Wood burning fireplace repair in McDonald

What we look at on a fireplace service call

A fireplace service call starts with the same walk-through whatever brought us out. It gives our technician a baseline and keeps small faults from being missed while attention goes to the one you called about.

We also note the fireplace type, any label or model information and signs of past repairs. Everything goes into writing, with the item you asked about at the top. Parts that are sound are marked sound, so you know what was checked and not only what needs money spent on it. That record also gives next year's visit a starting point.

• Firebox walls, floor and joints, or the panels in a factory-built unit
• The damper, its handle and how far it opens
• The hearth, the facing and the trim around the opening
• Doors, screen, grate and the ash dump where fitted

Cooling ashes and a covered metal can

Ashes need time to cool. NFPA advises cooling them first, then moving them to a metal container that sits well away from the house. EPA wood-burning guidance adds that the container should be covered and stored outdoors on a nonflammable surface.

A paper bag, a cardboard box or a plastic bin is the wrong place for ashes, and so is a spot on a wooden deck or beside the garage door.

Our technicians leave the fireplace clean at the end of each repair and carry ashes out in a metal container we bring. If ash has been piling up because the ash dump is jammed or the grate sits too low, we fix the cause and note it in your written record. A shallow ash bed also makes the firebox floor easier to check on the next visit.

Dry split wood and a cleaner fire

Burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood, EPA wood-burning guidance advises. Seasoned wood is darker, weighs less and sounds hollow when knocked against another piece. Wet or green wood is on EPA's list of things not to burn, and it tends to smolder rather than burn cleanly.

EPA also notes that a smoldering fire is neither safe nor efficient for most appliances. In a fireplace, smoke from damp wood can darken the face, dirty the doors and leave deposits on the damper and in the throat.

We are glad to look at your wood supply while visiting your McDonald home. If the wood is part of the problem, the written note says so beside any repair, so the fix is not undone by the next load from a damp pile. We can also show you how to tell seasoned wood from green by weight, color and the sound it makes.

Children near a working fireplace

NFPA heating safety tips call for a three-foot kid-free zone around open fires. That space is easier to keep when the fireplace helps, with a screen that stays closed, doors that latch and a hearth edge that is not chipped or loose.

Repairs matter more in a house with young children. A screen curtain that will not close, a door that swings open by itself, a loose hearth tile or a mantel that moves when pulled are small faults with larger consequences when little hands are involved.

Our technicians look at the fireplace with the whole household in mind. On service visits in McDonald, the written list flags the items that affect children first, so you can fix those before the next fire. Fire tools, matches and lighters kept up and out of reach finish the job.