Lake Mills fireplace repair

Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement

Many things can transpire during building of a Lake Mills residence – not all desirable.

A new Lake Mills house has many working elements. Some involve very exacting installations to work safely and according to plan. House builders, while skilled at many things, are hardly ever experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While enjoyed for their comforting ambiance and effective space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can create hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Lake Mills. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Lake Mills, ensures that a fireplace is working properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety issues can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the culprit is improper installation. Often an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer look inside, by a trained eye, spots a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be replaced, it must be swapped out with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous 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 require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these instances, the complete fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already thought about.

Many grab the moment to convert from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat production 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 negative for warmth, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be completely redesigned, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Lake Mills homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve possible hazards that shouldn’t be overlooked. So don’t – contact Butler Chimneys for fireplace and chimney inspection and cleaning and, if needed, changing a fireplace insert. Just because something wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.