Masonry Magazine December 1992 Page. 13
Once a masonry fireplace is in place installed it's often a different story. It's only a slight exaggeration to say no one under fifty years old in Columbus knows how to build a masonry fireplace and neither of them really needs the work. They are in a position to build interesting high end fireplaces and they certainly aren't interested in building an ordinary fireplace next week at a competitive price. There are some masons who aren't busy, but the builders don't trust that these masons know how to build fireplaces-or for that matter will still be in business next week.
We've lost the whole system
What we've lost in the masonry fireplace business is not just market share. We've lost our whole system. No one is teaching young masons how to build fireplaces. The unions used to, but the unions aren't involved in the residential market these days. Gradually, as the old masons lay down their trowels, fewer and fewer masons are available to build fireplaces.
There are one-tenth as many flue lining manufacturers now as there were twenty years ago. Similarly, fewer brick and block are being sold and more and more masonry dealers are selling a line of metal fireplaces. In parts of Florida and California building officials with ten years of experience have never inspected a masonry fireplace.
What can we do?
In our favor we do have the one thing that it takes generations to develop-people think masonry is safer, longer lasting, and better looking. They really do like masonry better. They prefer masonry fireplaces to what they consider "cheap" metal ones. They like real brick chimneys rather than those wooden chimneys that don't even go all the way to the ground.
All this we owe to the masons who built quality fireplaces and chimneys a generation or more ago. Now we do very little to promote or advertise masonry fireplaces. Just look at any shelter magazine from House Beautiful to Builder. They're full of ads for metal fireplaces and not one for a masonry fireplace.
It's time to take a close look at our product and our delivery and service systems. We've got to be able to tell that builder how he can get a masonry fireplace built in that new
house of his next week. And it better be guaranteed to meet code and not smoke and not cost much if any more than that sexy metal fireplace under the kitchen sink advertised in Architectural Digest.
We have to make sure masons know how to build safe, code approved masonry fireplaces. Then we must support them and make referrals to them and provide them with good products and help make them efficient so they can make money while keeping the overall cost down.
I think the key to this is the role of the dealer, or masonry supplier.
There are literally hundreds of masonry dealers in the country. Nearly every town has at least one and Columbus has four or five-some with more than one yard. The flue liner and brick and block manufacturers must help. provide coordination.
money, regional and national perspective.
Masonry contractors need to cooperate too, if not for the sake of their own business, then at least for the future of the industry. The dealers. however, know all these people and all these people know them. The dealers are in the best position to organize the industry.
A masonry fireplace "hot line"
The objective would be that any builder could call a "masonry fireplace hot line" and be confident that he could get a safe, code approved masonry fireplace built by a competent mason at an advertised competitive price within a week.
To develop an effective service delivery system, the dealer might have to do a a number of things and there are probably a hundred different ways to do it. He might start, for example, by inviting all his customers-both builders and masonry contractors-in for a meeting to discuss the issue.
He might be prepared to establish a telephone "hot line" and some secretarial time.
He might ask the masonry contractors if they would be willing to pay $100 or $200 per month for the referral service and be available to build fireplaces. Some of the masons might need training. Others might be able to provide the training. The group could use some of the dues money to develop a certification program, advertise, keep up on new ideas and code changes. Working together we'll have more power and can begin to compete with metal fireplaces.
There's a lot we can do. The ma-