North Shore fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during erection of a North Shore residence – not all wanted.

A new North Shore residence has multiple working parts. Some involve very detailed installations to work safely and properly. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are hardly ever experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While welcomed for their comfy ambiance and effective space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in North Shore. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Regular fireplace inspections are always wise, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in North Shore, ensures that a fireplace is operating correctly and your loved ones protected.

Safety threats can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the reason is incorrect installation. Often a problem isn’t identifiable 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 replaced, it must be substituted 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 denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions require a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these cases, the entire 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 considered.

Many use the opportunity to change over from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat generation of wood, gas is far more user friendly (and less labor intensive) as fuel.

Others might select 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 cost of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be totally redesigned, as well. 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 look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a desirable feature in North Shore homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry 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 installation wasn’t done properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.