Saint Francis fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during erection of a Saint Francis home – not all good.

A new Saint Francis residence has many working components. Some involve very exacting installations to work safely and efficiently. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are often not experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical element.

Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While enjoyed for their comfy ambiance and effective room heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can create risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Saint Francis. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not possible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.

Regular fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Saint Francis, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your loved ones safeguarded.

Safety threats can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is improper installation. Normally a problem isn’t identifiable from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, finds a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

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

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

In these situations, 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 an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.

Many grab the opportunity to change over 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 negative for heat, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less expensive, too – typically one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be completely 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 look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Saint Francis homes for multiple 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 correctly initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.