Lac La Belle fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during building of a Lac La Belle residence – not all good.
A new Lac La Belle home has myriad working elements. Some involve very detailed installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are not always experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While desired for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Lac La Belle. Periodically a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.
Recurring fireplace inspections are always wise, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Lac La Belle, ensures that a fireplace is functioning properly and your family protected.
Safety issues can be discovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the culprit is improper installation. Typically an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, identifies a compromised joint, section or non-working part.
If a part can be replaced, it must be swapped out with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
Often, though, conditions require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically marked as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these examples, the entire fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already considered.
Many grab the moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat generation of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might opt for an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.
The façade buttressing the fireplace can be completely 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 welcome feature in Lac La Belle homes for multiple 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 work wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.