Oconomowoc Lake fireplace repair

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

Many things can occur during construction of a Oconomowoc Lake home – not all desirable.

A new Oconomowoc Lake house has multiple working components. Some involve very exacting installations to function safely and efficiently. House builders, while good at many things, are often not experts in the detailed installations of every mechanical component.

Enclosed fireplaces are often one. While enjoyed for their cheery ambiance and effective space heating, improper installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide escaping. Smoke backup. Live embers flying onto outside surfaces.

Safety threats with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Oconomowoc Lake. Periodically a fireplace repair is not feasible. If the fireplace is compromised, a complete fireplace replacement is required.

Recurring 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 Oconomowoc Lake, ensures that a fireplace is operating properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety threats can be identified with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More regularly than not, the cause is incorrect installation. Typically a problem isn’t obvious from outside the fireplace – a closer check inside, by a trained eye, finds a compromised joint, section or non-working part.

If a part can be changed, it must be swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are infamous for creating issues such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting correctly. If a fireplace causes a house fire, insurance benefits could be turned down if substitute aftermarket parts were used.

Often, though, conditions merit a total 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 entire fireplace system should be removed, 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 institute improvements they might have already considered.

Many use the opportunity to transition from wood burning to gas. Though not possessing 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 warmth, this design has traditional aesthetics that many find charming. An open fireplace is far less pricey, too – typically one-third the price of a replacement insert.

The façade surrounding the fireplace can be majorly redesigned, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular choices. The hearth might be reimagined in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to look like steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Oconomowoc Lake homes for many reasons. Realistically, these benefits entail 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 work wasn’t done properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to live with its risks.