Cracked panels and worn fireplace parts fixed in Mariners Village

Parts that cannot be replaced in your home

Parts lists for factory-built fireplaces mark some components as not field replaceable. In one maker's list, the face assembly, the firebox bottom, the firebox surround, the inner dome and the smoke shield are all marked that way.

When damage reaches a part like that, repair stops being the practical path. We explain the finding, show you where it sits in the parts list and lay out the realistic choices, which are replacing the fireplace as its own installation job or retiring it from use.

• Face assembly
• Firebox bottom and surround
• Inner dome
• Smoke shield

Ash removal from a factory-built firebox

Shoveling ash out of a factory-built firebox takes a little care, since the floor under the ash is refractory and hard scraping can chip it. One maker's manual asks for ashes to go into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid, placed on a noncombustible floor or the ground away from combustibles until the cinders are cold.

Chipped floor panels near the front often trace back to ash removal. We replace damaged floor panels during a repair and suggest a gentler routine for the next season.

Dents and damage in the inner flue

The stainless inner flue of a factory-built chimney carries the smoke and heat. Dents from dropped tools, crushed sections from roof work and separated joints narrow or break that path.

We note damage we can see from the firebox and the top, and replace damaged sections with the same maker's pipe. Where a stretch cannot be seen, the estimate says so plainly.

• Dents from dropped tools
• Sections crushed during roof work
• Separated joints
• Stretches that could not be seen

Getting to the chimney in the attic or chase

Attic and chase access lets us check the pipe joints, supports, firestops and insulation shield along the chimney. Some homes have an attic hatch near the fireplace, and some chases have no access panel at all.

We tell you where access is needed before the visit, and if an opening has to be made in a chase, the estimate says where and how it will be closed.

• Where the attic hatch is
• Whether the chase has an access panel
• Where a new opening would go
• How that opening will be closed