Fireplace Fitter Ampthill Bedfordshire (MK45): The installation of a brand new fireplace, or the renovation of a pre-existing one is a wonderful way to add extra charm and character to any Ampthill property. Adding an open fire or multi-fuel stove for those frosty winters' evenings can even prove to be cheaper than certain central heating systems, providing that you have a regular source of wood or fuel. If used in combination with a back boiler it can provide you with plentiful piping hot water in the process.
There are some things you will need to do to make certain you can install your new fireplace in an efficient and safe way, before you begin prising away at a blocked up chimney breast. Any work that is executed on your chimney breast, hearth, flue lining and fireplace must follow the UK Building Regulations, Part J for heat producing appliances. If your dwelling in Ampthill is listed or is within a designated conservation area, planning permission might also be necessary before work can commence. You will have to check with the local council about this.
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
You might be able to do some of the work in remodeling an existing fireplace if you have the ability needed, but there is always a problem in finding structural and safety issues that need to be resolved professionally. When your boarded up fireplace is revealed you may find a stable chimney breast, lintel and hearth which requires little more than a chimney sweep to get it all working once more. What is more common however is a jumble of crumbling, old brickwork covering a stopped up flue, and also requires some form of structural modification before it can be used safely.
Due to the serious health and fire risk issues that can result from an incorrectly installed or renovated fireplace, it's best to draw on the experience and knowledge of a specialist fireplace fitter and builder in Ampthill. Airflow must be satisfactory in any room which has a fireplace; and it's a key requirement of Part J of the Building Regulations that this is so. A fire won't burn properly if there's not enough oxygen, and death could occur when carbon monoxide is produced.
To get past this concern a professional fireplace installation team will analyse the situation and install vents around the room, or underneath the flooring, to ensure a sufficient airflow for the fire to burn properly and safely. Condensed air can frequently get trapped within unused or blocked chimney flues which may also need to have vents installed to improve air circulation, and prevent issues with dampness on the chimney breast.
BEFORE WORK STARTS
Old chimneys are notorious for the quantity of muck and soot that can build-up inside them, thus when you set out to open up a fireplace you can anticipate that it will be a pretty messy undertaking. It's sensible to remove your your furniture and carpets before any fireplace refurbishment work commences, as even with coverings for your home furnishings, the likelihood of damage from soot and grime is still likely. Because of the mess that's involved, if the fireplace installation is merely part of a more substantial home renovation project, it ought to be one of the initial tasks to be done after the room has been brought back to bare walls and floors in preparation. This will help to avoid any impairment by soot and other chimney dirt to any completed work.
CONSTRUCTION & STRUCTURAL WORK
As soon as the fireplace has been successfully opened up, you will get a much clearer concept of the restoration work that needs to be undertaken. You can also then proceed with sweeping the chimney and cleaning any salvageable parts of the hearth and back panel. You now need to contact your chimney sweep, if you've not already done so, to come and look at the old chimney and fireplace. A chimney sweep will firstly clean the flue and whilst doing so will check the structural condition of the chimney and provide guidance on whether you need a new flue liner.
If it is necessary to install a new flue liner or strengthen the chimney all relevant UK Building Regulations must be adhered to. These are tasks that should be done by a competent craftsman with a good understanding of the appropriate building regs and sound construction skills.
As soon as this has been done the next step for your fireplace installation in Ampthill should be to upgrade the existing hearth. To be in line with the present Building Regulations, the hearth of a fireplace must be raised at least 12.5mm above floor level, although you may discover that yours is set into a floor void, as they usually were in days past. If your fireplace isn't of a standard size you may have to choose a made to measure hearth, but there are also a wide variety of pre-made hearths in granite, slate or marble.
FIREPLACE STYLES AND DESIGNS
If you go to a fireplace showroom you'll find that you are spoilt for choice with the array of different options open to you. Every fireplace may not be appropriate for your existing flue and chimney therefore it is sensible to accept any guidance and advice from your installation team with regards to your specific situation.
Whether you decide on an open fireplace, a multi-fuel stove or a wood burner will be determined by the all round look that you're aiming to create, your current decor and maybe, the age of your home in Ampthill. For example, a wood burning stove looks fantastic set back in an old-fashioned inglenook fireplace, highlighting the character of the stove and reflecting the heat into the room to good effect.
Even if you don't have an existing chimney in your Ampthill home, it's still feasible to put in a wood burning stove. This form of fireplace can be installed with its own flue that is taken through an external wall and does not need a chimney, to be installed safely.
MULTI-FUEL, WOOD, GAS, OPEN OR ELECTRIC FIREPLACE?
A roaring fire on a cold evening creates a charm and ambience that simply cannot be matched, however what are the other available options to install in your lovely new fireplace in Ampthill?
Open Fireplaces - A roaring fire is a focal point for any room in your home and it has the ability to burn virtually any solid fuel that is available. In the past an open fire may have had a reputation of being smoky, inefficient and draughty, but a skillfully installed modern fireplace is a joy to behold while basking in the warmth it provides.
Multi-Fuel Stoves - To introduce an excellent focal point in your living space, these can be run on a selection of fuels, such as smokeless coal, wood, gas or oil. These stoves can be utilised not only for heating an individual room, but some styles such as the AGA range, can provide useful cooking areas, supply hot water and can be employed for heating the entire house if plumbed into an existing radiator network.
Wood Burning Stoves - Wood burning stoves have grown to be extremely popular in a lot of properties in Ampthill, and can have modern or classic design to match your decor. A back boiler is an added benefit and can provide piping hot water for personal use, or to provide heating in other rooms via radiators.
Gas Fireplaces - There are many styles to suit all types of property and their effectiveness in warming a room is superior to wood burning stoves or open fireplaces. The installation and maintenance of gas fireplaces must only be conducted by a Gas Safe heating engineer in Ampthill.
Electric Fireplaces - These can be fitted easily and safely by any competent individual and there are styles and designs that are appropriate for virtually any room and house in Ampthill. Contemporary electric fires can provide convincing looking flames and and sometimes even the crackling sound of wood to imitate a real open fire when inset into an old fashioned fireplace.
Flues
An important part of your chimney set-up, a chimney liner or flu liner improves the safety of your chimney whilst enabling it to perform more efficiently than it otherwise would. Flue liners are conduits manufactured from metal, ceramic material or clay which are fitted to the inside of chimneys to transport smoke and fumes outside. Some chimneys in older properties in Ampthill may not even be fitted with a lining, or if the existing lining is impaired, might need to be re-lined.
The hazardous fumes and gases that are generated when burning a fire can eat away at your chimney's flue. Whilst it is being cleaned, get the sweep or fireplace specialist to examine your flue lining for any damage or risks of it malfunctioning in the near future. A compromised flue can enable those hazardous gases to seep into your living area. Extreme heat may also be allowed to penetrate the structure of the chimney, creating the potential for fires.
Improve the Efficiency of Your Open Fireplace
Along with concerns over the environment, the classic fireplace has lost some of its charm, but it is still a favourite with many homeowners in Ampthill. Sitting in front of the heat of a fireplace, brings back many cherished memories for lots of folks. The open fireplace provides a lot of benefits for your home, but there are also some major downsides that need to be fixed. Because of power costs elevating so swiftly nowadays, your fireplace should be a source of heat, and not an inefficient one. While having a fire going in a fireplace keeps those around it warm, it can actually suck warm air from other parts of the room, causing your heater to work harder. The hearth damper is meant to stop cold air from entering your home when you haven't got a fire going in the fireplace. The thing is, fireplace dampers can often be inefficient in keeping warm air in the house and cold air out.
Many families that possess fireplaces in their property in Ampthill do not realize how the fireplace can have an effect on their energy bill. Instead of preserving resources, and heating costs, it is usually adding 100s of pounds of energy expenditure. However, there are a number of procedures that can be followed that will be able to turn your budget smashing fireplace into something a bit more efficient. There are at least four easy points that you are able to do to improve your fireplace. These will make your fireplace very economical and very efficient.
The first point is to replace your fireplace damper with a more efficient top sealing damper. This kind of damper is placed at the top of your chimney and helps to stop rain and snow from entering. The top sealing damper helps to keep the air in your home from getting away and operates very well in cold and hot weather. It isn't that tricky to install and may also be easily purchased from a fireplace supplier or online. An additional thing which can be done is to place a fire-back at the rear of your fireplace. A fire-back consists of cast iron and it is meant to protect the back wall from fire damage, while at the same time making your fireplace look stylish. The fire-back also takes up heat from the fire and channels it back inside, making your fireplace more efficient.
Another thing that will help is a fireplace fan/heater, which heats the air which is being circulated through a chamber, and blows it back into the room. These fireplace heaters are created as closed systems so they don't emit any smoke, but they're extremely effective at keeping your house warm. The fourth thing that you can do is to fix glass doors, which might be a bit on the expensive side. If you do your research, you can get a good price on glass doors and mount them yourself. These doors help to stop the heat from escaping and also it keeps pets and young ones from being burnt.
All these ideas are easy to do, and the products can be sourced on the internet. Simply do your very best to keep your fireplace efficient and watch your heating bill go down.
Chimney Sweeping Ampthill
You will need to get the chimney swept frequently, regardless of whether you've got a stove or an open fire. It is generally advised that at least once yearly your chimney should be swept and cleaned.
You could perhaps sweep your own chimney, if you've got the appropriate equipment, but this is an unpleasant job and is best left to a specialist Ampthill chimney sweep if you want it to be done cleanly and correctly. Not only does this mean that you chimney is kept nice and clean, the chimney sweep will be able to highlight any safety issues with you chimney.
If you do not consistently sweep your chimney in Ampthill, the resulting accumulation of soot and creosote could easily lead to a chimney fire. Another dangerous situation that you want to avoid is carbon monoxide gas being drawn back into your property, which can also be caused by a blocked chimney.
The importance of employing a reliable chimney sweep in Ampthill, should now be obvious. To get chimney sweeping prices in Ampthill CLICK HERE.
More Ampthill Tradespeople: Ampthill home improvements generally require the expertise of various different tradesmen, and although you're currently interested in fireplace fitters in Ampthill, an electrician in Ampthill, a stonemason in Ampthill, a carpenter/joiner in Ampthill, a chimney sweep in Ampthill, a builder in Ampthill, a metal worker in Ampthill, a floor specialist in Ampthill, a cleaner in Ampthill, a roofing specialist in Ampthill, a handyperson in Ampthill, SKIP HIRE in Ampthill, a plasterer in Ampthill, a painter/decorator in Ampthill, a bricklayer in Ampthill, a tiling specialist in Ampthill, a plumber in Ampthill, waste removal in Ampthill, jet washing in Ampthill, could also be required at some stage during your project.
Fireplace Installers Near Ampthill
Also find: Clophill fireplace installers, Houghton Conquest fireplace installers, Wilhamstead fireplace installers, Silsoe fireplace installers, Marston Moretaine fireplace installers, Lower Shelton fireplace installers, Wootton fireplace installers, Steppingley fireplace installers, Wilstead fireplace installers, Flitton fireplace installers, Pulloxhill fireplace installers, Haynes fireplace installers, Millbrook fireplace installers, Eversholt fireplace installers, Maulden fireplace installers, Lidlington fireplace installers and more.
Ampthill Fireplace Related Tasks
Your local fireplace company can undertake an extensive range of tasks including fireplace cleaning, chimney repairs, fireplace inserts, fire grate conversions, made-to-measure fireplaces, double-sided stove installation, hearth-mounted electric fires, Victorian fireplace installations in Ampthill, fireplace repairs, fireplace replacement Ampthill, gas fireplaces in Ampthill, elm fireplaces Ampthill, carbon monoxide detector installation, Victorian fireplaces, electric fire suites, marble fireplaces Ampthill, chimney sweeping, fireplace installation, modern gas fires, fake fireplaces, fireplace hearths Ampthill, limestone fireplaces, the installation of modern fireplaces, marble fireplace installations, fireplace packages Ampthill, fireplace design in Ampthill, fireplace surrounds in Ampthill, electric fireplace installation, chimney lining, the installation of chimney cowls, brick fireplace installation, 3-sided fireplaces, two-sided fireplaces, fireplace removal, inglenook fireplace, and more. With regards to what is actually available, this is by no means a comprehensive list of what can be offered by your local fireplace fitter. Ampthill professionals providing these kinds of fireplace services, will supply you with a full list when asked.
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