Lake Lac La Belle fireplace repair

Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement

Many things can happen during erection of a Lake Lac La Belle home – not all desirable.

A new Lake Lac La Belle home has many working parts. Some need very specific installations to work safely and properly. Home builders, while good at many things, are rarely experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their cheery ambiance and efficient space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often revealed during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Lake Lac La Belle. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always advisable, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Lake Lac La Belle, ensures that a fireplace is functioning properly and your loved ones protected.

Safety threats can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the cause is improper installation. Often a problem isn’t viewable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, spots a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be changed, it must be substituted with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

Often, though, conditions demand a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these examples, the entire fireplace system should be taken out, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.

Many use the opportunity to change over from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat generation of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.

Others might opt for an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for warmth, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade surrounding the fireplace can be completely reworked, as well. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Lake Lac La Belle homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry potential hazards that shouldn’t be ignored. So don’t – contact Butler Chimneys for fireplace and chimney inspection and cleaning and, if needed, changing a fireplace insert. Just because installation wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.