Fireplaces Meopham

Fireplace Fitter Meopham Kent (DA13): Putting in a new fireplace or re-opening a disused fireplace in your Meopham property is a good way to add character and a homely feel to any room. The addition of an open fire or wood burning stove for those cold winters' evenings can even prove to be less expensive than some central heating systems, as long as you've got a good source of wood. If used in combination with a back boiler it can supply you with plenty of steaming hot water in the process.

However before you begin knocking down the walls of a boarded over fireplace there are some crucial considerations you must bear in mind to achieve a safe and efficient fireplace. Any work that is completed on your hearth, flue lining, fireplace and chimney breast must conform to the UK's Part J building regulations for combustible appliances. If you reside in a listed building or are in a designated conservation area you should check with the local authorities to find out if planning permission is needed for installing a fireplace in your property.

DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?

If you are an enthusiastic and competent do-it-yourselfer it may be possible to refurbish an existing bricked-up fireplace, however the likelihood of experiencing structural problems in the majority of cases is regrettably high. It might be the case that when you pull back the boarding surrounding an old fireplace to discover a hidden treasure that needs little more than a quick clear out and a check from a chimney sweep to get a roaring fire going. What is more common however is a swathe of old, crumbling brickwork covering a stopped up flue, and needs some degree of structural reinforcement before it can be used safely.

A poorly installed fireplace can cause significant respiratory health problems and fire risk and should only be put in by a professional fireplace specialist in Meopham with the experience and knowledge to install it safely. There must always be enough airflow into a room where there is a fireplace to ensure adequate amounts of oxygen allow the fire to burn effectively. Lethal carbon monoxide can build up from a fire burning inefficiently in a poorly ventilated room.

To successfully get over any airflow issues, vents might be installed in the room as part of a fireplace installation, to guarantee suitable oxygen levels are able to reach the fire. Unused and blocked up chimney flues may also have to have air vents fitted since they can often trap moist air inside them and cause damp to build up inside the chimney breast.

BEFORE WORK STARTS

It is amazing just how much grime and soot can accumulate inside an old chimney and you won't know precisely what's there until you open it up. A thoughtful Meopham fireplace fitter will bring dust sheets to cover up your home furnishings and provide some form of protection, however it's sensible when possible to remove furniture and woven floor coverings from the area before any work starts in earnest. If you're performing a complete renovation of a room or property, the fireplace ought to be opened up and worked on before any plastering or decorating is undertaken. This will help to avoid any damage by dirt and chimney soot to any previously completed work.

STRUCTURAL & CONSTRUCTION WORK

Once you've exposed your old fireplace you'll have a better idea of what work needs to be done, and also be able to thoroughly sweep the chimney and clear out any hearth that may have been left in place. The first thing on your agenda should be to call in a competent chimney sweep. They'll be able to offer expert advice on the flue and chimney after sweeping, concerning the condition of the structure of the chimney and whether you need to exchange the existing flue liner.

Following a chimney sweep's assessment it may be required to strengthen the chimney breast or/and install a new flue lining as laid down in Part J of the Building Regulations. A reliable fireplace installer and builder in Meopham will be needed to undertake this work, and should have the knowledge and skills in construction to follow all regulations.

In buildings that are older you might find the original fireplace is too wide for your purposes, in which case a supporting concrete lintel will be necessary to modify the opening. When you've successfully supported your fireplace with a lintel it will then be necessary to repair or upgrade the hearth. If the current hearth is sunken into the floor you'll need to raise it to comply with the latest building regulations. If your fireplace isn't of a standard size you may have to purchase a tailor-made hearth, however there are a wide range of ready to fit hearths in marble, concrete or slate.

STYLES OF FIREPLACE

If you pop along to a fireplace showroom you are spoilt for choice with the wide range of different options available to you. Not all fireplaces might be suitable for your flue and chimney and it's sensible to accept any advice from your fireplace installers with regards to your specific circumstances.

Certain properties and rooms will be more suitable for an open fireplace than a multi-fuel stove or a wood burner and vice versa. If you've got an old-fashioned inglenook fireplace, a wood burning stove can look striking set within it, and has the added benefit of effectively reflecting the heat into the room from the brick or stone walls that surround the stove.

Even if you don't have an existing chimney breast in your Meopham property, it's still entirely possible to put in a wood burning or multi fuel stove. A chimney isn't needed in this instance since a stainless steel flue is taken directly from the rear or top of the stove and taken out through an external wall.

MULTI-FUEL, ELECTRIC, GAS, OPEN OR WOOD FIREPLACE?

A flickering fire on a cold evening creates an ambience and charm that simply cannot be matched, however what are the other available options to fit in your lovely new fireplace in Meopham?

Open Fireplaces - A roaring fire is a focus for any room and it has the capacity to burn almost any solid fuel that you can purchase. An expertly fitted contemporary open fire will be no comparison to the old style smoky fireplace that was blocked up by earlier owners, and its warm charm is a delightful addition to any home in Meopham.

Electric Fireplaces - Simple installation and a wide choice of styles make electric fires a popular choice for Meopham properties without a chimney. Even if your house has a traditional fireplace, an electric fire can be installed that looks almost like a "real" fire with multi-coloured flames.

Multi-Fuel Stoves - Can be fired up with with various different fuels, including gas, oil, coal or wood, to generate an attractive focal point in your home in Meopham. Some styles, such as the AGA range, are also suitable for generating hot water, cooking and heating your whole house.

Wood Burning Stoves - A multitude of different styles to suit any period of home in Meopham, and can even be a freestanding feature. A back boiler is an extra benefit and could provide piping hot water for personal use, or to provide heating for the house via radiators.

Gas Fireplaces - Offering instant heat and being more thermally efficient when compared to open fireplaces or wood burning stoves, there are a whole host of styles and designs to suit any period of property. Gas fireplaces can only be maintained and fitted by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer, (previously CORGI registered).

Fireplace installers are accessible in Meopham itself, in the following postcodes: DA13 0DQ, DA13 0JJ, DA13 0DN, DA13 0PQ, DA13 0JH, DA13 0AT, DA13 0ER, DA13 0RQ, DA13 0DT, and DA13 0DD, as well as in adjacent areas like Upper Halling, Trottiscliffe, Higham, Shorne, Longfield, Luddesdown, Stanstead, Cuxton, Horton Kirby, Vigo, Istead Rise. It's likely that any fireplace companies from the Meopham district is going to have the dialling code 01474 and the postcode DA13. This is just one thing that you can confirm if you would like to make certain you hire a local fireplace specialist. If you want to access fireplace installation information for your area, click the "quote" form or banner.

Flue Liners

Enabling your chimney to perform a lot more effectively, a chimney or flue lining is a vital part of your chimney system. With the purpose of transporting smoke and fumes to the outside of a building, flue liners are ducts fabricated from metal, clay or ceramic material that are installed inside chimneys. Based on their age and condition, older chimneys in Meopham might need to be relined, or may not be fitted with a flue lining at all.

The harmful gases which are produced when burning a fire can cause damage to your fireplace's flue lining. Your flue lining needs to be routinely examined for possible issues and damage each time it is being cleaned. Instead of venting those dangerous gases outside, an impaired flue can permit them to leak into your living area. There is additionally the danger of fires inside the home as a damaged flue liner can allow intense heat to penetrate the chimney structure. (Tags: Chimney Lining Meopham, Flue Lining Meopham, Flue Liners Meopham).

The Best Way To Keep Your Open Fireplace And Bring Down Your Heating Bills

With all the current fears about the environment, the fireplace has lost a little of its allure, however it's still a favourite feature for many in Meopham. There's nothing like feeling the natural warmth of a fireplace during a freezing winter's evening. The fireplace offers many benefits for your property, but there are several significant downsides that need to be fixed. With the cost of energy rising year after year, your fireplace must give out heat in a cost-effective way. While having a fire alight in a fireplace keeps those near to it toasty, it actually removes warm air from other parts of the room, causing your heater to work harder. When there's no fire, a damper ought to regulate the airflow. Unfortunately, dampers sometimes have an inadequate seal, so chilly air can get in, and warmer air will go out.

Many house owners that possess a fireplace in their property in Meopham don't understand how the fireplace can have an effect on their energy bill. As opposed to conserving resources, and heating costs, it can often be adding hundreds of pounds of energy expense. But it is not all hopeless seeing that there are techniques for making your fireplace very cost-efficient. There are 4 simple things that you could do to make your fireplace into the cost-effective heat sourse you are searching for. These definitely will make your current fireplace a lot more effective, and lower your energy bills.

The initial thing that should be done is to replace the current damper with a top sealing damper. This kind of damper is installed at the top of the chimney, and works like a storm door. The top sealing damper helps to keep the air in the property from escaping and will work incredibly well in both hot and cold weather. This is not going to take lots of time to install and you can find one online. Next, you ought to have a fire-back in the rear part of your hearth. It is made of cast iron and it is used to enhance the appearance of your fireplace whilst shielding the back wall from fire damage. The fire-back also soaks up heat coming from the fire and channels it back into the room, making the fireplace more effective.

Another option is to get a fireplace heater/fan, which draws air into the room and warms it up. These clever devices do not release any smoke and should be very successful in keeping your family home warm and toasty. The last thing that you can do is to install glass doors, which may be the most expensive option. If you do some groundwork, you should be able to get an excellent deal on glass doors and they're not too challenging to fit yourself. Glass doors is able to keep the air in your house from escaping and it also helps to save your pets and children from falling into the fire.

The information we've just given isn't difficult to put into action, and most of the required products can be readily purchased on the internet. Get the best from your fireplace and observe your energy bills fall.

Chimney Sweeping Meopham

If you've got a wood burner or an open fire in your property, it is important to get the chimney swept on a regular basis. To be totally safe, it is advisable to sweep and clean your chimney twice a year, especially if you're burning wood or bituminous coal.

This can be a dirty job, so it is wise to bring in a specialist Meopham chimney sweep. As well as cleaning your chimney, the chimney sweep will be in a position to identify any problems with your chimney, so that these can be dealt with quickly.

A build-up of ash, soot and wood tar can cause chimney fires if you neglect to sweep your chimney. Another dangerous situation that you want to avoid at all costs is toxic carbon monoxide fumes flowing back into your home, which can also be caused by a poorly maintained chimney.

This all adds up to the fact that you should always employ a qualified Meopham chimney sweep, and one who has decent public liability cover in case any accidents or damages occur. GO HERE to get a chimney sweeps quote in Meopham. chimney sweeping services are also available in nearby villages and towns.

Browsing the Internet

When needing to search for tradesmen in Meopham, most property owners these days tend to head online for the search engines. It's almost certain that you're checking out this page at this moment after you came upon it by looking on Bing, Yahoo, Ask or Google, or even some other search engine. What you will realise is that these top search engines produce results that can be relatively obscure. When trying to locate fireplace installers, most property owners in Meopham, will type "fireplace installation near me", "fireplace installation in Meopham", "fireplace installation Meopham" or "Meopham fireplace installation" into Google or Yahoo and wait to see what appears.

It's good to remember that the top four results are all too often "pay per click" advertisements and most of the other listings on page one will likely be web directories like Scoot, Yelp, ThreeBestRated or Yell, or entries for large trade portals such as Rated People, My Hammer, Local Heroes, TrustaTrader, Checkatrade or Quotatis. For those fireplace installers in Meopham who have their own website, it's likely that they will be out-of-the-way on page two or three of the search engine listings, and you'll need to look beyond the first page.

Meopham Fireplace Related Tasks

There is a wide range of work that can be completed by your local Meopham fireplace company including wood burning fireplaces, marble fireplaces, fireplace installation in Meopham, gas fireplace installation, fireplace packages, fireplace inserts, Victorian fireplace installations, limestone fireplace installation, multifuel stove installation, wood burning fireplace installation, cast iron fireplaces, the installation of chimney cowls, fireplace surrounds Meopham, oak beam fireplaces Meopham, fireplaces Meopham, flue liner installation in Meopham, stone fireplace installation, open fireplaces Meopham, fireplace removal, fireplace services, chimney strengthening, brick fireplace installations in Meopham, fireplace refurbishment, chimney repairs, gas fireplaces, inset stove installation, fire grate conversions Meopham, fireplace design, and more. These are just a selection of the duties that are conducted by tradesmen fitting fireplaces. Meopham companies will be happy to inform you of their full range of fireplace related services.

Fireplace Installers Near Meopham

Also find: Cuxton fireplace installers, Trottiscliffe fireplace installers, Shorne fireplace installers, Higham fireplace installers, Longfield fireplace installers, Istead Rise fireplace installers, Luddesdown fireplace installers, Upper Halling fireplace installers, Vigo fireplace installers, Horton Kirby fireplace installers, Stanstead fireplace installers and more. There are people who fit fireplaces in the majority of these villages and towns. These tradespeople, with their expertise and knowledge, are well-equipped to perform successful fireplace installations in your home. Thanks to the support from these dedicated specialists, residents can relish the warmth and cosy atmosphere a fireplace provides in their living environments. To get fireplace installation quotes, local residents can simply click here.

More Meopham Tradespeople: When your Meopham home needs remodeling or improvements, many different craftsmen may be needed to finish the project, and despite the fact that your current search is for fireplace specialists in Meopham, Kent, you might also need the skills of an electrician in Meopham, a stonemason in Meopham, waste removal in Meopham, a tiler in Meopham, a chimney sweep in Meopham, SKIP HIRE in Meopham, a roofing contractor in Meopham, a bricklayer in Meopham, a carpenter and joiner in Meopham, a handyman in Meopham, metalworkers in Meopham, a carpet fitter in Meopham, a plumber in Meopham, a painter and decorator in Meopham, a general builder in Meopham, a plasterer in Meopham, and possibly others.

To obtain local information regarding Meopham, Kent check here

Fireplace installation in DA13 area, and dialling code 01474.