Fireplace Services
Fireplace insert installation details for Lake Charm homes
Nothing hidden in the price, a workmanship warranty on the work and a tidy house each evening.
An insert tested for solid fuel
Wood inserts are tested and listed to UL 1482, the safety standard for solid-fuel room heaters. The listing covers the insert as it was tested, with the clearances, the hearth protection and the connection its manual describes.
We install every insert to its listing and its manual, and we read that manual before the visit. If a unit has no listing mark or no matching manual, we tell you before the job goes ahead, since the instructions are what make a safe installation possible. Secondhand inserts deserve extra care, since a missing manual can make the correct clearances impossible to confirm.
Hearth protection in front of the insert
An insert sits forward of the old opening, and its manual sets the floor protection in front of it. One model calls for a noncombustible hearth raised above a combustible floor, extending 16 inches in front and 8 inches beyond each side, with a longer extension when the hearth is flush.
The existing hearth is measured against the manual and extended with noncombustible material where needed. The extension is priced on its own line, so you can see what the floor needs separately from the insert.
Dry, seasoned wood
EPA advises burning only dry, split wood that has seasoned for at least six months, and checking it with a moisture meter. It also suggests keeping the woodpile outdoors, raised off the ground, with a cover over the top only.
Wet wood wastes heat, dirties the glass and leaves more deposits in the liner. We explain the moisture check at handover and suggest how to stack wood so it dries between deliveries. A covered stack in open air dries faster than wood packed into a closed shed.
Door gasket and glass care
The door gasket seals the firebox, and the glass lets you watch the fire. One manual describes a gasket that should close with light, even pressure and be replaced with the maker's kit when worn, and glass that is cleaned only when cold and never with abrasives.
At installation, the door seal is checked and you are shown the cleaning method your manual allows. A worn gasket or a cracked glass panel is a service part, and we can replace either during a maintenance visit.
