Oconomowoc Lake fireplace repair

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

Many things can transpire during building of a Oconomowoc Lake residence – not all desirable.

A new Oconomowoc Lake house has multiple working elements. Some need very detailed installations to work safely and efficiently. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are not always experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.

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

Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Oconomowoc Lake. Periodically a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always wise, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Oconomowoc Lake, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your loved ones safeguarded.

Safety problems can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the culprit is improper installation. Usually a problem isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, spots 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 creating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions demand a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically marked as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these cases, the total 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 institute improvements they might have already thought about.

Many grab the moment to convert from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat generation of wood, gas is far more user friendly (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 old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be majorly redesigned, too. 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 desirable feature in Oconomowoc Lake homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with potential 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 right the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.