Slabtown fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during erection of a Slabtown home – not all wanted.

A new Slabtown residence has many working parts. Some need very exacting installations to operate safely and efficiently. House builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While desired for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Slabtown. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is needed.

Regular 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 Slabtown, ensures that a fireplace is functioning properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety problems can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the source is improper installation. Normally a problem 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 causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance benefits could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions mandate a total 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 total fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding 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 considered.

Many seize the opportunity to change over 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 heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be majorly reworked, as well. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular options. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Slabtown homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry potential 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 something wasn’t done correctly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.