Fredonia fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during construction of a Fredonia house – not all welcome.
A new Fredonia residence has myriad working components. Some need very specific installations to function safely and properly. House builders, while good at many things, are hardly ever experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical component.
Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety concerns with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Fredonia. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.
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 Fredonia, ensures that a fireplace is functioning properly and your loved ones safeguarded.
Safety threats can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the source is incorrect 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 replaced, it must be substituted with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions merit a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately verified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these situations, 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 a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already considered.
Many grab the moment to convert from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat production of wood, gas is far more user friendly (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might choose an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for heat, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – typically 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 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 desirable feature in Fredonia homes for many 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 right the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.