Jackson fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can transpire during construction of a Jackson home – not all desirable.
A new Jackson house has multiple working elements. Some require very specific installations to function safely and properly. House builders, while skilled at many things, are often not experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical component.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their comfy ambiance and efficient space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Jackson. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.
Regular fireplace inspections are always wise, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Jackson, ensures that a fireplace is operating correctly and your family protected.
Safety concerns can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the culprit is improper installation. Usually an issue isn’t identifiable 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 exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions mandate a complete 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 examples, the entire fireplace system should be taken out, along with the surrounding 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 thought about.
Many seize the opportunity to change over from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat generation 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 minus for warmth, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade around the fireplace can be totally 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 Jackson homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail possible 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 the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.