Refractory panels and prefab fireplace parts replaced in Audubon Park

What a maker needs to supply the right part

One maker's manual lists what to give when ordering a repair part, including the model number, the serial number, the part number, the description, the quantity and the installation date. Leave one out and the wrong part can arrive.

We gather that information during the free inspection and order through the maker's supply channel. The estimate names each part by its number, so you can see exactly what goes into your fireplace.

• Model number and serial number
• Part number and description
• Quantity needed
• Installation date of the fireplace

How refractory panels are replaced

Panel replacement follows the manual for the model. Retainers are released, the damaged panels come out in the order the design allows, the firebox behind them is cleaned and checked, and the new panels go in with their retainers secured.

Because the panels interlock, one damaged side panel can mean moving others to reach it. We explain which panels come out and why, and we look over the steel firebox behind them while it is exposed.

• Retainers released
• Damaged panels removed in order
• Steel firebox cleaned and checked
• New panels fitted and retainers secured

Firestop spacers at every floor and ceiling

Wherever the chimney passes through a floor or ceiling, one maker's system uses a firestop spacer that holds the required clearance between the pipe and the framing and separates one floor space from the next or from the attic.

A missing, bent or displaced firestop leaves framing closer to the pipe than the listing allows. We check firestops wherever access allows and replace damaged ones with the maker's part.

• A firestop at every floor or ceiling the pipe crosses
• Clearance to framing held
• Damaged firestops replaced with the maker's part

Parts for older and discontinued models

Factory-built fireplaces outlive their production runs. One maker states that it provides replacement parts, where practicable and if available, for a set period after the last date of manufacture of a model, which means some older parts do run out.

We check availability before scheduling the work, so your fireplace is opened only when the parts are in hand. When a part is gone for good, we explain the options, including replacing the fireplace as a separate installation.