Waukesha County fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during erection of a Waukesha County house – not all desirable.

A new Waukesha County house has many working parts. Some need very detailed installations to work safely and according to plan. House builders, while proficient at many things, are rarely experts in the precise installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While welcomed for their comfy ambiance and effective space heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can cause risks that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety problems with a fireplace insert are often discovered during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Waukesha County. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always wise, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring an expert such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Waukesha County, ensures that a fireplace is working properly and your family protected.

Safety problems can be found with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the reason is incorrect installation. Usually an issue isn’t identifiable 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 swapped out with the duplicate manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance coverage could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were involved.

Often, though, conditions require a total fireplace replacement. A box with rust is immediately verified as unsafe. If a fan stops working, replacement is not a choice. 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 undertaking for professionals such as Butler Chimneys. The work creates a window, though, for a homeowner to make improvements they might have already considered.

Many grab the opportunity to convert from wood burning to gas. Though lacking the heat generation of wood, gas is far more convenient (and less labor intensive) as fuel.

Others might opt for an open wood-burning fireplace, rather than enclosed. While a net minus for heat, this design has old-fashioned aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – typically one-third the cost of a replacement insert.

The façade buttressing the fireplace can be completely reworked, as well. 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 look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a wanted feature in Waukesha County homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits carry 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 correctly the first time, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.