New Berlin fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during building of a New Berlin home – not all welcome.

A new New Berlin residence has myriad working elements. Some need very specific installations to work safely and according to plan. House builders, while proficient at many things, are often not experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While welcomed for their comforting ambiance and efficient space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety concerns with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in New Berlin. Periodically a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is required.

Regular fireplace inspections are always recommended, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in New Berlin, 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 reason is improper installation. Often an issue isn’t identifiable 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 changed, it must be swapped out with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace ignites 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 automatically flagged as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these situations, 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 project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already thought about.

Many seize the moment to transition from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat production 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 heat, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – typically one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade surrounding the fireplace can be majorly reworked, as well. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in New Berlin homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with 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 installation wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.