Ackerville fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during building of a Ackerville house – not all desirable.
A new Ackerville home has many working parts. Some require very detailed installations to work safely and properly. House builders, while skilled at many things, are rarely experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.
Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While welcomed for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can create hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Ackerville. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.
Recurring fireplace inspections are always recommended, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Ackerville, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your family safeguarded.
Safety problems can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is improper installation. Often a problem isn’t viewable 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 changed, it must be swapped out with the duplicate 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 coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions merit a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically verified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.
In these situations, the complete fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already thought about.
Many use the moment to convert from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat production of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might opt for an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for warmth, 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 surrounding the fireplace can be completely redesigned, too. 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 resemble steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Ackerville homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry 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 installation wasn’t done correctly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.