An Interior Masonry Contractor Can Replace A Cracked Or Broken Fireplace Brick To Eliminate The Eyesore

If a brick in your fireplace is cracked or chipped, it may annoy you every time you see it. A chip is an eyesore since the broken area may be white rather than red, and that makes the damage stand out. A solution is to hire an interior masonry services contractor to replace the bad brick. They can accomplish this job without harming the rest of your fireplace. Here are some of the steps involved in this interior masonry work.

Find The Right Replacement Brick

If your fireplace is old, finding a replacement brick might be difficult, but a masonry contractor can usually find what you need. The brick has to be a close match in color as well as texture so it blends in with the rest of your fireplace. Plus, the brick has to be the right size so it fits in the opening.

Seal The Room So Dust Doesn't Escape

The process of removing a brick from a fireplace creates dust, so the room might be sealed off with plastic tarps to keep dust from spreading around your home. However, the equipment the contractor uses has a vacuum attached to it that immediately sucks in the dust as soon as it's created. For that reason, dust usually isn't much of a problem when making interior masonry repairs.

Remove The Old Brick

The old brick can be loosened with a saw by cutting along the border of the brick. The contractor might also chip away at the mortar by hand to release the brick. It may even be necessary to bust the brick apart and pull it out in pieces. This work is done carefully so neighboring bricks aren't harmed. Once the brick is out, dust is vacuumed from the space so the new mortar bonds well.

Put In The New Brick

The masonry contractor uses mortar to hold the brick in place. Mortar is spread inside the hole where the old brick was taken out so the new brick will be level with the ones beside it. The new brick is placed in the hole over the mortar and then more mortar is added to make the lines around the brick.

The mortar has to be leveled and smooth so it looks like the other lines and is even with them. After that, the mortar has to be set. Once that's done, the lines can be painted white so the new mortar blends in perfectly with the rest of the lines on your fireplace. There will be no signs of damage so you can enjoy the view of your fireplace again without cringing over a damaged brick. 

For more information, contact a local company like SMG Masonry Restoration.