Wood-burning masonry fireplaces
Masonry Fireplace Repair in Eau Claire, WI
Cracked firebrick, open firebox joints, rough smoke chambers, loose hearths and dated brick faces. We fix the masonry and tell you straight when the problem belongs to a sweep or a gas technician.
Serving Eau Claire, Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie, Menomonie, Fall Creek and the surrounding Chippewa Valley
Masonry Fireplace Repair in Eau Claire
Search for fireplace repair in Eau Claire and most of what comes up is hearth shops that sell and service gas units. That is a different trade. We work on fireplaces built of brick, block and stone, from the hearth up. In Eau Claire the normal overnight low is below freezing five months of the year, so a working fireplace gets plenty of use and plenty of wear.
What we repair, from the floor up
- Hearth. The floor of the firebox and the slab in front of it. We relay loose or cracked hearth brick, stone and tile and fix a hearth that has settled away from the firebox.
- Firebox. The firebrick walls and floor around the fire. Open joints get repacked, cracked brick replaced, and a firebox that is too far gone is relaid.
- Throat and damper area. The narrow opening above the fire. We rebuild crumbling masonry around the damper frame so a new damper has something solid to sit in.
- Smoke chamber. The funnel between the damper and the flue. Rough, stepped brick here gets a smooth parge coat so smoke rises instead of rolling.
- Surround and face. The brick or stone you see from the room. Repointing, replacing damaged units, or refacing the whole front.
- Chimney above. Crown, flashing and brick outside. Most fireplace damage starts as water from up there.
Firebox and Firebrick Repair
The firebox is the only masonry in the house built to be in a fire. It is lined with firebrick, a dense, pale brick made to take heat, set in refractory mortar with joints much thinner than a wall's. Wisconsin's dwelling code for new homes calls for that lining to be at least 2 inches thick, inside firebox walls at least 8 inches thick in total.
Regular mortar fails here. Heat cycles break it down until it is loose sand, and the joints empty out from the back wall first, where the fire is hottest. Once joints are open, heat gets behind the firebrick and the bricks crack and shift.
- Repack the joints when the firebrick is sound and only the mortar has gone. Old material is raked out and refractory mortar pressed in.
- Replace firebrick when individual bricks are cracked through, spalled or loose. They come out one at a time and new ones are fitted.
- Relay the firebox when the back wall leans, bricks have dropped, or there are gaps behind the lining. The firebrick comes out and goes back on a sound backing.
A hairline crack in one firebrick is not an emergency and we won't treat it like one. A gap you can fit a coin into is worth fixing before the next fire.
Smoky Fireplace? Smoke Chamber, Damper and Draft Problems
A fireplace that puts smoke into the room has a draft problem, and draft problems have several causes. Some are masonry. Several are not, and it is cheaper to know which before anyone starts work.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke rolls out at the top of the opening, every fire | Rough, stepped brick in the smoke chamber, or an opening too tall for the flue | Mason: parge the smoke chamber smooth, or lower the opening |
| Smoky at start-up, fine once it is hot | A cold flue. Exterior chimneys in winter take a while to start drawing. | Nobody. Warm the flue with a lit roll of newspaper first. |
| Damper will not open fully, or rattles loose | Rusted or warped damper, or the masonry around its frame has crumbled | Mason for the masonry. A sweep often fits top-mount dampers. |
| Smoke and a strong odor, worse in damp weather | Creosote, a blocked or damaged flue, or water in the chimney | Certified sweep first. Then us, if the report finds masonry damage. |
| It drew fine for years, then stopped after house upgrades | A tighter house: new windows or a strong kitchen fan starve the fire of air | A sweep or HVAC contractor. Not a masonry problem. |
A guide, not a diagnosis. The flue is the one part nobody can judge without a camera, which is why a sweep's inspection comes first when the cause is not obvious.
Parging a smoke chamber
Many older smoke chambers were built by stepping each course of brick in a little, which leaves a staircase of ledges. Smoke tumbles on those ledges and soot builds on them. Parging coats the chamber in a smooth layer of refractory mortar so the gases have a clean path into the flue. It is close, dirty work done by reach through the damper opening, and it is one of the most useful repairs for an older fireplace.
Have a Chimney Sweep's Fireplace Report? Send It Over.
If a chimney sweep has already inspected the fireplace, text us photos of the report. We'll go through it line by line and tell you which items are masonry work, which belong to the sweep or a liner installer, and which can wait.
No report yet? A photo of the firebox with a flashlight on the back wall is a good start.
Fireplace and Chimney Repair Together
The fireplace and the chimney are one structure, and trouble at the bottom often starts at the top. A cracked crown or a missing cap lets rain down the flue. It rusts the damper, soaks the smoke shelf and washes the mortar out of the firebox joints from behind. Fixing the firebox and leaving the crown cracked means doing the firebox again.
So when we look at a fireplace we look at the chimney too. Signs that water is involved: rust on the damper, white salt stains on the firebox or the face brick, a damp smell after rain, or staining on the wall above the mantel.
Crowns, caps, flashing and leaks are covered on our chimney repair page. If the stack itself is loose or leaning above the roof, patching will not hold it, and the chimney rebuild and restoration page explains what comes next. Doing fireplace and chimney repair in one visit usually saves a second setup.
Refacing a Fireplace in Brick or Stone
If the fireplace works and only looks tired, the face can be redone without touching the firebox. Age decides how. The Emery Street Bungalow District on the Eastside Hill, built between 1915 and 1930, is described in its National Register listing as the city's most intact collection of bungalows. Fireplace brick from those decades is usually worth keeping and repointing. A painted or chipped face from the 1970s is a better candidate for covering.
- Thin stone veneer over brick. Manufactured or natural thin stone set over the existing face, if that face is sound and unpainted or properly prepared.
- New brick face. The old facing brick comes off and new or salvaged brick goes on, with a new hearth to match.
- Repoint and clean. Often all an older brick fireplace needs. It costs the least and keeps what the house was built with.
The state dwelling code keeps woodwork and other combustibles at least 6 inches from the fireplace opening, and within 12 inches it limits how far a mantel or trim can stick out. New stone adds thickness, so we check those distances before the stone is ordered. Stone choices are covered on our stone veneer installation page.
Fireplace Repair Cost in Eau Claire
These are national figures from two cost guides, HomeAdvisor and Fixr. They are typical ranges, not quotes, and they are for masonry repairs. Gas appliance service and flue relining are priced by the people who do them.
| Repair | Typical range | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fireplace repair, overall | $183–$1,042 | HomeAdvisor normal range, average $612. Fixr gives $200–$1,000 with an average of $600. |
| Firebox repair | $160–$2,500 | HomeAdvisor. Repacked joints sit at the bottom, a relaid firebox at the top. |
| Fireplace mortar repair | $200–$900 | Fixr, for repointing fireplace joints. Crack repair is listed at $150–$800. |
| Smoke chamber repair | $500–$2,000 | Fixr. Access through the damper opening is tight, and that is most of the labor. |
| Hearth repair | $150–$800 | Fixr. More when the slab under the hearth has to be rebuilt. |
| Surround replacement | $450–$5,000 | Fixr. The spread is the material: thin brick at one end, natural stone to the ceiling at the other. |
Sources: HomeAdvisor fireplace repair cost guide (updated June 2026) and Fixr fireplace repair and chimney repair cost guides (updated January 2025). National figures, checked October 2026.
What moves the price: how much of the firebox has to come apart, whether the damage continues up into the smoke chamber, and whether the cause is water from above. A sweep's inspection is a separate cost. HomeAdvisor lists one at around $450 and a sweeping at $130 to $380.
Fireplace Repair Questions Eau Claire Homeowners Ask
Including the two we get most: gas units and sweeping.
Do you repair gas fireplaces or gas inserts?
No. We repair the masonry: firebrick, mortar, smoke chambers, hearths and the brick or stone around the opening. Burners, valves, pilot assemblies, logs, glass fronts and venting for gas units belong to a gas fireplace technician or a hearth shop. If you have a gas insert sitting in an old masonry fireplace and the brick around it is failing, we can fix the brick once the technician has pulled the unit.
Do you sweep chimneys or inspect flues?
No. Sweeping, camera inspections of the flue and flue liner installation are the work of a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. If you have not had the fireplace inspected in a while, start there. A sweep can see the inside of the flue, which we cannot, and the report will tell you plainly which items are masonry repairs.
How much does fireplace repair cost in Eau Claire?
HomeAdvisor's national guide puts most fireplace repairs between $183 and $1,042, with an average of $612, and firebox repair specifically at $160 to $2,500. Fixr lists fireplace mortar repair at $200 to $900 and hearth repair at $150 to $800. Repacking firebox joints is a small job. Relaying a firebox or refacing a wall is a bigger one. We look at it and price it in writing.
Is it safe to use a fireplace with cracked firebrick?
Do not use it until someone has looked at it. A hairline crack in one firebrick with tight joints around it is common and often not urgent. Open joints, brick that has shifted, or a gap you can slide a coin into are different, because heat and sparks can reach the masonry and framing behind the firebox. Send us a photo, and have a certified sweep inspect it before the next fire.
Why can regular mortar not be used in a firebox?
Ordinary mortar is made with portland cement and lime, and repeated firing breaks it down. It turns sandy and falls out of the joints within a few seasons. Fireboxes are laid with refractory mortar, which is made to take direct heat, in thin joints between firebrick. Wisconsin’s dwelling code calls for firebrick at least 2 inches thick laid in thin joints of refractory cement.
Can you reface a brick fireplace with stone?
Yes. Thin stone veneer, either manufactured or natural, can be set over sound brick, and a dated brick face can also be replaced with new brick. Combustible trim has to stay clear of the opening. Wisconsin’s dwelling code keeps woodwork at least 6 inches from the fireplace opening and limits how far a mantel can project within 12 inches of it, so a new face sometimes means moving the mantel.
Can fireplace repairs be done in winter?
Yes, most of them. Firebox, smoke chamber, hearth and interior refacing work is indoors, so outdoor temperature does not matter the way it does for a chimney or a wall. The fireplace has to be out of use while we work and while the refractory mortar cures. Work on the chimney above the roof is the part that usually waits for warmer weather.
Get a Free Fireplace Repair Estimate
Tell us what the fireplace is doing: smoking, shedding mortar, showing cracks, or just looking its age. Mention whether it burns wood or has a gas insert, and whether a sweep has seen it lately. Fireplaces are one of the core services we offer as a masonry contractor in Eau Claire.
- We look at the firebox, the smoke chamber and the chimney above
- Masonry items priced in writing, one line each
- Sweep, liner and gas work pointed to the right trade
Related Fireplace and Chimney Services
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Chimney Repair
Crowns, caps and flashing: the usual source of the water that ruins a firebox.
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Stone Veneer
Manufactured and natural thin stone for fireplace faces, walls and house fronts.
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Chimney Rebuild & Restoration
For a stack that is loose or leaning above the roof, rebuilt from sound masonry up.
Firebox Cracked or Fireplace Smoking? Find Out Whose Job It Is.
Call, or text a photo of the firebox. Free written estimates for masonry fireplace repair in Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley.