Prefab fireplace repair specialists for Malibu Groves homes

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

Hairline cracks in refractory panels

Fine hairline cracks in refractory panels are expected as they heat and cool. One maker's warranty on its panels specifically excludes hairline cracks, which tells you how the maker regards them.

Width, depth and loose pieces matter more. We check whether a crack goes through the panel, whether its edges have shifted and whether pieces have fallen out, then compare that with what your model's manual says about replacement.

• Does the crack pass through the panel
• Have its edges shifted
• Have pieces fallen out
• What the model's manual allows

Manufactured firelogs in a prefab fireplace

Some makers allow processed solid-fuel firelogs. One maker's manual says to use only firelogs evaluated for the application, to follow the warnings on the package and to avoid poking or stirring them while they burn.

If you use firelogs, keep the package and your fireplace manual together and read both. We can tell you what your model's manual allows during the free inspection.

• Only firelogs evaluated for the fireplace
• Package warnings followed
• No poking or stirring while they burn

Metal chimneys inside a framed chase

Many factory-built chimneys run up through a framed chase, a boxed enclosure that can look like a masonry chimney from outside. The chase has its own top cover, and in one maker's system its own chase-style termination.

The chase itself is house framing and siding, and the chase top cover is a separate job priced on its own line. The prefab repair covers the fireplace, the pipe and the parts of the listed system inside the chase.