Waukesha County fireplace repair

Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement

Many things can occur during construction of a Waukesha County house – not all wanted.

A new Waukesha County residence has many working components. Some require very detailed installations to work safely and efficiently. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and efficient space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often revealed during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Waukesha County. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Waukesha County, ensures that a fireplace is operating correctly and your family safeguarded.

Safety threats can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the source is incorrect installation. Typically an issue isn’t obvious from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, discovers a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be replaced, it must be swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for creating issues 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 used.

Often, though, conditions require a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these examples, the total fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already thought about.

Many seize the opportunity to change over 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 choose 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 pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be totally redesigned, 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 resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Waukesha County homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with 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 work wasn’t done properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.