North Lake fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during construction of a North Lake home – not all good.

A new North Lake house has myriad working parts. Some involve very detailed installations to function safely and properly. House builders, while skilled at many things, are not always experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.

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

Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in North Lake. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.

Regular fireplace inspections are always advisable, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in North Lake, ensures that a fireplace is functioning correctly and your loved ones protected.

Safety issues can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the cause is incorrect installation. Often a problem 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 substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

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

In these situations, the complete fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already considered.

Many use the moment to change over 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 select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be totally reworked, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. 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 wanted feature in North Lake homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail 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 something wasn’t done properly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.