Boltonville fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during building of a Boltonville residence – not all wanted.
A new Boltonville home has myriad working parts. Some require very exacting installations to operate safely and properly. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical part.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their comfy ambiance and efficient space heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can create risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Boltonville. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.
Regular fireplace inspections are always recommended, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Boltonville, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your family protected.
Safety problems can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the cause is incorrect installation. Typically an issue isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer look 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 duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions mandate a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not an option. 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 work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already considered.
Many use the moment to convert from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat generation of wood, gas is far more user friendly (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade around the fireplace can be completely redesigned, as well. 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 desirable feature in Boltonville homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry potential 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 correctly initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.