Your prefab fireplace, repaired to its manual in Dover Manor

The grate that belongs in the firebox

Fires in a factory-built fireplace sit on a grate, and one maker includes a grate sized to each model in its parts list. Its warranty for factory-built fireplaces is conditional on use of an adequate fuel grate.

A fire built straight on the floor panel, or a grate that pushes logs against the side panels, puts heat where the design did not expect it. We check the grate as part of every prefab repair.

• Grate sized to the model
• Logs kept off the side panels
• Retainers holding the grate in place

Discolored steel and scorched panels

Blue or straw coloring on steel and dark scorching on panels near the top of the firebox show where heat has been highest. Some color change is normal on a working fireplace, while heavy discoloration with warping points to fires hotter than the design.

We compare the marks with the rest of the unit and with the maker's list of overfiring signs. The finding shapes both the repair and the advice we give on how the fireplace is used afterward.

Who works on your prefab fireplace

Prefab repair is parts work, manual work and careful handling of a steel appliance inside a finished wall. Our family-owned team handles the identification, ordering and fitting, from the first look at the rating plate to the last retainer.

The person who inspects your fireplace explains the scope, and the crew that returns works from that written plan. If the result is wrong in any way, our 100% satisfaction guarantee brings us back.

A cracked firebox floor panel

The floor panels of a factory-built firebox carry the grate, the fire and the ash, and they take the knocks from logs and tools. Cracks there often show before the side panels wear.

One maker divides the floor into bottom rear and bottom front panels, so a cracked front piece can sometimes be replaced alone. We check both before ordering.

• Bottom front panel
• Bottom rear panel
• Grate position over the floor
• Retainers along the edges