Family-owned prefab fireplace repair serving Belmere

What refractory panels do inside the firebox

Many wood-burning factory-built fireplaces line their steel firebox with molded refractory panels on the sides, the back and the floor. One maker's parts list names separate left, right, rear, bottom rear and bottom front panels, held in place by retainers.

The panels take the direct heat of the fire and shield the metal behind them. When a panel breaks apart, the fire can reach steel that was never meant to face it, which is why panel condition is one of the first things we check.

• Left and right side panels
• Rear panel
• Bottom rear and bottom front floor panels
• Retainers that hold them in place

Factory-built fireplaces in manufactured homes

Some factory-built fireplaces are approved for manufactured homes. One maker's manual allows installation in an aftermarket, permanently located manufactured home, forbids installation in a sleeping room of a mobile home and says the structural integrity of the home's floor, walls and ceiling or roof must be maintained.

Repairs in a manufactured home follow those limits, with the unit's manual and listing checked first. We discuss any cut into framing with you and the manual before it happens.

• Unit approved for manufactured homes
• No installation in a sleeping room
• Floor, walls and roof structure kept intact

How to recognize a factory-built fireplace

A factory-built fireplace usually shows a metal frame around the opening, refractory panels inside, louvers or a metal top above the opening and a round metal chimney or a framed chase outside. A rating plate names the maker and model.

Decorative facing can hide most of those clues. We confirm the type at the free inspection, because the repair methods for a steel firebox and a masonry one have little in common.

• Metal frame around the opening
• Refractory panels inside
• Louvers or a metal top above the opening
• Round metal chimney or framed chase outside

What we can see and what stays hidden

Much of a factory-built system sits behind walls, above ceilings and inside a chase. From the firebox, the attic and the roof we can see a good share of it, and some stretches stay out of view.

The estimate lists what was checked and from where, and names any part of the system we could not see. If a hidden section needs a look, we explain the access it would take before anything is opened.