different rates. Put that assembly through a wide annual temperature swing repeatedly and the fit changes.

The characteristic Fresno damper faults are a plate that no longer seats squarely, a frame that has shifted relative to the masonry, or a mechanism that binds at one end of its travel. These are different from the corroded-solid dampers of coastal California and the heat-warped dampers of heavy-burning Sacramento.

Factory-Built Units Take It Harder

The newer northern Fresno development has factory-built units rather than masonry, and manufactured appliances handle this climate less gracefully than brick does.

Metal moves more than masonry through the same temperature range, and a factory-built unit is an assembly of metal components with defined tolerances. Chase covers on top take the worst of it, exposed to full summer sun on a Fresno roof. Where the unit is at the end of its service life, fireplace installation covers what that decision involves.

This page covers fireplace repair specifically in Fresno. For how the service works generally, see fireplace repair in our California service areas. For every service available in this city, see chimney services in Fresno.

Other services in Fresno

Chimney Sweep & Cleaning Chimney Inspection Chimney Repair Fireplace Cleaning Chimney Cap Installation Dryer Vent Cleaning

Fireplace Repair in other cities

Los Angeles San Diego San Jose San Francisco Sacramento Long Beach Oakland Anaheim Riverside

Fireplace Repair in Fresno — common questions

In Fresno, yes, and it surprises people. Summer temperatures above 100°F heat the whole structure and it cools overnight, so the firebox expands and contracts annually with no fire involved. That is thermal cycling without combustion, and it accumulates.

Fireplace Repair in Fresno

Tell us what the chimney or fireplace is actually doing and we will tell you which service applies — including when the answer is that you do not need one yet.

Request an Estimate View Services (213) 789-3721