New Berlin fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during erection of a New Berlin home – not all wanted.

A new New Berlin house has myriad working parts. Some need very exacting installations to work safely and efficiently. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While enjoyed for their comfy ambiance and effective room heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

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

Recurring 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 New Berlin, ensures that a fireplace is working properly and your loved ones safeguarded.

Safety issues can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the cause is incorrect installation. Typically a problem isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, finds a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be changed, it must be swapped out with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

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

In these situations, the entire fireplace system should be uninstalled, 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 pursue improvements they might have already considered.

Many use the moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat production of wood, gas is far more user friendly (and less labor intensive) as fuel.

Others might select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade surrounding the fireplace can be majorly redesigned, as well. 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 New Berlin homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail 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.