Whitefish Bay fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can transpire during erection of a Whitefish Bay residence – not all desirable.
A new Whitefish Bay home has multiple working elements. Some need very detailed installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While welcomed for their comfy ambiance and effective room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can create risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.
Safety risks with a fireplace insert are often uncovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Whitefish Bay. Occasionally a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is needed.
Regular 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 properly and your loved ones protected.
Safety issues can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is improper installation. Often an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer inspection inside, by a trained eye, discovers 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 creating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were used.
Often, though, conditions require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these situations, the complete fireplace system should be removed, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to institute improvements they might have already thought about.
Many seize the opportunity to change over 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 select 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 costly, too – usually one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade buttressing the fireplace can be majorly reworked, as well. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. 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 Whitefish Bay homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with potential hazards that shouldn’t be overlooked. 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 initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.