Mequon fireplace repair
Fireplace Repair? For Safety’s Sake, You Could Need a Fireplace Replacement
Many things can happen during erection of a Mequon home – not all good.
A new Mequon house has multiple working components. Some need very specific installations to function safely and efficiently. Home builders, while good at many things, are hardly ever experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical part.
Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their cheery ambiance and effective room heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can generate hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers escaping onto outside surfaces.
Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often revealed during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Mequon. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is needed.
Regular fireplace inspections are always prudent, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Mequon, ensures that a fireplace is functioning correctly and your family safeguarded.
Safety problems can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is incorrect installation. Normally a problem 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 notorious for creating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace sparks a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.
Often, though, conditions merit a complete fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately verified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.
In these examples, the entire fireplace system should be uninstalled, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day process for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The project creates a window, though, for a homeowner to pursue improvements they might have already considered.
Many grab the opportunity to change over from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat generation of wood, gas is far more user friendly (and less labor intensive) as fuel.
Others might opt for 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 expensive, too – typically one-third the cost of a replacement insert.
The façade buttressing the fireplace can be totally reworked, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. 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 Mequon homes for multiple reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry 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 initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.