Murray fireplace walls, from coal-era chimneys to gas inserts
Murray's fireplace stock spans a full century. The pre-war cottages carry chimneys that started life venting coal heat, brick that is now over a hundred years old and drills like it: we set anchors in the brick face or the mortar joint, whichever lines up with the mount holes, keep speeds low, and torque-test every anchor rather than trusting age-softened lime mortar with a cantilevered screen. Mid-century ramblers bring wide brick surrounds and raised hearths, usually hard-fired units that accept Tapcon or sleeve anchors in the brick body. Newer Murray remodels add thin stone veneer over the original masonry, and there the anchor has to reach through the decorative layer into real structure, with length chosen for the full build-up. Heat comes before hardware every time: surface temperature above the firebox at full burn, mantel clearance, and the panel maker's limit. Hot-running wood-burners argue for a MantelMount pull-down; cooler gas inserts usually allow a fixed mount. Fireplace and masonry work in Murray carries the +$99 surcharge and runs 90-120 minutes including the heat sweep.