Prospect fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can occur during building of a Prospect residence – not all welcome.
A new Prospect residence has multiple working elements. Some require very specific installations to function safely and efficiently. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are often not experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While desired for their cheery ambiance and efficient room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can create hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Prospect. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is necessitated.
Recurring fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Prospect, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your family protected.
Safety problems can be revealed with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is improper installation. Normally an issue isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, identifies a compromised joint, section or non-working part.
If a part can be changed, it must be swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
Often, though, conditions mandate a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately identified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these instances, the complete fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby 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 seize the moment to transition from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing the heat production 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 negative for heat, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.
The façade around the fireplace can be totally redesigned, 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 desirable feature in Prospect homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve possible hazards that shouldn’t be neglected. 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 correctly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.