Lake Mills fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can transpire during erection of a Lake Mills home – not all wanted.
A new Lake Mills home has myriad working parts. Some involve very detailed installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are rarely experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and efficient room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often revealed during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Lake Mills. Periodically a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.
Regular fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Lake Mills, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your family safeguarded.
Safety problems can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is incorrect installation. Often an issue isn’t obvious from outside the fireplace – a closer look inside, by a trained eye, finds a compromised joint, section or non-working part.
If a part can be replaced, it must be substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating 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 merit a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately marked as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.
In these situations, the complete fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already thought about.
Many seize the opportunity to transition from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat production of wood, gas is far more user friendly (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 charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade around the fireplace can be totally reworked, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular options. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Lake Mills homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve possible hazards that shouldn’t be neglected. 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 properly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.