Fireplace Mortar ?

rswyan · Nov 30, 2004

My home has two built-in fireplaces - one in the living room and one in the basement. The living room fireplace had an woodburning insert in it. But due to to the problems getting wood into that room easily I decided that I wanted to move the insert into the basement fireplace. (Heat rises right ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Will probably use the upstairs fireplace occassionally - more just for the looks and enjoyment of it rather than actual heating.

The basement is a walkout with a sliding glass door in the room the insert will be in- so I can easily bring mass quantiies of wood right to the door with our tractor - can even stack it there on a (covered) concrete patio.

I pulled the insert today and moved it downstairs and swept both chimneys. Inspecting the downstairs fireplace I notice that some of the mortar is missing inbetween a couple of bricks, fairly low down on the back wall of the fireplace. I'd like to fix this before putting the insert in.

Is any special type of mortar required - or will just plain old mortar do ?

bczoom · Nov 30, 2004

Sorry, not a mason, but I have a thought for you (I have a similar setup as yourself).

For bringing wood into the house, I use the rubbermaid tubs. Forgot the exact dimensions, but they're about 20" long by 12" wide and 16" deep. Probably a pretty standard size at most stores.

Load them with wood outside the door and bring in 1 to load the stove. With the lid back on, even if you leave some wood in the tub for awhile in the house, bugs can't get out.

If you do consider this, use the tubs that are softer plastic (e.g. you can push pretty hard on the sides and they bend). The harder ones get too brittle for your cold weather.

Bird · Nov 30, 2004

( Is any special type of mortar required )

Yes, or at least there used to be 30 years ago. We bought a new house with a fireplace in '72 and a year or so later, I burned a lot of mesquite in it. Mesquite makes a very hot fire and I probably had some fires too big, too, and it literally cooked the mortar out from between the bricks. So I learned that there was a special heat resistant mortar and I repaired the damage myself and had no more problems. Of course, a few things have changed in the last 30 years /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, so it might be different now.

texbaylea · Nov 30, 2004

You will be looking for refractory mortar. It is a special mix to take the heat. You will probably have to call around to find it. The idiots at Lowes or Home Depot won't know what you are looking for.

rswyan · Nov 30, 2004

Brian,

Thanks - that's an excellent idea on the tubs. Plus they are a multi-purpose device /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

One of the biggest difficulties I've had using the upstairs fireplace is getting wood in to fuel it - there isn't any easy path to the exsisting wood pile - which is about 60' from the house.

rswyan · Nov 30, 2004

Bird & texbaylea:

That's the data I needed - thanks guys !

I'll call the local fireplace/stove shop which is about 10 mins away - if they don't have it they may know where to get it around here.

bczoom · Nov 30, 2004

Randall,

You're welcome.
Works great for me. I load from a trailer parked behind the house. I fill 6 or 7 at a time and stack 2 high. Just reach out the door and grab one when you need it.
A hand truck works well if you want/need to move a few at a time (e.g. coming in from 60' away).

Brian

Egon · Dec 1, 2004

As mentioned - refactory mortar - but be sitting down when you get the price for the premixed version which is probably what you should be using.

Should also check flue size required for the fireplace. If the existing chimney is too large the flue gas velocity is reduced and proper draft is hard to maintain.

Egon

turnkey4099 · Dec 1, 2004

( Randall,

You're welcome.
Works great for me. I load from a trailer parked behind the house. I fill 6 or 7 at a time and stack 2 high. Just reach out the door and grab one when you need it.
A hand truck works well if you want/need to move a few at a time (e.g. coming in from 60' away).

Brian )

I'm going to try that. Not for the ease of carrying but for the reduction in dirt around the stove. My supply is 3 cord packed into a 3 season porch. don't have much problem with bugs (not in termite territory), only an occasional spider or stink bug. The constant chips, dirt etc laying around the stove does cause a problem and your idea should control that.

Harry K