Chenequa fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during construction of a Chenequa home – not all wanted.
A new Chenequa residence has many working parts. Some require very detailed installations to work safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While desired for their comfy ambiance and efficient space heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Chenequa. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is needed.
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 Chenequa, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your loved ones protected.
Safety threats can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the culprit is incorrect installation. Usually a problem isn’t obvious from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, discovers 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 notorious for creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
Often, though, conditions demand a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these situations, the complete fireplace system should be taken out, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already considered.
Many use the opportunity to change over from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat production of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might choose an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade surrounding the fireplace can be completely 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 look like steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Chenequa homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve 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 installation wasn’t done correctly initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.