Get matched with top brick or stone fireplace repairers in Los Angeles, CA

"Mike Fletcher and his crews were helpful, straightforward and professional. Our rooms were completely protected with heavy plastic sheeting before work began. The work was meticulous, efficiently executed and within the promised time schedule. The fireplaces look great and add a lovely ambience--and warmth--to the rooms. We are very happy with the final results and would welcome Mike back for any other projects."

"<p>I was looking for a bonded and insured chimney sweep to inspect and clean the one fireplace that I use during the holiday season.  I have a single-story house with two prefab chimneys that are back-to-back and roughly in the center of my home.  The one I use (family room) was last cleaned about ten years ago and we suffered through the hot summer with the smell of smoke filling the house.  The other chimney (livingroom) I don't use so I asked them to ignore it.   </p> <p>Scheduling the appointment was a breeze and I called to confirm two days before the scheduled sweep.  The office manager (Jo) was very pleasant and helpful throughout the process.</p> <p>The team arrived right on time the day of the sweep.  Burten, Phil, and two other crew members were involved in the cleaning and inspections.  Since the placement of the chimneys required walking on the roof I expressed some concern to Phil about the possibility of breaking the arched concrete tiles.  Accepting that it was likely some would break, I asked Phil to just let me know if it happened so I could have them repaired.  He assured me they'd be careful and he'd let me know if they did happen to break any.</p> <p>The crew prepped for the sweep by covering everything in the family room with plastic to prevent soot from getting everywhere. </p> <p>The first thing Burton ran into was difficulty in getting the spark arrestor off of the chimney.  It'd been there long enough that it had rusted in place, but ultimately he was able to get it off and spent some time cleaning it up and getting it back into working order so that it could be re-used.  He then swept the chimney while the other two crew members vacuumed up the soot and debris.</p> <p>While this was going on Phil described the type of chimney construction I have, the types of problems they've seen with them, as well as other chimney construction methods and materials used throughout Southern California.  He showed me photographs on his iPad of the (frankly amazing) things they've encountered and how they remediate them.  </p> <p>Next up was the inspection of all of the chimney components, including a camera inspection of the entire flue.   Burten was able to point out on the video what looked like cracks but were actually seams in the flue liner that were just part of the method of construction.  I was also able to see the glaze that has built up over the years of my not cleaning it frequently enough.  But fortunately, no cracks or other issues that would prevent me from using the fireplace were noted.</p> <p>The external inspection (and they did both chimneys) revealed some apparent water seepage around the roof flashing that could be seen on the chimney brick in the attic, as well as some cracks in the external brickwork above the roof that could lead to problems down the road.</p> <p>Along with the inspection report I asked to have estimates provided to re-do the flashing, strip, prime, seal and paint both chimneys, and replace both spark arrestors.  (I'm writing this the day of the sweep and I'll update with additional information as I get it).  There was absolutely no pressure to do anything more than the sweep and inspection, and Burten made a suggestion regarding the gas lighter in the firebox that I can do myself.</p> <p>All in all, I'm relieved that I don't have any major expensive problems to deal with, relieved that this supplier was prompt, knowledgeable, experienced, and honest in their dealings with me, and relieved that I can use my fireplace this holiday season with the peace of mind that it's safe to do so.</p> <p>Boston Brick is primarily a masonry company and it was obvious to me that they know their stuff.  That they took the extra time to explain and demonstrate so much to me -- and do a quality sweep and inspection as well -- makes them a winner in my book.  Fantastic value add for $200.  I highly recommend them.  And no broken roof tiles!</p> <br />"

"Wilf and his team came out to repair cracks in the chimney which involved tearing down the existing chimney to the house line and then a bit further to the next line beyond that.  They did the tear down, rebuilt and stucco'd to match the house.  They handled all City inspections and were timely with information and quick to answer any questions that I had.  The work took about 2 weeks including down time for materials to dry, etc.   <br /> The job went extremely well.  I had Wilf perform an inspection three (3) years ago when I was buying the house but just got around to being able to do the work.  And it was the perfect year to do so as we had a cold and wet fall and winter and we were warm and snuggly inside with our roaring fireplace! <br /> Wilf and his team are knowledgeable, friendly, professional, timely and extremely hard working. I would not hesitate to use them or refer them again! <br /> <br /> <br />"

"I am reviewing Embers West's installation of a Mendota FV44 sealed combustion gas insert (combustion air comes from outside & fumes vent to the outside). The product has a remote with a thermostat & ability to control the flame height, circulating blower speed & a dimmable halogen light. There is electric ignition (no standing pilot flame) & a battery-pack to light the flame in case of a power outage. If you're in the market for a gas fireplace, look no further. Save your time and come here first. You'll be glad you did. We chose Embers West because they had the highest Yelp rating of the several local fireplace businesses (well-deserved - with over 3 dozen reviews). My wife & I had researched gas fireplace inserts online before calling EW & were partial to the Mendota brand. When we met with Francois Tiab (owner & chief technical person), I provided photos & measurements of our 1955 brick fireplace; he agreed that Mendota was our best choice. Francois impressed us enough that we saw no need to check out any other businesses (so I can't comment on his pricing versus others). He was personable, professional & extremely knowledgeable & we enjoyed working with him. Francois made it clear at the start that our project needed several visits from them but I did not ask for a schedule; the project took 3 months & cost a bit over $8k (actually $500 less than the quote- Serryn (office manager) emailed us to say Mendota was having a sale- we would not have known otherwise). If your project needs to be completed quickly - then you should discuss that with Francois up-front. A few times, I had to call to find out the status - Serryn got us an answer right away each time (also when I had tech questions). The installation encountered a snag & Francois quickly resolved it. This is all normal for custom work. The gas line & electrical connection were installed before EW started. Mario was the installer & he was great (friendly, punctual, took time to do things right, brought tarps to protect the carpet & wore protective booties over his shoes). He used a "sniffer" to check for gas leaks. Payments were easily handled online via their website. Their showroom had sample installations to help select finishes & the artificial logs. The finished job looks great & I'm very happy with the results. I definitely recommend Embers West."

"I contacted several recommended contractors on my kitchen remodel and decided to go with the best quality-price ratio provided by LA Expert Builders. Nir and his team started this project on time and it was a true pleasure to work with them. Nir was very knowledgeable, communicative, honest and helpful. He and his team finished this remodeling project in a timely manner and final outcome s great. I really like my new kitchen! Thank you Nir and LA Expert Builders!"

"My onsite manager and I had a good vibe from Matt right away. He was prompt, professional and courteous. Sometimes men working with women in construction are a bit brusque or fatherly but Matt was great. He was helpful in pointing out some other issues we were having that had nothing to do with masonry. We got several bids and DiBara's was the best, but we would have hired him even if a bit higher based on the sense of honesty we got from him. We had some insurance issues we needed to straighten out asap and Matt and Ryan managed to get a crew out to us within a week. The work required a lift, and once on the job and close to the damage they found much more extensive damage. Matt was quick to call me with an update and discuss the options. Somehow Matt and the supervisor Flip, got all the work done the same day ahead of a deadline we had to meet. The work looks solid. Unfortunately the crumbling stucco took part of a mural with it, but Matt says he even has people to fix that, so we may have them back soon to get us completely whole again. While i hope we never have another emergency like this, if i did, DiBara would be my first and only call."

"Excellent. Craig and his team are very knowledable, honest, skilled, reliable, reasonable pricing, and a delight to work with. This is the 3rd job Brik Art have done for me. They also repaired a brick wall (that another Angies List contractor caused to collapse), and they rebuilt an outer brick wall of my home before that. I would definitely hire them again, and I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them 100%! <br />"

"Retrofit for Earthquake Brace and Bolt grant done with quality work in a timely and efficient manner. Made whole process less stressful with personal attention to detail. Reasonably priced, diligent workers, great clean-up at end. Honest and trustworthy company."

"they did a great job and cleaned up all of the area when done. They did find some additional work that they recommended we do but there was no pressure to have them do it. They provided a quote for the work and pictures of the repair areas that were sent it to my email account. We did decide to go ahead with the work and have it scheduled for next week."

"I was told by the person who answered the phone that the minimum service charge was $95 to come out to my home and diagnose the problem. I asked if they could replace the thermocoupler when they arrived and was told they do not carry parts on their truck so another service call at $95 would also be required plus parts. The Thermocoupler is a standard item on a gas fireplace and typically sells for $10-$20 online or at Home Depot. It seems ridiculous that a specialized fireplace repair company would not carry this kind of part on their truck. It would have cost me a minimal of $190 before parts to have this repair done by Quality Fireplace. I choose not to have the service completed and fixed the issue by myself."