Metal fireplace and chimney repair in Delaney Park

Outside combustion air kits

Outside air reaches some factory-built fireplaces through a kit fitted during framing. One maker offers kits that draw air from a vented crawl space or through a sidewall, and warns that combustion air inlet ducts shall not end in an attic.

Crushed ducts, missing screens and closed inlets change how the fireplace burns. We check the kit where it can be reached and repair it with the maker's parts.

• Duct intact from inlet to fireplace
• Screen on the outside inlet
• Inlet clear and open
• No duct ending in the attic

A fireplace for supplemental heat

A prefab fireplace is built to add warmth to a room. One maker states that its factory-built fireplace is not intended as a substitute for a furnace to heat an entire home, and is meant for supplemental heat only. Long, hot fires meant to warm the whole house are one path to overfiring.

A sensible fire sized to the firebox protects the panels and the metal. We share the manual's guidance when we hand back a repaired fireplace.

After roof work or a storm

Roof replacements and storms are hard on metal chimneys. Shingles come off around the pipe, the collar gets pushed down, the termination gets knocked and sometimes a section is loosened in the attic.

After any roof job, a quick check of the chimney top, the collar and the attic section is worth scheduling. We repair what the work disturbed with listed parts and note it for your records.

• Chimney top and termination
• Storm collar and caulk
• Pipe joints in the attic
• Supports and straps

Accessories added to a prefab fireplace

A factory-built fireplace's manual limits which doors, screens, grates and inserts may be used with it, and the maker lists its own accessories by model. Add-ons from other sources need a close look against that manual.

Aftermarket fans, grate heaters and decorative panels come up often. We tell you which accessories fit your model and which ones to remove before the next fire.

• Doors approved for the model
• Screens and grates from the maker's list
• Inserts tested with the fireplace
• Add-ons to remove before the next fire