Port Washington fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during construction of a Port Washington home – not all desirable.

A new Port Washington residence has many working components. Some involve very detailed installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are hardly ever experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While desired for their cheery ambiance and efficient room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can create risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety concerns with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Port Washington. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total 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 Port Washington, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety problems can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the reason is improper installation. Normally an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer look 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 duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for generating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately identified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these cases, the total fireplace system should be removed, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.

Many grab the opportunity to convert 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 select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade surrounding the fireplace can be majorly redesigned, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Port Washington homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail 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 installation wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.