Pike Lake fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can occur during construction of a Pike Lake home – not all desirable.
A new Pike Lake home has multiple working components. Some require very exacting installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Pike Lake. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.
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 Pike Lake, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your family protected.
Safety concerns can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the culprit is incorrect installation. Often a problem 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 substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance benefits could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions demand a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately identified as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.
In these instances, the complete fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.
Many use the opportunity to transition from wood burning to gas. Though without 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 minus for warmth, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – typically 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 options. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Pike Lake homes for a variety of 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 work wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.