Shorewood fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can transpire during erection of a Shorewood house – not all welcome.
A new Shorewood home has multiple working parts. Some need very exacting installations to operate safely and according to plan. House builders, while good at many things, are rarely experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While welcomed for their cheery 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 escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Shorewood. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.
Recurring fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Shorewood, ensures that a fireplace is working properly and your family safeguarded.
Safety issues can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the culprit is incorrect installation. Normally an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer check 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 duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for creating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions merit a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically verified as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. 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 an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.
Many seize the moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat production of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might choose an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade buttressing the fireplace can be totally 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 desirable feature in Shorewood homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with possible 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 properly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.