Refractory panels and prefab fireplace parts replaced in Gotha

Brick-pattern panels and what sits behind them

Many factory-built fireplaces use refractory panels molded with a brick pattern. From the room they can pass for a masonry firebox, while the fireplace behind them is a steel assembly with a listed chimney.

That difference changes the repair completely. Brick-pattern panels are replaced as listed parts rather than rebuilt with mortar like a masonry firebox. We confirm which kind of fireplace you have before recommending any work.

• Type confirmed from the rating plate
• Panels replaced as listed parts
• No mortar patching on molded panels

Louvers and air slots stay open

Heat-circulating factory-built fireplaces move room air through channels around the firebox, drawing it in and sending it back through louvers or slots on the face. Those openings are part of the tested design.

Paint, facing material and furniture sometimes close them off. We check that every louver is clear and that nothing has been added in front of the openings the model depends on.

• Paint over the slots
• Facing material across the openings
• Furniture pushed against the grilles

Minimum chimney height on a factory-built system

Factory-built fireplaces are tested with a minimum and a maximum chimney height. One maker's model needs at least 16 feet from the base of the fireplace to the top of the termination for a straight flue, more with two sets of elbows and no more than 50 feet in all, while a different model from the same maker sets 12 feet above the appliance as its minimum.

A chimney shortened during a roof job, or a system that was always short, can explain a stubborn draft problem. We measure the system against your model's figures.

Cleaning a round metal flue

The inner flue of a factory-built chimney is thin stainless steel, round and smooth. One maker's troubleshooting advice for a dirty or blocked chimney mentions a properly sized chimney brush, since the brush has to fit the round pipe it cleans.

During a prefab repair we note the condition of the flue and whether deposits are present. Cleaning is scheduled with a brush that fits your flue, and dents or damage found along the way go on the repair list.