Fireplace Services
Wood insert installation from chimney top to hearth
Repairs are found and priced before the insert goes in, never after.
A full-length liner
A full stainless liner runs from the insert's flue collar to the top of the chimney. One maker calls it the safest option, one that drafts correctly and helps prevent difficult start-ups and smoke at the door, and another notes that a full reline gives the best draft and is easiest to clean.
Our installers size the liner to the insert's instructions, run it in one continuous length where the chimney allows and connect it firmly at both ends. The liner's size and parts are written into the estimate and the written record of the job.
Clearances to the mantel and the walls
Every insert lists the space it needs from the side walls, the mantel and the facing around it, measured from the insert body. One model asks for 24 inches to a combustible mantel, and other models give other figures.
We measure your mantel, trim and side walls against the manual for the insert you want. If they are too close, we explain whether a different model, a mantel change or a noncombustible facing solves it, with each option priced. The measurements are written into the estimate, so everyone works from the same numbers.
Running the insert with the door closed
An insert is designed to burn with its door closed and latched. The manuals we follow say it is not to be operated with the door open, since an open door draws room air and can upset the draft.
We explain this at handover because it is the biggest change from an open fireplace. With the door shut, the air controls set how hot the fire burns. Opening the door slowly when you add wood keeps smoke from rolling out, as the manual describes.
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.
