Hales Corners fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during building of a Hales Corners home – not all wanted.

A new Hales Corners home has myriad working parts. Some involve very exacting installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while good at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While welcomed for their cheery ambiance and efficient space heating, incorrect installation of fireplace inserts can cause 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 Hales Corners. Periodically a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.

Recurring 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 Hales Corners, ensures that a fireplace is functioning properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety problems can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the reason is incorrect installation. Often an issue isn’t viewable from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, spots a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be changed, it must be substituted with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

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

In these situations, the entire fireplace system should be removed, 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 pursue improvements they might have already considered.

Many seize the opportunity to transition from wood burning to gas. Though without 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 negative for warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be completely 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 Hales Corners 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 work wasn’t done right initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.