Fireplace Fitter Westhoughton Greater Manchester (BL5): A fantastic way to add character to any Westhoughton home is by installing a new fireplace, or restoring an existing one. Adding an open fire or wood burning stove for those cold winter evenings can even prove less expensive than some central heating systems, providing that you have a good source of wood. If combined with a back boiler it can supply you with plentiful hot water at the same time.
However before you start bashing down the walls of a boarded over fireplace there are some important things to consider to achieve a safe and efficient fireplace. Any combustible appliance installed within domestic homes in Westhoughton must adhere to Part J of the UK's Building Regs, and this covers flue linings, hearths, fireplaces and chimney breasts. If you reside in a listed building or are in a designated conservation area you must check with local authorities to find out if planning permission is needed for installing a fireplace in your property.
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
A simple remodeling of a current fireplace can probably be achieved by a competent DIY enthusiast, however if any construction work is required there's a possibility of running into structural problems which need to be dealt with by a professional. If you're fortunate when you expose a boarded fireplace you might find a decent hearth, lintel and chimney breast that needs nothing other than the services and advice of a chimney sweep to get it ready for use. Much more likely you will come across old brickwork that needs structural reinforcement and a stopped up flue.
Due to the serious fire risk and health problems that can result from an incorrectly installed or renovated fireplace, it is best to rely on the experience and knowledge of a skilled fireplace fitter and builder in Westhoughton. A key part of the Building Regulations for fireplaces is that enough oxygen is available for a fire to burn efficiently and safely. A deficiency of oxygen means that the fire will not burn effectively, and carbon monoxide could build up, which can cause death.
To successfully get over any issues with air flow, vents may need to be fitted in the room as part of a fireplace installation, to ensure suitable levels of oxygen reach the fire. To avoid condensed air from becoming trapped in unused or blocked off chimney flues and causing damp spots and staining, vents may have to be fitted by the installation team to introduce some airflow.
BEFORE WORK COMMENCES
An enormous amount of soot and muck can be discharged from a blocked up chimney when reopening it for renovation. It's advisable to remove any rugs, carpets and furniture from an area where you are going to expose an old fireplace, to avoid them from being damaged by dust, dirt and soot that may be whipped up during the fireplace installation and chimney cleaning works. If you're performing a complete restoration of a room or house, the fireplace should be opened up before any plastering or decorating is tackled. This helps to prevent any discolouration damage to any refurbished work you might have already finished.
STRUCTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION WORK
Once you've opened up your old fireplace you will have a better understanding of the work that needs to be done, and also be in a position to rigorously sweep the chimney and clean up any sections of hearth that may have been left in place. You should now contact your chimney sweep, if you've not already done this, to come and clean the old fireplace and chimney. A chimney sweep will firstly clean the flue and while doing this will inspect the condition of the chimney and offer guidance on whether you need a new flue lining.
If it is necessary to install a new flue liner or strengthen the chimney all current UK Building Regulations must be complied with. These are tasks that require an experienced tradesman with a good understanding of the applicable building regs and quality construction skills.
If the dimensions of the existing fireplace are greater than your requirements, a supporting concrete lintel will have to be installed. Once this has been done the next step of your Westhoughton fireplace installation will be to upgrade the hearth. In the past the hearth was set into a hole in the floor, but the latest building regs require it to be raised above floor level. There are made to measure solutions to fit any size and design of fireplace, or you can pick from a range of popular sized hearths to fit in with your decor.
DESIGNS OF FIREPLACE
Choosing your perfect fireplace can be tricky when faced with the different styles and designs available from an online outlet or fireplace showroom. It's entirely possible that due to your current chimney and flue, that some fireplace designs may not be appropriate, and it's advisable to follow the the recommendations and advice of your fireplace installer with respect to this.
Whether you go for a wood burner, a multi-fuel stove or an open fireplace will be based on the overall look that you're trying to develop, your existing decor and perhaps, your property's age. For instance, an inglenook fireplace can be an eye-catching backdrop for an old-fashioned cast iron wood burning stove, which highlights its charm and deflects the heat into the room.
A wood burner is also a splendid choice if your home does not have a chimney breast. A chimney isn't needed since the flue is taken straight from the rear or top of the stove and taken out through an exterior wall.
ELECTRIC, MULTI-FUEL, OPEN, GAS OR WOOD FIREPLACE?
Who does not enjoy the warmth and glow of a natural fireplace on a dark winters' evening, but if your circumstances do not permit this, what other options are on offer?
Wood Burning Stoves - A multitude of different styles to suit any kind of property in Westhoughton, and can even be a free standing feature. If combined with a back boiler these can provide piping hot water for radiators or for other use around the home.
Open Fireplaces - A roaring fire is an eye-catching focal point for any room and it has the capability to burn virtually any solid fuel that is available. In the bad old days an open fire may have had a reputation of being smoky, inefficient and draughty, however a skillfully fitted fireplace is a joy to sit in front of and recline in the warmth it provides.
Multi-Fuel Stoves - Can be used with a variety of fuels, (coal, gas, wood, oil) to establish a focal point in your home in Westhoughton. They can be used not just for heating a single room, but some styles like the AGA collection, can supply hot water, provide a useful cooking area and can be used to heat the entire house when plumbed into a radiator system.
Gas Fireplaces - There are a range of designs to suit all property types and their efficiency to warm a room is better than wood burning stoves. Must be professionally maintained and installed by a Gas Safe certified engineer.
Electric Fireplaces - A wide variety of electric fireplaces to complement pretty much any property in Westhoughton, can easily be fitted by anybody who's reasonable competent. Can be set into conventional fireplaces, and with the "real" looking feel of modern electric fires it can sometimes be hard to distinguish them from the genuine article.
It is not only in Westhoughton itself that you can hire fireplace fitters - surrounding areas like: Hart Common, Chew Moor, Cooper Turning, Daisy Hill, Lostock, Pennington Green, Dob Brow, Dobb Brow, Chequerbent, Over Hulton, Wingates are also covered. A couple of hints which indicate that a fireplace company operates in Westhoughton area is if they've got the phone code 01942 and the postcode BL5. This information is valuable if you want to verify that you are hiring a locally based fireplace specialist. Westhoughton property owners can use and benefit from these fireplace services.
Flues
A crucial part of your chimney set-up, a flue liner improves the safety of your chimney whilst allowing it to perform more effectively than it otherwise would. Flue liners are ducts made from ceramic material, metal or clay which are installed inside chimneys to carry smoke and fumes to the outside. Some older chimneys in Westhoughton may not even be fitted with a liner, or if the existing lining is compromised, might have to be re-lined.
Your fireplace flue can soon be compromised by the harmful gases that are created by burning a fire. Your flue lining must be regularly examined for damage and potential problems whenever it's being cleaned. If it is compromised, those hazardous gases may be able to seep into your living area instead of being safely vented outside. There is an added threat with impaired flue liners, in that they might allow intense heat to penetrate into the chimney's structure, which can contribute to fires.
The Best Way To Lower Your Heating Bill And Also Keep Your Open Fireplace In Excellent Shape
The traditional fireplace has lost a little bit of of its glamour as a result of worries about the environment but it's still loved by many in Westhoughton. The natural warmth of a fireplace invokes special recollections for those who've got them. There are many benefits to having a fireplace however there are several drawbacks that could possibly need to be taken care of. With energy costs rising dramatically each year, your fireplace needs to give out heat in a very cost-effective way. Whilst having a fire alight in a fireplace keeps those around it toasty, it can actually suck warm air from other parts of the room, causing your heater to work harder. The fireplace damper is supposed to stop cold air from coming in to your home when you haven't got a fire in the fireplace. The thing is, fireplace dampers are renowned for being inefficient in keeping cold air out, and warm air in.
Many families that currently have a fireplace in their home in Westhoughton don't realize how the fireplace can have an effect on their energy bill. Instead of managing the heating of a residence naturally, a fireplace can essentially add hundreds of pounds to your heating expenses. However, there are a number of procedures that you can follow that will be able to turn your budget smashing fireplace into something more efficient. There are at least 4 easy points that you are able to do to fix up your fireplace. Each of these is going to make your fireplace very economical and more efficient.
The first suggestion is to replace your current fireplace damper with a top sealing damper. This form of damper is placed at the top of your chimney and helps to stop rain and snow from entering. It does a good job of retaining warm air in the house during winter months and cool air from getting out in the summer months. It is not that tricky to put in and can be easily bought on the internet. Another thing that you can do would be to position a fire-back at the back of your fireplace. This is a cast iron plate that's intended to enhance the room interior decoration, while protecting the back wall from damage due to the heat. The fire-back gets warmed up by the open fire and reflects the heat back into a room, thus enhancing the fireplace's efficiency.
Another method is to buy a fireplace fan/heater, which draws cool air in and warms it up. These heating devices are sealed systems, therefore no smoke is emitted, and they can really make a huge difference to the temperature of your home. And finally, adding glass doors, even though a bit on the expensive side, can be effective in making your open fireplace more cost-efficient. If you do some groundwork, you can definitely get a great deal on glass doors and they aren't too difficult to put in yourself. These glass doors form a screen between the hearth and living space, not only stopping the warm air in the room from escaping, but also offering protection.
All these suggestions are easy to do, and the required products can be easily found online. Simply do your utmost to make sure your fireplace is efficient and watch your heating bills plummet.
Chimney Sweep Westhoughton
The routine sweeping of your chimney is imperative if you have an open fire or a log burning stove in your property in Westhoughton. It is typically recommended that at least once per year your chimney should be cleaned and swept.
You could perhaps sweep your own chimney, if you possess the right equipment, but this is a messy job and is best left to a specialist Westhoughton chimney sweep if you want it to be done cleanly and correctly. While your chimney is being cleaned, the chimney sweep will also keep an eye out for any problems or safety issues that there might be with your chimney.
The build-up of ash, soot and wood tar that results from failing to sweep a chimney in Westhoughton, could easily result in a chimney fire. As well as preventing fires, you will also want to prevent the chance of poisoning by carbon monoxide fumes. When a chimney becomes blocked this toxic substance can flow back into your house with unthinkable consequences.
In the unlikely event that any accidents or damages occur while you are having your chimney cleaned, make certain your chosen Westhoughton chimney sweep has public liability cover. CLICK HERE to get a chimney sweeps quote in Westhoughton.
Searching For Fireplace Installation On the Web
It is a lot simpler to track down services nowadays than it used to be, seeing that we've got the benefit of technological innovation and can just search on the web. Since you're seeing this webpage as we speak, you most likely chanced upon it by doing a search on Google, Yahoo, Ask or Bing. In reality the listings shown on the 1st page of the major league search engines may not be the exact results you were after. Entering "Westhoughton fireplace installation", "fireplace installation near me", "fireplace installation Westhoughton" or "fireplace installation in Westhoughton" will usually be the course of action to use when looking for fireplace installers in Westhoughton.
Nevertheless, you will subsequently discover that a lot of the resulting page one listings on those search engines will either be listings from major trade portals such as Quotatis, My Builder, Bidvine, Checkatrade, Rated People or TrustaTrader, web directories like Yelp, Foursquare, Yell or Three Best Rated, or "pay per click" advertising that Google or whoever has automatically placed there. Fireplace installers in Westhoughton don't generally have big budgets to push their websites to the top of the rankings, consequently you are likely to discover these hiding lower down the listing results possibly on the 2nd or 3rd pages. If you aren't able to identify anyone acceptable in the search results, it's fine to make use of one of the many trade portals such as Trustatrader or Rated People, where you will be able to consider customers feedback, read through reviews and receive free price quotes.
Westhoughton Skip Hire Services
The quantity of waste that's produced when doing home renovations or improvements in Westhoughton is one of the major drawbacks of this kind of project. Your particular fireplace installations might produce very little waste, and then again it might produce a lot. Some tradespeople allow for for the removal of waste in their quotes, and if this is not listed ask if this is included, if not you will need to sort it out.
Regardless of whether the tradesman is dealing with this or you are doing it yourself, hiring a skip will often be the best waste removal solution. Skips come in various sizes depending on your requirements, and picking what type of skip to order is vital. Mini-skips generally 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 approximately 1-1.5 yds of rubbish.
If you would like skip hire prices for your current project in Westhoughton, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.
Help and Advice
Forums are available on a lot of subjects, and fireplace installation is no exception, so take a peek at the Buildhub Forum, discussion topics include log burning stoves, stove vents, chimney design, pellet boilers and stoves, widening fireplaces and understanding building regulations. There is a great deal of info about fireplace installation available on the web nowadays, and to learn about elegant fireplace designs head here. To discover more about fireplaces on social media, check this out. Get suggestions for installing a gas fireplace on You Tube here. If you would like to learn more about fireplaces, you will uncover information about the health effects of fireplaces, the history of the fireplace, the various types of fireplaces, gas fireplaces, how fireplaces affect the environment and the heating efficiency of fireplaces, by visiting Wikipedia.
Westhoughton Fireplace Related Tasks
There is a range of work that can be carried out by your local Westhoughton fireplace company including wood burning stove installations, the installation of chimney cowls Westhoughton, open fireplaces, inglenook fireplaces Westhoughton, multifuel stoves, modern fireplace installations, fireplace packages, gas fireplace installations, gas fireplaces Westhoughton, fireplace mantels in Westhoughton, fireplace suites, marble fireplace installation, fake fireplace installations, electric fireplace installation Westhoughton, fireplaces Westhoughton, fire grate conversions, wood burning fireplace installation Westhoughton, fireplace removal Westhoughton, Victorian fireplace installations, electric fire suites, brick fireplaces, fireplace restoration in Westhoughton, fireplace inserts, freestanding stoves, cast iron fireplace installations in Westhoughton, double-sided stoves, fireplace design Westhoughton, brick fireplace installations in Westhoughton, and lots more. Listed are just a selection of the tasks that are carried out by people fitting fireplaces. Westhoughton companies will be happy to inform you of their whole range of fireplace services.
Fireplace Installers Near Westhoughton
Also find: Over Hulton fireplace installers, Cooper Turning fireplace installers, Lostock fireplace installers, Chequerbent fireplace installers, Hart Common fireplace installers, Pennington Green fireplace installers, Dobb Brow fireplace installers, Daisy Hill fireplace installers, Chew Moor fireplace installers, Dob Brow fireplace installers, Wingates fireplace installers and more. These and other towns and villages are covered by fireplace installers and related tradespeople. To adeptly install fireplaces in your home, these seasoned tradespeople have the necessary know-how and experience. The atmosphere, comfort and warmth of a fireplace in their living spaces are made possible for residents through the support of these dedicated specialists. By simply clicking here, local residents can obtain fireplace installation price quotes. Does your house need a new fireplaces? Get a quote today!
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Fireplace Installation WesthoughtonFor local information regarding Westhoughton, Greater Manchester click here
Fireplace installation in BL5 area, (dialling code 01942).
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