Kohler fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Might Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can occur during erection of a Kohler home – not all desirable.
A new Kohler home has many working parts. Some involve very specific installations to operate safely and according to plan. Home builders, while proficient at many things, are rarely experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.
Enclosed fireplaces are a prime example. While desired for their comfy ambiance and effective space heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often identified during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Kohler. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is necessitated.
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 Kohler, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your loved ones protected.
Safety threats can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the cause is improper installation. Typically a problem isn’t viewable from outside the fireplace – a closer look inside, by a trained eye, spots a compromised joint, section or non-working part.
If a part can be replaced, 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 causes a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions demand a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is automatically identified as unsafe. If a fan stops functioning, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these cases, the entire fireplace system should be taken out, along with the nearby façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already considered.
Many grab the moment to transition from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat production of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might select an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net negative for warmth, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find comforting. An open fireplace is far less costly, too – typically one-third the cost of a replacement insert.
The façade surrounding the fireplace can be completely reworked, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.
Fireplaces are a desirable feature in Kohler homes for a variety of reasons. Realistically, these benefits involve 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 work wasn’t done right the first time, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.