Whitefish Bay fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during erection of a Whitefish Bay house – not all desirable.

A new Whitefish Bay house has many working elements. Some involve very specific installations to operate safely and properly. Home builders, while skilled at many things, are often not experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and efficient space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Whitefish Bay. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is needed.

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 Whitefish Bay, ensures that a fireplace is working correctly and your family protected.

Safety threats can be identified with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is improper installation. Often an issue isn’t obvious 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 exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for causing issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

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

In these cases, the complete fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already thought about.

Many seize the moment to transition from wood burning to gas. Though lacking 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 costly, too – usually one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade around the fireplace can be totally redesigned, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Whitefish Bay homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail potential 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 installation wasn’t done properly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.