Superior Masonry Milwaukee designs and builds beautiful brick fireplaces for homes across Milwaukee, WI. From classic indoor hearths to outdoor brick fireplaces on patios, we handle layout, firebox construction, and chimney connections. Our brickwork is crafted for safety, efficient burning, and a timeless look that becomes the heart of your living space.
Superior Masonry Milwaukee provides professional brick fireplace throughout Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (854) 212-4473 or request your free quote.
Brick fireplace design that fits your Milwaukee home
A good brick fireplace is more than a wall of brick. It has to fit your room, your chimney, and the way you actually use the space. At Superior Masonry Milwaukee, we start with an on site walk through, not a catalog. We measure the existing opening, hearth, and chimney, look at how the floor framing is built, and talk through how you want to burn fuel (wood, gas insert, or electric insert with a brick surround).
We look closely at nearby finishes so the brick does not fight with your floors and trim. For example, in an older Milwaukee bungalow with oak woodwork, we often suggest a tighter joint with a buff mortar that blends with the wood instead of a high contrast white joint. In a Bay View or Third Ward condo where people want a more modern look, we might recommend a flush brick face with raked or slightly recessed joints and a simple concrete or steel mantle.
During design, we also check code issues specific to fireplaces in Milwaukee. That includes minimum clearances to combustibles, hearth size in front of the firebox, and how high the mantle can be over a wood burning opening. If you are converting from an old decorative fireplace to a working one, we coordinate with your chimney sweep or HVAC contractor so the brick work matches the insert or liner you plan to use.
Materials and brick options that hold up to Wisconsin seasons
Brick for a fireplace is not all the same. For a true wood burning fireplace, the firebox itself needs firebrick, sometimes called refractory brick, laid with a high temperature refractory mortar. The face of the fireplace and the chimney breast can use facing brick, which comes in a wide range of colors, textures, and sizes. Superior Masonry Milwaukee will show you actual samples on site, not just photos, so you can see how they look in your lighting.
In Milwaukee, freeze and thaw cycles are hard on any masonry that sticks out from the heated space. If your fireplace includes an exterior chimney or an outdoor face on a porch wall, we choose a brick and mortar combination that has low absorption and good freeze thaw resistance. We also slope and flash any horizontal surfaces so meltwater runs off instead of soaking into the brick. This matters a lot around late winter and early spring when temperatures bounce above and below freezing in a single day.
Mortar color and joint profile change the look as much as the brick itself. A standard concave joint holds up well in our climate because it compacts the mortar and sheds water. Struck or raked joints can look sharp in a dry interior setting, but we will explain when they are not the best choice near an exterior wall or chimney that gets cold. We also talk through sealed versus unsealed brick. Sealer can deepen the color and help resist soot staining on the face, but it must be chosen carefully so moisture can still escape and the brick does not spall in winter.
How we build or rebuild a brick fireplace, step by step
Every fireplace project starts with demolition and inspection. For a new brick fireplace where there is currently drywall or an old non masonry surround, we carefully remove finishes, expose the framing, and locate any electrical lines, TV wiring, or plumbing that might be in the way. For an existing masonry fireplace in older Milwaukee homes, we knock out loose or unsafe brick, test the hearth support, and look up the flue to see what we are tying into.
If structural changes are needed, such as enlarging the opening or adding a new hearth that projects farther into the room, we coordinate with a structural engineer when required. We may pour a new concrete hearth support in the basement or crawlspace if the old base is undersized or cracked. This is a common fix in pre war Milwaukee houses where the original hearths were built for smaller coal fireplaces.
Once the base is sound, we lay out the brick pattern on the floor and mark courses on the wall so you can see exactly where the mantle, TV, or shelves will land. Then we start setting brick from the hearth up, checking level and plumb constantly so the face runs true. We keep joints consistent and clean as we go instead of relying on heavy grinding and washing later. For wood burning fireboxes, we set firebrick in a specific running bond pattern that controls heat movement and reduces cracking, and we build the smoke chamber transition in tight courses so draft is smooth.
When the brickwork is complete, we tool the joints, brush the wall, and clean mortar smears before they cure rock hard. If you are installing a gas or electric insert, this is when the mechanical contractor sets the unit, runs venting if needed, and we finish any trim or infill brick so everything looks like one piece. The last step is a careful walk through, where we point out control joints, show you how the hearth is supported, and note any maintenance areas so there are no surprises later.
Cost factors and common fireplace problems we solve
Brick fireplace cost in Milwaukee varies a lot because the houses themselves vary so much. The biggest drivers are whether we are working with an existing masonry chimney or building a new surround around an insert, how much structural work is needed under the hearth, and what materials you choose. A straightforward brick surround for a gas insert on an interior wall, where structure is sound and access is easy, comes in at the lower end. Rebuilding a failing wood burning fireplace and chimney with new firebrick, liner coordination, and exterior work costs more.
Other cost factors include custom details like arched openings, corbelled brick mantles, or built in wood storage niches. These often require more layout time and careful cutting, which adds labor, but they also give you a fireplace that looks like it truly belongs in your house instead of a standard box around an insert. We always give written estimates that break out demo, masonry, materials, and any repair allowances so you can see where the money goes.
Superior Masonry Milwaukee is also called in often to fix problems with older fireplaces. Common issues include loose or crumbling face brick, smoke staining from poor draft, hairline cracks in the firebox, and hearths that have settled and are starting to tilt. In our winters, small water leaks into a chimney tend to show up as spalled brick faces or flaking mortar. We address the cause, not just the cosmetic issue, which might mean repointing joints, replacing damaged bricks, adjusting the smoke shelf, or referring you to a chimney professional for a new liner before we close the face back up. We do not recommend cosmetic resurfacing over active movement or moisture problems, because that almost always peels or cracks again within a few freeze thaw seasons.
What Milwaukee homeowners should know before hiring
Before you hire anyone to build or remodel a brick fireplace in Milwaukee, ask how they handle moisture, code, and coordination with other trades. Fireplaces touch structure, heating, and roofing, so the mason has to work well with others. At Superior Masonry Milwaukee, we stay in touch with your general contractor, chimney sweep, HVAC installer, or electrician so everyone agrees on clearances, vent locations, and timelines. This avoids the common problem where a beautiful brick face has to be cut open because venting or wiring was not planned correctly.
Timing matters too. Exterior related fireplace work, like rebuilding a chimney that ties into your living room brick face, is best scheduled from late spring through early fall, when mortar can cure properly and we are not fighting deep freezes or heavy snow. Purely interior brick fireplace surrounds can be done in winter, but we still plan around your heating needs and ventilation so dust, smoke smells from demo, and mortar curing are handled safely while windows are closed.
Ask for examples of similar Milwaukee houses the mason has worked on. Fireplace work in a downtown condo with a concrete structure is different from work in a 1920s Story Hill bungalow with wood framing and a shared chimney. We can show you photos and references for both types, and explain what we changed from the original construction to bring things up to modern expectations. Finally, make sure you understand the maintenance your new brick fireplace will need. We review how to clean soot without damaging the surface, when to have the chimney inspected, and what early warning signs to watch for, like new cracks or small bits of mortar on the hearth, so you can catch and fix issues while they are small.
