Prefab fireplace repair specialists for Stone Crest homes

Haze on the door glass that cleaning will not remove

A haze on fireplace door glass that will not come off with cleaning is one of the overfiring signs one maker lists. Ordinary soot film cleans off with the right cleaner.

If the haze stays, we look for other signs of excessive heat before replacing the glass, so the new pane is spared the same damage.

• Haze that cleaning will not lift
• Warped steel near the top
• Cracked or burned-out parts
• Discolored plated trim

Pipe joints that have come apart

One maker's instructions tell installers to confirm each snap-lock joint by pulling upward on the chimney after locking it. A joint that separates later leaves a gap in the flue path.

Separated joints turn up in attics and chases after roof work, storms or careless storage. We check the joints we can reach, reseat or replace sections as the manual directs and note any stretch of chimney we could not see.

• Joints checked in the attic and chase
• Sections reseated or replaced
• Unseen stretches named on the estimate

A fireplace for supplemental heat

A prefab fireplace is built to add warmth to a room. One maker states that its factory-built fireplace is not intended as a substitute for a furnace to heat an entire home, and is meant for supplemental heat only. Long, hot fires meant to warm the whole house are one path to overfiring.

A sensible fire sized to the firebox protects the panels and the metal. We share the manual's guidance when we hand back a repaired fireplace.

Factory-built fireplaces in manufactured homes

Some factory-built fireplaces are approved for manufactured homes. One maker's manual allows installation in an aftermarket, permanently located manufactured home, forbids installation in a sleeping room of a mobile home and says the structural integrity of the home's floor, walls and ceiling or roof must be maintained.

Repairs in a manufactured home follow those limits, with the unit's manual and listing checked first. We discuss any cut into framing with you and the manual before it happens.

• Unit approved for manufactured homes
• No installation in a sleeping room
• Floor, walls and roof structure kept intact