Lake Ripley fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during construction of a Lake Ripley home – not all wanted.

A new Lake Ripley home has myriad working elements. Some require very specific installations to operate safely and according to plan. House builders, while skilled at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical part.

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

Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Lake Ripley. Periodically a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

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

Safety issues can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the source is incorrect installation. Usually a problem isn’t viewable 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 changed, it must be substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance benefits could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

Often, though, conditions merit a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately verified as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these examples, the complete fireplace system should be removed, 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 make improvements they might have already thought about.

Many grab the opportunity to transition from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing 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 comforting. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.

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

Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Lake Ripley homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with possible 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 work wasn’t done correctly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.