Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Exploding outdoor fireplace walls!!

Hi,

I need help to see if anyone has seen this. Just moved into a new house with an outdoor fireplace. First time we fire it up (with family all around) the fire pit starts to snap, crackle and pop and starts exploding stucco and paint all over the guests.

The next morning there are shallow craters on the side and back walls where it appears the stucco has popped and exploded.

After reading this site, I'm worried the previous owner built it to sell the place but not to be used. It appears the back and side walls are stucco and not brick. So my questions are:

1) are there any types of stucco which work for fireplace walls?
2) can I fix this problem? some type of insert or brick?

Thanks for any suggestions. Exploding in Calfornia.

Kevin

You may need an attny.

How was the house advertised and sold, was the the fireplace valued as an ammenity in the appraisal, or was it listed as an asthetic.

Look.

Masonry is permeable to water.
This simple means that water can and does penetrate anything masonry: stucco, block, brick, concrete, etc....

So every time it rains, your masonry fireplace gets soaked.


When a soaked exterior masonry fireplace is heated dramatically, it causes the water in the masonry to vaporize and pressurize and expand dramatically.

That pressure and vaporizing can exhibit itself as 'exploding' concrete.

If this 'exploding' exhibits itself as anything, it exhibits itself as a new owner that knows nothing about how to operate an outside fireplace and nothing more.

The new owner needs to know how to properly SLOWLY heat the outside fireplace gradually and gently so that 'exploding' masonry does not occur.

Not a failure of the seller or the fireplace, just an ignorant new owner/operator...