Saint Francis fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during construction of a Saint Francis home – not all welcome.

A new Saint Francis residence has multiple working components. Some involve very exacting installations to operate safely and according to plan. House builders, while proficient at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical part.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While enjoyed for their comforting ambiance and efficient space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Saint Francis. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.

Recurring 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 Saint Francis, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your family protected.

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

If a part can be changed, it must be substituted with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

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

In these situations, the entire fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already thought about.

Many use the moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though lacking 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 heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be majorly redesigned, 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 welcome feature in Saint Francis homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve potential 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 properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.