Ozaukee County fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Require a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during erection of a Ozaukee County house – not all good.
A new Ozaukee County house has many working components. Some involve very exacting installations to function safely and properly. House builders, while proficient at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While desired for their comforting ambiance and effective space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Ozaukee County. Periodically a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is required.
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 Ozaukee County, ensures that a fireplace is operating correctly and your family protected.
Safety concerns can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the reason is improper installation. Normally an issue isn’t noticeable from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, identifies 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 generating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance benefits could be denied if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions mandate a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops operating, replacement is not a choice. A degraded refractory panel has to be replaced.
In these examples, the complete fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates an opportunity, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already thought about.
Many grab 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 traditional aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.
The façade buttressing the fireplace can be totally reworked, 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 wanted feature in Ozaukee County homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits come with 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 installation wasn’t done properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.