What We Build
FireplacesHow We Build Them
A fireplace is the piece of masonry everyone gathers around, and the one that has to live with real fire. We build new outdoor fireplaces for Cape Cod patios, build new indoor fireplaces, reface tired ones in stone or brick, and rebuild worn fireboxes so they are safe to use again. Here is how, step by step.
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- All 15 Cape Cod Towns
Step 1
Design it before anything is built
We walk the space first: where people will sit, where the wind comes from, where the smoke should go and how the fireplace sits against the house or the patio. Then we produce a custom 3D design of the finished fireplace in your own yard or room.
You approve the size, the stone or brick, the hearth and the mantel before anything is dug or torn out.
Step 2
Outdoor: a reinforced concrete footing
An outdoor fireplace is heavy and tall, and it stands out in every Cape Cod winter. We excavate twelve inches down and pour six inches of concrete with steel rebar, the same footing we put under our retaining walls.
A fireplace that cracks or leans almost always started at the base.
Step 3
A concrete-filled core
On the footing we build the body of the fireplace in CMU block and fill the cores with concrete, so the structure is one solid piece. The fieldstone, stone veneer or brick you see is set against that core.
It is the same structure we use for our outdoor kitchens and walls, which is why a fireplace and a kitchen can be built as one piece.
Step 4
The firebox and the chimney
The firebox is the part that takes the heat, so it is lined with firebrick set in refractory mortar, not regular brick and mortar. Above it, the smoke chamber and chimney are built to carry smoke up and away from the people sitting in front of it.
A fireplace that smokes into the patio or the room is a design problem, and it is much cheaper to solve on the drawing than after it is built.
Step 5
Indoor fireplaces
Inside the house we build new masonry fireplaces with the firebox, hearth, surround and mantel, following the building code and the inspections your town requires.
We coordinate with your builder or contractor on the framing, the chimney and the roof, so the fireplace goes in once and goes in right.
Step 6
Refacing and firebox repair
If the fireplace works but looks tired, we reface it: new stone, brick or veneer on the surround, a new hearth, a new mantel. The room changes without rebuilding the fireplace.
If the firebox is cracked or the mortar is falling out, we cut out the damaged firebrick and rebuild it with new firebrick and refractory mortar, so it is safe to light again.
Recent work
Outdoor fireplaces we have built
Natural granite fieldstone and block fireplaces on Cape Cod, with granite hearths, seat walls and built-in wood storage.
What we build
Fireplaces we build and restore
Outdoor fireplaces can stand alone on the patio or be built into an outdoor kitchen, with seat walls and wood storage around them. Inside, a fireplace can be brand new or the one you already have with a new face. If a material is wrong for the heat or the weather, we will say so before you buy it.
Ask any contractor
Four questions worth asking
Whoever you hire, these four answers tell you most of what you need to know:
What is the fireplace standing on?
An outdoor fireplace needs a poured concrete footing with rebar. A fireplace built on gravel or pavers will move with the ground.
What is the firebox lined with?
It should be firebrick set in refractory mortar. Regular brick and mortar crack and break down in the heat.
Where will the smoke go?
Ask how tall the chimney will be and how it was designed to draw. A fireplace that smokes is hard to fix after it is built.
Does this need a permit or an inspection?
Indoor fireplaces and some outdoor ones do. You want that answer before the estimate, not halfway through the job.
Get in touch
Free fireplace estimate
No commitment. We will respond within 24 hours and schedule a visit to your property within 48.
Get a Free EstimateMain: (508) 360-2151 · Office: (508) 373-3495
Masonry and hardscaping contractor serving all of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Licensed and insured in MA.
(508) 360-2151(508) 373-3495contact@bridimasonryservices.comWhat We Build
- Custom Patios
- Pool Decks
- Walkways
- Stone Steps & Stairs
- Retaining Walls
- Cobblestone Aprons
- Paver Driveways
- Chimney Repair
- Foundation Repair
- Fireplaces