In Orlando’s older core, from Delaney Park and the Lake Copeland historic district to College Park, fireplaces are usually firebrick in a masonry box with a cast-iron damper; newer neighborhoods such as Baldwin Park lean toward factory-built and gas units. The fireplace type matters more than anything else in the plan.
What fireplace repair covers
| Part | Common repair | In depth |
|---|---|---|
| Masonry firebox | Cracked firebrick replaced, joints repointed with refractory mortar | firebox repair |
| Refractory panels (factory-built) | Cracked or crumbling panels replaced with the maker’s parts | new refractory panels |
| Damper | Freed, repaired or replaced; top-sealing dampers as an option | damper repair or replacement |
| Smoke chamber | Rough or crumbling walls parged smooth | smoke chamber work |
| Doors and glass | Glass, gaskets, hinges or listed door sets | replacing cracked fireplace glass |
What Orlando fireplaces usually need
A masonry firebox from the 1950s or 1960s that has seen decades of occasional fires typically needs mortar joints repointed with refractory mortar, a few cracked firebricks replaced and a damper freed or replaced. Factory-built units in newer houses fail differently: cracked refractory panels, a warped grate area or a rusted firebox top where water has been coming down the flue.
Where this page applies
This page covers the City of Orlando. Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips and Hunters Creek have their own area pages.
Why fireplaces smoke into the room
Smoke spills into the room when the draft can’t carry it away: a damper that isn’t fully open, a rough or damaged smoke chamber, a blocked or dirty flue, an opening too large for the flue, or a house that pulls air down the chimney. Each has a different fix, so the cause is found first; see what causes a smoky fireplace.
A draft coming into the room when the fireplace is off is related: usually a damper that no longer seals; see drafts through a closed fireplace.
Repair, restore or replace
| Situation | Usual answer |
|---|---|
| Masonry firebox with cracked bricks or eroded joints | Repair; see repairing a wood-burning fireplace |
| Older masonry fireplace with several worn parts | fireplace restoration |
| Factory-built unit with cracked panels, parts available | Repair with listed parts |
| Factory-built unit rusted through or parts discontinued | replacing a worn-out factory-built fireplace |
Gas logs, gas inserts and electric units
- Gas fireplace won’t light, shuts off or has a lazy flame: gas fireplace troubleshooting
- Electric fireplace with no flame, heat or remote: electric fireplace repair
- Firebox, damper or doors around a gas log set: repaired here
- Gas lines and connections: separate, permitted gas-line work
Fireplace repair across Orlando
Repairs are available anywhere in Orlando, including Delaney Park. Tell us whether the fireplace is brick or factory-built, wood or gas, and what it’s doing; the rating plate model helps for prefab units. If you’d like the chimney checked too, add an inspection in Orlando. For the rest of the house, see chimney, fireplace and vent work in Orlando. The same service covers firebox and damper repair in Winter Park, repairs for Maitland fireplaces and fixing fireplaces in Eatonville.
More detail: the fireplace repair service in depth, plus is an idle fireplace safe to light.
References (3)
Public data and code references cited for Orlando.