Port Washington fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during construction of a Port Washington home – not all good.

A new Port Washington house has many working components. Some need very specific installations to function safely and properly. Home builders, while good at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their cheery ambiance and efficient space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Port Washington. Periodically a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is required.

Regular fireplace inspections are always advisable, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert 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 issues can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the reason is improper installation. Often an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, finds a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be replaced, it must be swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions merit a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these cases, the complete fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already considered.

Many seize the opportunity to convert from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat generation 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 negative 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 around the fireplace can be completely reworked, as well. 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 welcome feature in Port Washington homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail potential 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 installation wasn’t done correctly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.