Oconomowoc Lake fireplace repair

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

Many things can happen during erection of a Oconomowoc Lake house – not all wanted.

A new Oconomowoc Lake house has many working components. Some require very detailed installations to work safely and according to plan. Home builders, while good at many things, are not always experts in the precise installations of every mechanical element.

Enclosed fireplaces are one example. While desired for their cheery ambiance and effective room heating, wrong installation of fireplace inserts can cause hazards that threaten life and home: carbon monoxide leakage. Smoke backup. Live embers leaping onto outside surfaces.

Safety issues with a fireplace insert are often found during a fireplace inspection and cleaning in Oconomowoc Lake. Sometimes a fireplace repair is not workable. If the fireplace is compromised, a total fireplace replacement is necessitated.

Recurring fireplace inspections are always recommended, for both safety and operational efficiency. Hiring a professional service such as Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Oconomowoc Lake, ensures that a fireplace is working properly and your family safeguarded.

Safety issues can be uncovered with both gas and wood-burning fireplaces. More often than not, the culprit is incorrect installation. Normally an issue isn’t noticeable 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 replaced, it must be swapped out with the exact manufacturer’s part. Aftermarket parts are notorious for generating problems such as smoke backup, or exhaust not drafting properly. If a fireplace ignites a house fire, insurance coverage could be denied 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 operating, replacement is not an option. A degraded refractory panel must be replaced.

In these examples, the entire fireplace system should be taken out, along with the surrounding façade. It’s a multi-day undertaking 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 moment to change over from wood burning to gas. Though without the heat production 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 minus 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 surrounding the fireplace can be totally redesigned, too. Tile, stone or brick veneer, or composite wood are popular selections. The hearth might be redone in limestone, tile, brick or stone. The mantle can be reworked to resemble steel or wood.

Fireplaces are a welcome feature in Oconomowoc Lake homes for multiple 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 properly initially, doesn’t mean you have to co-exist with its risks.