Fireplace Fitter Brixham Devon (TQ5): Re-opening a disused fireplace to fit a wood burner, a gas fire or an open fire is a great way to add a homely feel and a bit of charm to any Brixham property. If you decide to combine your fireplace with a back boiler, not only can you enjoy the ambience and warmth of an open fire or stove during the chilly winter evenings, you'll also be provided with lots of hot water.
Before you go prising away at a blocked up chimney there are a few things you'll need to consider to make sure you can safely install and use your new fireplace. Any combustible appliance within domestic homes in Brixham must conform to Part J of the Building Regulations, and this covers chimney breasts, hearths, fireplaces and flue linings. Planning permission may also have to be sought before work commences if your property is in a conservation area or is a listed building.
PROFESSIONAL OR DIY FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
A simple remodeling of an existing fireplace can probably be accomplished by a skilled do-it-yourselfer, but if any building work is needed there's the chance of encountering structural issues that have to be handled professionally. You could be lucky when you expose the old fireplace and discover that you need little more than a thorough chimney sweep and a quick clean up of the hearth in order to get a fire roaring once more. More likely you will discover a stopped up flue and old brickwork that requires structural reinforcement.
If your home in Brixham has a fireplace installed and it isn't put in correctly, there is not just a severe fire risk, but also of respiratory health issues. So, using a certified fireplace fitter is generally recommended. As stated in the Building Regulations for fireplaces, there must be adequate airflow in a room where there's a fireplace, because in order to burn properly, a sufficient volume of oxygen is necessary. Carbon monoxide gas can build-up in an inadequately ventilated area where a fire that is burning inefficiently is installed.
To safely get over any problems with air flow, vents could be installed around the room during a fireplace installation, to ensure suitable oxygen levels reach the fire. To avoid condensed air becoming trapped in unused chimney flues and causing staining and damp spots, vents might have to be fitted by the installation team to improve the airflow.
BEFORE WORK STARTS
Having a fireplace opened up can create large amounts of soot and dust. A fireplace installer will bring dust sheets to cover up your furniture and supply some form of protection, but it's advisable when possible to remove carpets and furniture from the room before any work begins. If you're performing a complete restoration of a room or house, the fireplace ought to be opened up and worked on before any plastering or decorating is undertaken. By opening up a fireplace first you'll avoid any soot from the chimney causing damage to other stages of your project, such as paint on walls or fresh plasterwork.
CONSTRUCTION AND STRUCTURAL WORK
Now that you're able to see the opening of your fireplace it's time to clean and sweep the hearth and chimney and figure out what is fit for restoring. The very first thing on your checklist should be to contact a competent chimney sweep. They'll not only make certain that your chimney and flue are completely clean, but they can additionally look at the state of the chimney and flue liner and provide guidance about whether you need to replace any area of the chimney and flu, such as the flue lining.
After a chimney sweep assessment it may be required to strengthen the chimney breast and/or install a new flue lining as laid down in Part J of the UK Building Regulations. A good fireplace installer in Brixham will be needed to carry out this work, and will have the knowledge and skills in construction to closely follow all building regulations.
If it is necessary to modify the width of opening of your existing fireplace to something smaller and more suitable for your new design, a concrete supporting lintel will have to be put in. When you have supported your fireplace with a lintel it will then be possible to repair or upgrade the hearth. In the old days the hearth was sunken into the floor, however the latest building regulations demand that it is raised above floor level. You can get made to measure options to fit any size and design of fireplace, or you can pick from a range of popular sized hearths to match your decor.
DESIGNS AND STYLES OF FIREPLACE
A quick browse online or a trip to a fireplace showroom will show the alternatives available for the different fireplace styles and designs. It is quite possible that because of your current chimney and flue, that certain fireplaces may not be appropriate, and it's a good idea to follow the the recommendations and advice of your fireplace installation company in this respect.
Certain rooms and homes will look better with an open fireplace than a wood burner or multi fuel stove and vice versa. If you've got an old-fashioned inglenook fireplace, a wood burner can look stunning set within it, and also has the benefit of deflecting heat back into the room from the stone or brick walls surrounding the stove.
Even if you do not have a chimney breast in your Brixham home, it's still entirely possible to install a multi-fuel or wood burning stove. Providing that you have an outside wall through which a flue from the stove can be routed, you don't need a pre-existing chimney structure in place to enjoy a real fire.
ELECTRIC, MULTI-FUEL, GAS, OPEN OR WOOD FIREPLACE?
Who does not enjoy the flickering of a natural fireplace on a cool evening, but if your circumstances do not permit this, what are the other alternatives?
Multi-Fuel Stoves - Can be fired up with with a range of fuels, including gas, coal, wood or oil, to establish a unique focal point in your property in Brixham. Some designs, such as the multi-fuel stoves from AGA, are also suitable for generating hot water, cooking and heating your whole property.
Wood Burning Stoves - Even the smallest room in Brixham can be improved by the installation of a wood burner, which come in a range of designs, and can even be fitted as a freestanding feature. An integrated back boiler is an extra benefit and can provide hot water for use around the home, or to provide heating in other rooms via radiators.
Electric Fireplaces - Basic installation and a varied choice of styles make electric fires a popular choice for Brixham houses that don't have a chimney breast. They can be inset into conventional fireplaces, and with "real feel" electric fires it can sometimes be hard to distinguish from the real thing.
Open Fireplaces - Provides a focal point for any room and can utilise a number of different solid fuels. A skillfully fitted open fire will be nothing like the smoky old fireplace that was boarded up by former owners, and its glowing elegance is a welcome addition to any room in Brixham.
Gas Fireplaces - Providing instant heat and more efficient than wood burners, there are a wide range of styles to suit any period of property. A Gas Safe certified contractor must fit and maintain any gas fire in your home.
Fireplace fitters can be obtained in Greenway, Coleton, Woodhuish, Churston Ferrers, Higher Brixham, Dittisham, East Cornworthy, Boohay, Maypool, Kingsweir, Tweenaway, Galmpton, in these postcodes: TQ5 8HH, TQ5 0EF, TQ5 8EG, TQ5 8BJ, TQ5 8ED, TQ5 0FA, TQ5 0SA, TQ5 0DH, TQ5 8JJ, and TQ5 8HB, and in Brixham itself. If they've got the phone code 01803 and the postcode TQ5, it's a good bet that they come from Brixham or someplace nearby. To get information on fireplaces in your area click on the "quote" banner.
Flues
A flue liner is an essential part of your chimney set-up, enabling it to perform far more efficiently than it otherwise would, and improving it's overall safety. Flue liners are ducts made of metal, ceramic material or clay that are installed inside chimneys to carry toxic fumes outside. Some older chimneys in Brixham may not even have a lining, or if the current lining is impaired, may have to be relined.
The dangerous fumes and gases that are produced when you burn a fire can cause damage to your chimney's flue. While it's being cleaned, get the chimney sweep or fireplace specialist to check your flue for any damages or any chances of it malfunctioning in the foreseeable future. If there is damage, those dangerous gases could seep into your home instead of being properly vented outdoors. There is an additional risk with broken flues, in that they might permit extreme heat to penetrate into the chimney's structure, which could result in fires.
Tips To Look After Your Fireplace And Lower Your Heating Costs
With all the current environmental issues, the fireplace has lost some of its allure, but it's still a favourite feature for many people in Brixham. The natural comfort of a fireplace triggers very special remembrances for those who have them. Having a fireplace has its advantages but there are a couple of drawbacks that could affect its performance. As energy costs rise, you need to make sure that your fireplace is giving you heat efficiently. When you have a fire roaring in the fireplace, it can in fact remove warm air out of the room, making your heater work harder. In case you don't have a fire alight, the damper is intended to keep heat in. Yet, dampers are usually not very effective seals, so a lot of the warm air escapes and allows cold air to enter the room.
Many homeowners that have fireplaces in their property in Brixham don't realise how the fireplace can have an effect on their utility bill. Instead of heating a home naturally, a fireplace can actually add 100s of pounds to your heating expenses. There is a way to take your inefficient fireplace, and turn it into a heat creating system that will more closely fit your budget. There happen to be 4 simple steps that you can take to change your fireplace into a cost-effective heat resource. These will make your present fireplace more economical, and lower your heating bills.
Step one is to take out your current damper and change it for a top sealing damper. A top sealing damper is set up at the top of your chimney that also acts like a storm door. It does an excellent job of keeping warm air in the property during wintertime and cool air from escaping in the summer months. Its not that hard to put in and can be easily bought on the internet. An additional thing you can do is install a fire-back in the back of your fireplace. This is a cast iron plate that is intended to enhance the room design, while shielding the back wall from being damaged by the fire. The fire-back also absorbs heat right from the fire and returns it back into the room, making the fireplace more effective.
The next thing that can help is a fireplace heater, which heats the room air which is being circulated through an internal chamber, and sends it back towards the room. These heating devices are sealed systems, therefore no smoke is emitted, and they really can make a huge difference to the temperature of your house. Lastly, you may put in glass doors which could be the most costly option. If you do a bit of homework, you can get a good price on glass doors and mount them on your own. Glass doors will keep the air in your residence from escaping up the flue and also help to save your children and pets from falling into the fire.
All these suggestions are simple to implement, and the products can easily be found on the internet. Get the best from your fireplace and observe your energy costs drop.
Chimney Sweep Brixham
Getting the chimney swept is one thing that home owners often put off or forget, but it's important to get this done on a regular basis if you've got an open fire or a stove in your Brixham property. Chimneys should be swept and cleaned at least once yearly to keep them safe and working correctly.
This is an unpleasant job, so you should always bring in a specialist Brixham chimney sweep. This not only means that you chimney is kept clean, the chimney sweep will be on hand to highlight any issues with you chimney.
Chimney fires could easily be the result of a build-up of soot and ash if you fail to sweep your chimney. Along with the risk of a fire, you'll want to avoid any possibility of carbon monoxide fumes seeping back into your property, another common result of blocked chimneys.
All these factors add up to the importance of picking an experienced Brixham chimney sweep, who is also covered by public liability insurance. To check the current chimney sweeping prices in Brixham CLICK HERE. chimney sweeps are also available in nearby areas.
Brixham Fireplace Related Tasks
There are a whole host of tasks that can be conducted by your local Brixham fireplace installer including cheap fireplaces, electric fireplaces in Brixham, fireplace packages, fake fireplace installation in Brixham, fireplace mantels, fireplace removal Brixham, chimney sweeping, electric fire suites in Brixham, fireplaces, oak beam fireplaces in Brixham, the installation of chimney cowls, fire grate conversions, gas fireplace installation, fireplace fitting, cast iron fireplace installation Brixham, brick fireplace installation, chimney modifications, brick fireplaces in Brixham, fireplace inserts, flue liners, fireplace repairs, chimney lining in Brixham, chimney strengthening, Victorian fireplaces, stone fireplaces in Brixham, Victorian fireplace installations, stone fireplace installation Brixham, inglenook fireplace installation in Brixham, and more. These are just a handful of the tasks that are conducted by people fitting fireplaces. Brixham professionals will be happy to inform you of their entire range of services.
Advice and Guidance
To see the right way to install a log burning stove you could watch You Tube instructional videos such as this. To read a bit more about 70 fireplace ideas click here. To ask or reply to questions about fireplace installation check out one of the fireplace forums, threads include things like wood burning stoves, widening fireplaces, pellet boilers and stoves, chimney designs, understanding building regulations and stove vents. Head to Wikipedia to learn more info about fireplaces. To get to know about the newest fireplace developments on social media websites, check this out.
Skip Hire Brixham
One of the main drawbacks of doing home improvements or renovations in Brixham is the sheer quantity of waste that is created. Whether or not a lot of waste is generated by your fireplace installations will depend on the specifics of your particular project, sometimes there'll be lots of waste, other times not so much. While some tradespeople will be glad to take away any waste, some will leave it for you to deal with.
Whether you are left with doing this yourself, or the tradesperson is sorting it out, a skip will sometimes be required. Skips can be hired in all sizes and shapes, so there is certain to be one out there to suit your precise needs. Mini-skips accommodate roughly 2-3 yds of rubbish, midi-skips accommodate roughly 4-5 yds of rubbish, builders skips accommodate roughly 6-8 yds of rubbish and roll-on-roll-off skips accommodate roughly 20-25 yds of rubbish. Skip bags typically accommodate somewhere around 1-1.5 yds of rubbish.
To obtain a price for skip hire in Brixham GO HERE.
Fireplace Installers Near Brixham
Also find: Greenway fireplace installers, Woodhuish fireplace installers, Galmpton fireplace installers, Churston Ferrers fireplace installers, Coleton fireplace installers, Kingsweir fireplace installers, East Cornworthy fireplace installers, Boohay fireplace installers, Higher Brixham fireplace installers, Dittisham fireplace installers, Tweenaway fireplace installers, Maypool fireplace installers and more. Fireplace installers are ready to serve people living in practically all of these towns and areas. These versatile tradespeople possess the experience and know-how necessary to adeptly install fireplaces in your property. With the help of these dedicated professionals, residents can enjoy the comfort, warmth and ambiance that a fireplace brings to their living areas. By clicking here, fireplace installation quotes are accessible to local property owners.
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Fireplace installation in TQ5 area, 01803.
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