Chimney and Fireplaces

Professional Chimney Services in Thunder Bay, ON

A chimney that’s working is easy to ignore; it just does its job. You usually only notice it once something’s wrong: a cold draft indoors, a damp patch, crumbling mortar, or a safety issue creeping in. Left alone, it can come apart quickly, and the long, wet winters here only speed that up. A crack lets water in, the mortar lets go, and a small repair turns into a full rebuild before you’ve gotten to it.

Thunder Bay Masonry Pros handles every kind of chimney and fireplace work: new builds, rebuilds, repairs, and routine maintenance. Whether it’s a quick fix or a full restoration, we make sure it’s done right so it lasts and drafts the way it should.

What We Handle

Building a New Chimney

We build masonry chimneys from the footing up, for wood stoves, open fireplaces, and furnace venting. Before anything up, we look at what the chimney has to serve and size the flue to match it. An undersized flue smokes back into the room and an oversized one never heats up enough to draw properly. That sizing is the first decision we make, and everything after depends on it.

From there it’s the parts most people never think about until one fails. A solid crown that sheds water instead of cracking. Flashing that’s woven into the roof rather than smeared over the top of it. A cap that keeps rain and animals out without choking the draft. We build all of that as part of the job, not as an afterthought once the brick is up.

If you’re planning a new fireplace or wood stove and need the chimney to go with it, give us a call

Chimney Repair and Restoration in Thunder Bay

The most common repair we handle is repointing. When the mortar joints wear back, water gets behind the brick and the damage moves inward where you can’t see it. We rake out the failed joints and pack in fresh mortar matched to the original, which stops the water and puts the strength back into the wall. Crown work is close behind. The crown is the concrete slab at the top, and once it cracks it funnels water straight down into the chimney instead of shedding it. We patch minor cracking and recast crowns that are too far gone to save.

Then there’s the top few courses of brick, which take the worst of the weather and usually fail first. Rather than tear down a chimney that’s sound lower down, we often rebuild just the top section and leave the rest in place. Flashing repairs, new caps, and liner work round out most of what comes through. We’ll tell you honestly whether you’re looking at a repair or whether the chimney has gone far enough that a rebuild makes more sense. There’s no upside for you in paying to patch something that won’t last the winter.

If you’ve noticed crumbling mortar, staining on the interior wall near the chimney, or draft that isn’t what it used to be, give us a call.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a chimney be inspected?

Once a year is a good rule, ideally before the heating season starts. Regular checks catch the small stuff early.

What does a chimney cleaning cost?

It depends on the state of the flue and how much buildup is inside. Call and we’ll book a time to come out and quote it.

Can an old chimney be repaired, or does it need to be rebuilt?

Plenty can be repaired. If the mortar’s failing but the brick is solid, repointing handles it. If the brick is badly damaged or the flue is compromised, a rebuild is the safer route.

What causes a fireplace to smoke?

Usually a draft problem. The cap might be missing or damaged, the flue blocked, the damper stuck, or the opening too large for the flue. If yours smokes, we’ll track down the cause and fix it.

Is it safe to use a fireplace with cracks in the firebox?

No. A crack can let heat reach the framing behind it, which is a fire risk. Stop using it and get it repaired before you light it again.