Ozaukee County fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during construction of a Ozaukee County home – not all desirable.
A new Ozaukee County residence has many working parts. Some need very specific installations to function safely and efficiently. House builders, while skilled at many things, are hardly ever experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While welcomed for their comforting ambiance and effective room heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Ozaukee County. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.
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 Ozaukee County, 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 source is incorrect installation. Typically an issue isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, discovers a compromised joint, section or non-working part.
If a part can be changed, it must be substituted with the exact 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 benefits could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
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 a choice. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.
In these instances, the complete fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already considered.
Many seize the moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat production 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 traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – typically 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 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 Ozaukee County homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve 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 installation wasn’t done correctly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.