Fireplace Fitter Chester-le-Street County Durham (DH2): Installing a new fireplace or re-opening an old disused fireplace in your Chester-le-Street home is an excellent way to add a homely feel and a bit of character to any room. Cold winter evenings can become a joy as you relax beside your new fireplace surrounded by the crackling of firewood, and if your fire is used in combination with a back boiler you can also enjoy plentiful hot water too.
There are a few crucial things to consider before you begin any work, in order to create an efficient, safe and attractive fireplace in your house. All work carried out must adhere to Part J of the Building Regulations, which covers the construction and installation of fireplaces, hearths, chimney breasts and flue linings of any combustible appliance. Planning permission may also have to be sought before work commences if your property is in a conservation area or is a listed building.
PROFESSIONAL OR DIY FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
A straightforward renovation of a current fireplace can be accomplished by a skilled DIY enthusiast, however if any construction work is required there is a possibility of encountering structural problems that will have to be dealt with professionally. It may be the case that when you pull back the covering from a disused fireplace to find a hidden gem that needs nothing more than a quick clear out and a call to a chimney sweep to get a roaring fire going once again. What you will likely find is a patch of crumbling bricks that conceals issues such as a lintel that needs replacing or a blocked up chimney.
If a fireplace is installed in your home in Chester-le-Street and it isn't fitted correctly, there isn't only a risk or fire, but also of respiratory health issues. Therefore, using a specialist fireplace installer is generally recommended. Ensuring that enough oxygen is available for the fire to burn properly is a key element of the Building Regulations (Part J) for fireplaces. An accumulation of poisonous carbon monoxide gas can occur in a room where there's insufficient airflow, and even death is a risk where a fire does not burn effectively.
To effectively get around any issues with air flow, vents could be installed in the room during a fireplace installation, to guarantee suitable levels of oxygen reach the fire. They might also have to fit air vents in unused chimney flues which can sometimes trap condensing air and result in damp spots and staining to your chimney breast.
BEFORE WORK BEGINS
Opening up an old fireplace can cause large amounts of soot and dirt to enter your room. Even with coverings for your home furnishings, the likelihood of damage from muck and soot is still likely and it's advisable to remove your carpets and furniture before any fireplace restoration work and chimney cleaning commences. If you're lucky enough to be working on a complete renovation then it should be one of the first tasks to focus on before re-plastering and decorating the walls. By opening a fireplace first you will prevent any chimney soot causing damage to other parts of your renovation project, such as wallpapered walls or fresh plasterwork.
STRUCTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION WORK
With your fireplace opened up, it is time to see what needs to be renovated and to give the chimney and hearth a thorough clean. You now ought to get hold of your chimney sweep, if you haven't already done this, to come and clean the old fireplace and chimney. They'll be willing to provide professional guidance on the flue and chimney after sweeping, concerning the situation with the chimney and whether it would be advisable to exchange the existing flue lining.
Following a chimney sweep's examination it may be required to install a new liner and/or strengthen the chimney breast in accordance with Part J of the Building Regulations. This sort of work must be tackled by a skilled craftsman who is acquainted with the building regulations and decent construction practices.
In buildings that are older you might discover the original fireplace is too large for your needs, in which case a concrete supporting lintel will be necessary to modify the opening. When you've supported the fireplace with your lintel it will then be possible to upgrade or renovate the hearth. In the old days the hearth was sunken into the floor, but the latest regulations demand that it is raised above floor level. If your fireplace is not a standard size you may have to purchase a made to measure hearth, however there are a whole host of "off-the-shelf" hearths in concrete, marble or slate.
STYLES OF FIREPLACE
If you check out a fireplace showroom you will find that you have lots of choice with a wide array of different options available to you. Not all fireplaces might be suitable for your chimney and flue and it's wise to accept any advice offered by your fireplace installers with regards to your specific situation.
Certain rooms and properties will be more suited to an open fireplace than a wood burner or multi fuel stove and vice versa. If you've got an inglenook fireplace, a cast iron wood burner can look spectacular in this surrounding, which also has the benefit of deflecting the heat into the room from the stone or brick walls that surround the stove.
A cast iron wood burner is also a good choice if your Chester-le-Street property doesn't have a chimney breast. Provided that you've got an exterior wall through which a stainless steel flue from the top or back of the stove can be passed, you don't need to have a pre-existing chimney in place to be able to enjoy that "real" fire experience.
OPEN, WOOD, GAS, ELECTRIC OR MULTI-FUEL FIREPLACE?
Who can deny that they enjoy the glow and warmth of an open fireplace on a cold winters' evening, however if your circumstances do not allow for this, what are the other available options?
Gas Fireplaces - Offering instant heat and more efficient (thermally) when compared to open fires, there are a wide range of styles and designs to suit any Chester-le-Street home. A Gas Safe registered contractor must maintain and install any gas fire in your property.
Open Fireplaces - A crackling fire is a focus for any room and it has the capacity to burn virtually any solid fuel that you can buy. An open fire is wonderful to watch and contemporary fireplaces are no longer the draughty, inefficient and smoky objects that they once were.
Multi-Fuel Stoves - As the name indicates they can be fired up with with various fuels, such as coal, gas, oil or wood, and become an attractive focal point in any kitchen or lounge in Chester-le-Street. The AGA range for example is renowned as being capable of providing heating for the entire home, a constant hot water supply and an oven and hob all in one unit.
Wood Burning Stoves - Even the tiniest room in Chester-le-Street can be improved by the installment of a wood burning stove, which can be found in a range of designs, and can even be installed as a free standing feature. A model with an integrated back boiler can provide extra heating by transferring the piping hot water to radiators in cold rooms in your property.
Electric Fireplaces - Can be fitted easily and safely by any competent individual and there are styles that are suitable for any room and property in Chester-le-Street. Can be set into traditional fireplaces, and with "real feel" electric fires it can often be difficult to distinguish them from the real thing.
It's not only in Chester-le-Street that you can get fireplace installers - neighbouring places like: Leamside, High Rickleton, High Flatts, Waldridge, West Rainton, Chester Moor, Woodstone Village, Picktree, Kimblesworth, Plawsworth can also be covered. Local Chester-le-Street fireplace services will likely have the phone code 0191 and the postcode DH2. This is obviously one thing you can check if you favour using a local fireplace specialist.
Ways To Lower Your Heating Bill And Also Keep Your Open Fireplace In Excellent Shape
With worries about the environment, the traditional fireplace is missing some of its charm, although it is still a favourite for many folks in Chester-le-Street. The natural warmth of a fireplace invokes special memories for those who have them. Having a fireplace has its advantages but there are a couple of drawbacks that could affect its usefulness. Due to power costs increasing so rapidly these days, your fireplace must be a reliable source of heat, not one of inefficiency. Whilst having a fire blazing in a fireplace keeps those close to it cosy, it can actually suck warm air from other parts of the room, causing your heat source to work harder. The fireplace damper is expected to prevent cold air from coming in to your home when you haven't got a fire in the fireplace. Unfortunately, dampers sometimes have an ineffective seal, so chilly air can get in, and warmer air will go out.
Many families that have a fireplace in their residence in Chester-le-Street don't realize how the fireplace can have an effect on their utility bill. As opposed to saving resources, and heating costs, it's usually adding 100s of pounds of energy expense. However it's not all bad news seeing that there are techniques for making your fireplace very cost-effective. Pretty much all you need to do is just 4 basic things to fix your fireplace. These is going to make your fireplace very economical and very efficient.
The initial thing that has to be done is to replace the existing damper with a top sealing damper. This form of damper is positioned towards 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 escaping and operates effectively in cold and warm weather. Its not very challenging to put in and may be easily bought on the web. An additional thing you will be able to do is install a fire-back in the back part of your fireplace. A fire-back is constructed of cast iron and it is meant to protect the wall behind from fire damage, while making your fireplace look classy. The fire-back takes the heat from a fire, and radiates it back into the room, improving the efficiency of the fireplace.
Another way to save money is by using a fireplace fan/heater, which heats the space by drawing the air into a chamber and recycling the air back into the room. These devices are put in place as closed systems to make sure they do not give off any smoke, but are effective in keeping your house warm. Finally, you can install glass doors which could be the most costly option. If you do your research, you can find a good price on glass doors and install them on your own. These doors create a screen between your living space and the chimney, not only making the area less for the fire to heat, but also offering protection.
All of these ideas are straightforward to implement, and the products can be found online. Try your best to ensure your fireplace is efficient and see your heating bills plummet.
Chester-le-Street Fireplace Related Tasks
There are a number of different tasks that can be conducted by your local Chester-le-Street fireplace company including multifuel stove installations, stone fireplaces Chester-le-Street, cast iron fireplaces Chester-le-Street, marble fireplace installations in Chester-le-Street, fireplace mantels, modern fireplace installations in Chester-le-Street, hearth fireplaces Chester-le-Street, chimney lining in Chester-le-Street, fireplace surrounds, fireplace fitting Chester-le-Street, fireplace cleaning, inglenook fireplaces, fireplace inserts, bespoke fireplaces, marble fireplace surrounds, corner fireplaces Chester-le-Street, classic fireplaces Chester-le-Street, cheap fireplace installation, Victorian fireplaces Chester-le-Street, outdoor fireplaces Chester-le-Street, chimney repairs Chester-le-Street, tiled fireplaces Chester-le-Street, period fireplaces Chester-le-Street, double-sided stove installation, designer fireplaces Chester-le-Street, fireplace replacement, chimney sweeping in Chester-le-Street, Victorian fireplaces, brick fireplaces, gas fireplaces, fireplace hearths Chester-le-Street, wood burning fireplace installation, fireplace installation, brick fireplace installation in Chester-le-Street, fireplace design, electric fireplaces, and lots more. These are just a selection of the duties that are accomplished by people fitting fireplaces. Chester-le-Street professionals will be happy to inform you of their whole range of fireplace services.
Advice and Guidance
To learn about the latest fireplace developments on social media, check this out. By conducting a quick online search you should be able to find plenty of useful articles regarding fireplace installation, fireplace ideas and fireplace decoration - we recently found this fascinating one about fireplace design ideas check this out. Forums exist on a lot of topics, and fireplace installation is no different, therefore take a peek at the popular Buildhub Forum, discussion threads include things like widening a fireplace, chimney design, understanding building regulations, pellet stoves and boilers, wood burning stoves and trims for stoves. Click here to learn how to install a fireplace. The dedicated Wikipedia "fireplace" page is the spot to go to for information on the various types of fireplace, coal burning fireplaces, the health effects of fireplaces, how fireplaces affect the environment, the evolution of fireplaces and fireplace heating efficiency.
Browsing the Internet
When trying to find any kind of services and tradesmen nowadays, the majority of folks in Chester-le-Street are inclined to head straight online to "Google it". Through the use of Ask, Bing, Yahoo or Google you can receive on the spot results which will make your search simpler, although you should be cautious. Nonetheless, the opening page listings on the prominent search engines are not always the best for your needs. Most folks, when looking to find fireplace installers in Chester-le-Street will type in "Chester-le-Street fireplace installation", "fireplace installation near me", "fireplace installation in Chester-le-Street" or "fireplace installation Chester-le-Street" into the search box and read through the resulting listings.
Major lead creation Websites like My Builder, TrustaTrader, Rated People, Quotatis, Bidvine or Checkatrade, and directories such as Yelp, 3 Best Rated, Yell or Foursquare will feature high up on the first page of results, as will purely PPC (Pay Per Click) advertisements (generally the four top results). You'll much more likely find the web sites of real fireplace installers out of sight on page two or three of the search engine listings, overshadowed by the wealthier companies who can better afford search engine optimization.
Fireplace Installers Near Chester-le-Street
Also find: Plawsworth fireplace installers, Leamside fireplace installers, Kimblesworth fireplace installers, Woodstone Village fireplace installers, West Rainton fireplace installers, Chester Moor fireplace installers, High Rickleton fireplace installers, Waldridge fireplace installers, Picktree fireplace installers, High Flatts fireplace installers and more. Fireplace installation services are widely available in almost all of these towns and areas. These skilled tradespeople possess the know-how and experience necessary to successfully install fireplaces in your home. With the help of these dedicated experts, residents can enjoy the comfort, ambiance and warmth that a fireplace brings to their homes. Local property owners can get fireplace installation estimates by clicking here.
More Chester-le-Street Tradespeople: Needless to say, when you happen to be doing home improvements and repairs in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, you'll likely be in need of all types of different tradespeople and along with fireplace fitters in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, you could additionally need a roofer in Chester-le-Street, a stonemason in Chester-le-Street, a chimney sweep in Chester-le-Street, a carpenter and joiner in Chester-le-Street, a bricklayer in Chester-le-Street, a plasterer in Chester-le-Street, a painter and decorator in Chester-le-Street, a handyman in Chester-le-Street, an electrician in Chester-le-Street, waste removal in Chester-le-Street, a tiler in Chester-le-Street, a metal worker in Chester-le-Street, a carpet fitter in Chester-le-Street, a heating engineer in Chester-le-Street, a building contractor in Chester-le-Street, SKIP HIRE in Chester-le-Street, and various other different Chester-le-Street tradesmen.
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Fireplace installation in DH2 area, telephone code 0191.