Your prefab fireplace, repaired to its manual in Avalon Park

Stained panels and cosmetic kits

White or light refractory panels darken with use. One maker sells refractory stain kits to give white panels a new look, which changes their color and nothing else.

If your panels are sound and only discolored, a cosmetic option may be all you want. If they are cracked or broken, color treatment hides the problem, and we recommend replacement before any cosmetic work.

• Sound but discolored panels, cosmetic options possible
• Cracked or broken panels, replacement first

Air spaces that must stay empty

Clearances around a factory-built fireplace and its chimney are air spaces, and one maker's manual warns against packing required air spaces with insulation or other materials. The same maker says blown insulation is never to be used to fill the chimney enclosure.

Stuffed insulation, stored boxes and leftover lumber in a chase or around the unit turn up on repair visits. We clear what we can reach and point out anything that needs removal before the fireplace is used.

Panels damaged by water

Refractory panels that have been soaked can soften, crumble or crack as they dry, and water stains running down them point to a leak above.

We stop the water first, then replace the damaged panels once the firebox is dry. Swapping panels before the leak is fixed only damages the new ones.

• Leak found and stopped first
• Firebox left to dry
• Soft or cracked panels replaced
• Retainers and steel checked behind them

Refacing a factory-built fireplace

Refacing a prefab fireplace with stone, tile or a new surround is a popular upgrade. The rules for the face, including what may overlap it, which mortar or adhesive may be used and which openings stay clear, come from the unit's manual.

We check those rules before the design is final and flag conflicts early. When a refacing project uncovers damage behind the old surround, the repair is priced separately so you can see both jobs clearly.