Factory-built fireplaces repaired with listed parts in Maitland

Where the pipe passes through the roof

Where a metal chimney leaves the roof, a sloped metal cone is worked into the shingles and a storm collar wraps the pipe above it. One maker's manual calls for waterproof caulk around the collar's perimeter to seal it against the pipe.

The same manual warns against sealing the openings built into the rooftop cone. Split caulk, a collar that has slid down and a cone pulled loose by roof work are the leak points we find there, and each is repaired with listed parts.

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

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.

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