How To Remove A Prefab Fireplace

As owner of a bicentennial era home myself, I can adjure that equipment from xl years agone regularly breaks or becomes unserviceable when repair parts can no longer be had. Still, when a water heater dies y'all're probably only going to have a cold shower. Merely when a metal fireplace has deteriorated you may not know it until a dangerous house fire occurs.

These prefab fireplaces became pop in the 1970's equally an inexpensive alternative to edifice a masonry fireplace. Of peachy concern is the fact that they're at present approaching thirty to 40 years erstwhile and causing a tremendous number of house fires. While a masonry fireplace may last as long as the house stands, a prefab wood burning fireplace is considered within our industry to accept a lifespan of 10 to thirty years.

Prefab decorative wood called-for fireplaces are made of relatively light weight metal; precast "firebrick" style panels and air chambers are all that separate the fire from your framed walls. This photograph shows a fireplace installation before sheetrock has been installed. Isn't it kind of scary that framed walls are actually that close to a forest burn down? Many really are made like a inexpensive tin can can and installed against the walls of your home. And in that location'due south a lot that can go wrong.

Even when installed correctly - meeting the manufacturer's minimum clearances to combustibles - they simply were not designed for heavy duty utilise for decades. Unfortunately, time and age are beginning to show on these old fireplaces, and tragic house fires are now occurring on a regular footing.

Master SAFETY CONCERNS

*Improper Installation is far and away the most common crusade of failure. If clearances to combustibles weren't closely followed, along with exact configurations of the metal chimney venting, the ignition temperature of the woods and sheetrock nearby the fireplace tin can be reduced over time, a process called "pyrolysis".

*Improper Apply Keep in listen that a prefabricated wood fireplace is designed for occasional, recreational blazon fires. Don't overfire by building large, hot fires or employ them for hours and hours on stop to attempt and heat. By and large, these fireplaces are considered decorative appliances and are non designed to provide substantial rut.

*Field Modifications It is extremely inadvisable to install a forest stove (such as a woods called-for insert) into a prefab fireplace. Use caution when attempting to install after-market drinking glass doors, besides, that may interfere with the fireplace's design to circulate and disperse oestrus properly. Never endeavor a renovation project that covers louvers or air channels that were designed to help continue the fireplace properly cooled.

*Inadequate Maintenance It'due south imperative that yous take your chimney checked annually and the chimney swept when needed. 1 of the most important aspects of the inspection is the chimney termination on your roof. The flashing surrounding the chimney pipe easily becomes

 deteriorated over the years, contributing to water impairment, pelting leaks and rotting wood. Deteriorated flashing tin can besides let birds and animals to enter the chimney chase (the framed "wooden" chimney area) where varmints often build combustible nests adjacent to the pipage.

If you lot're advised of a safety or functioning issue, DO Non utilise your fireplace. Information technology's time to investigate replacement or alteration.

REPLACEMENT OPTIONS Keep in mind that the fireplace must be removed from either the front facing wall, or from the rear. Removal from the rear is usually the easiest method, particularly if the framed chase has been covered by siding. Remove the siding and underlayment to gain access to the inside of the chase. The chimney is normally removed from the height and sometimes the chase is big enough to really become inside of in order to help in unscrewing and disconnecting the chimney sections. Removal from the front of the fireplace opening commonly involves removal of the facing material (slate, marble, tile, etc) and the mantel, resulting in a bigger mess and more piece of work overall.

When it comes time to choosing a new model to install, consider the options available to you. Unremarkably the original model was a "builder grade" apparatus, an inexpensive model with minimal features.

New, loftier-efficiency woods burning prefabs are available that are manufactured with quality metal, tightly fitting doors and free energy efficient combustion designs that provide burn times and heat output comparable to a woodstove. If you nevertheless savor woods fires so why non consider a high-efficiency model that can aid provide substantial rut when needed? This nomenclature of wood burning fireplaces too uses upgraded chimney systems meant to withstand higher temperatures.

Gas Fireplaces provide the beauty of real flames without the work and mess associated with burning firewood. Similar forest burning fireplaces, gas models are classified as "decorative" or "heater rated". Heater rated models have a glass window instead of an open burn down, protecting against contact with open up flame. Nigh models also piece of work during ability outages, providing excellent backup emergency heat if you've chosen a heater rated fireplace. Different woodburning fireplaces where the blazon, condition or corporeality of wood greatly affects heat output, gas fireplaces are designed to withstand a maximum constant rut production then overfiring is never a concern. Heater rated gas fireplaces use the gas more efficiently and tranfer that oestrus to your living space, providing substantial heat when desired. Better models also offer thermostat control that modulate the flame to adapt the rut output then you lot're never too warm. Direct vent models, which use outdoor air for combustion, provide versatile installation and venting options where a woodburner couldn't exist used.

Alteration OPTIONS The expense and labor involved in a prefab fireplace replacement may lead you to consider a conversion or alteration of your fireplace. CAUTION: ABSOLUTELY Do Not PUT GAS LOGS into a damaged or deteriorated woodburning fireplace. Vented gas logs require the fireplace and chimney to be suitable for use with wood; if information technology'south non safe to burn forest, information technology'due south Non Safety to employ with gas logs, either! Ventless (vent-free, unvented) gas logs are far worse; they're designed to allow you to close the damper, keeping the estrus produced concentrated in the fireplace where they're more than likely to cause a trouble including pyrolysis of the adjacent wood framing within the wall.

A GAS INSERT is essentially a stove that inserts into your fireplace and may be a practical option to vehement out the fireplace that'south already there. Every bit some gas inserts comport a dual listing equally either an insert or a complete fireplace arrangement, inserting information technology into a metal fireplace should non cause fire safety concerns. Again, you'll accept the convenience of burning gas and information technology's insufficiently cheap versus replacement of the fireplace. They heat great, have a great flame and you'll never have to tote woods once again!

An ELECTRIC INSERT is a very inexpensive option. An electric fireplace is uniquely capable of offering yous flames with no rut so you can accept a romantic fire in the summer, or use with the heater when the weather turns chilly. This at least provides you lot the ambience of a "burn" with no need to tear anything out, and is an pick many of our customers have chosen in recent years.

How To Remove A Prefab Fireplace,

Source: https://www.victorianfireplaceshop.com/time-to-replace-prefabricated-fireplace

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