Horns Corners fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during building of a Horns Corners home – not all desirable.

A new Horns Corners house has multiple working elements. Some need very exacting installations to work safely and according to plan. House builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their comforting ambiance and effective room heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can generate hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Horns Corners. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

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 Horns Corners, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your loved ones protected.

Safety concerns can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the culprit is incorrect installation. Typically an issue isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection 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 exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions mandate a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these cases, the entire fireplace system should be uninstalled, 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 institute 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 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 pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be totally redesigned, as well. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. 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 wanted feature in Horns Corners homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve possible 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 something wasn’t done properly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.