North Lake fireplace repair

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

Many things can transpire during building of a North Lake house – not all good.

A new North Lake residence has multiple working elements. Some require very detailed installations to work safely and properly. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and effective room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety concerns with a fireplace insert are often revealed during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in North Lake. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.

Regular fireplace inspections are always advisable, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in North Lake, ensures that a fireplace is functioning correctly and your family safeguarded.

Safety threats can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the cause is incorrect installation. Usually a problem isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, discovers 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 notorious for creating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

Often, though, conditions require a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately verified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.

In these examples, the total fireplace system should be taken out, 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 thought about.

Many grab the moment 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 minus for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be totally reworked, 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 wanted feature in North Lake homes for a variety of 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.