Our Process

The details behind installing your Lake Monroe gas fireplace

Building a chase for a gas fireplace on an outside wall

When a gas fireplace sits outside the main wall line, it lives in a chase, a boxed enclosure built for it. One maker's manual says the chase should be built like the home's other outside walls, insulated, with vapor and air barriers as the local code requires, and with ceiling firestops sealed with high-temperature caulk.

A poorly sealed chase lets outside air and moisture reach the unit. Our crew builds the chase for your Lake Monroe installation to the manual and the building code, with the roofing and siding work listed separately.

Power for gas fireplace fans, remotes and ignition

Many gas fireplaces need power for ignition, a fan, a remote or a wall switch. One B-vent manual requires the unit to be electrically grounded under local codes or the National Electrical Code, and asks for remote control and wall switch wiring to be done before the final finish.

A new outlet or circuit is electrician work, and we name it on the plan. Our crew coordinates the wiring with the electrician so it is in place before the wall around your Lake Monroe fireplace is closed.

Setting the gas logs and media exactly as shown

The logs, rocks or glass media in a gas fireplace are part of how it burns. One manufacturer disclaims fireplaces where the gas logs or glass door are positioned improperly, and one B-vent manual says not to operate the unit if any log is broken.

Our installers place each piece as the manual's diagram shows and check the flame pattern once the burner is running. If you want to change the media later in your Lake Monroe home, use only the maker's approved kit for that model.

Normal quirks of a newly installed gas fireplace

A few things surprise new owners. One maker's manual explains that condensation on the glass at startup is normal and clears as the unit warms, that flames start blue and turn more yellow as the unit heats, and that ticking or metallic noises come from metal expanding and contracting.

It also says a film on the glass after the first burns is normal and should be cleaned with a non-abrasive gas fireplace glass cleaner. We go over each of these during the walkthrough in your Lake Monroe home, so nothing new sounds like a fault.