Saint Anthony fireplace repair

Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement

Many things can occur during erection of a Saint Anthony home – not all wanted.

A new Saint Anthony residence has many working parts. Some involve very specific installations to operate safely and efficiently. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are rarely experts in the precise installations of every mechanical part.

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

Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Saint Anthony. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always advisable, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Saint Anthony, ensures that a fireplace is functioning correctly and your family safeguarded.

Safety issues can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the cause is improper installation. Usually an issue isn’t viewable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, spots 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 infamous for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

Often, though, conditions require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately 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 entire fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already considered.

Many use the opportunity to convert 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 select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for heat, 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 surrounding the fireplace can be totally reworked, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Saint Anthony homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve 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 something wasn’t done right the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.