Big Bend fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during building of a Big Bend home – not all wanted.

A new Big Bend house has many working parts. Some need very specific installations to work safely and properly. House builders, while proficient at many things, are rarely experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.

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

Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Big Bend. Periodically a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is needed.

Regular fireplace inspections are always recommended, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Big Bend, ensures that a fireplace is operating correctly and your family protected.

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

If a part can be replaced, it must be substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for causing 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 require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these instances, 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 a window, though, for a homeowner to make 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 opt for an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be majorly 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 look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Big Bend homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail possible 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 the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.