I finally noticed a loose brick in the smoke chamber

Miles Jackson · 2026-03-01T21:15:29.439225+00:00

It was ready to fall. Securing it now means one less hazard for the homeowner.

Three loose bricks taught me to pack mortar deep.

5

Dealing with that last year was a pain. My old fireplace had a few bricks that were shaky. I mixed up some refractory mortar, the kind that handles heat, and packed it in deep behind the loose one. Used a piece of wood to really wedge it in place tight. Let it cure for a full day before I even thought about a fire. It's held solid through a whole winter now.

4

karen_flores377mo ago

Heat resistant cement and a day of curing fixed my brick.

1