Oakland fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can occur during construction of a Oakland home – not all desirable.
A new Oakland residence has many working components. Some require very specific installations to function safely and properly. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are rarely experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their comforting ambiance and effective room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Oakland. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.
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 Oakland, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your family safeguarded.
Safety concerns can be uncovered 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 swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for causing problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
Often, though, conditions mandate a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately marked as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these examples, the total fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking 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 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 select 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 cost of a replacement insert.
The façade around the fireplace can be majorly 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 look like steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Oakland homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry potential 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 the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.