Fireplace Fitter Hockley Essex (SS5): Opening up a disused fireplace to install an open fire, a gas fire or a wood burner is a wonderful way to add some character and a homely feel to any Hockley home. If you combine a new fireplace with a back boiler, not only can you enjoy the warmth and ambience of an open fire or stove during the nippy winter evenings, you will also be provided with plentiful hot water.
There are a few vital considerations you must think of before you start any work, in order to establish a safe, attractive and efficient fireplace in your house. Any work that's performed on your fireplace, hearth, flue lining and chimney breast must comply with the UK's Part J Building Regulations for combustible appliances. If your home is a listed building you'll also need to ascertain if planning permission is necessary from the local authorities before any work can commence.
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
You might be able to do some of the work in remodeling a blocked up fireplace if you have the skills needed, but there is always a problem in finding safety and structural issues that need to be resolved by a professional. It might be your good fortune when you pull back the boarding surrounding an old fireplace to uncover a hidden gem which requires nothing more than a quick clear out and a visit from a chimney sweep to get a fire roaring once again. It is much more likely that you will come across crumbling brickwork that needs structural modifications and a blocked flue.
Due to the severe health and fire risk problems that can result from a poorly installed or renovated fireplace, it's best to benefit from the knowledge and experience of a specialist fireplace fitter and builder in Hockley. According to Part J of the Building Regulations, a room that has a fireplace installed in it must have sufficient oxygen and airflow for the fire to burn correctly. A deficiency of oxygen means that the fire will not burn effectively, and an accumulation of carbon monoxide fumes could occur, which can lead to injury or death.
It could be necessary to fit airflow vents in floors and walls to enable the fire to receive adequate oxygen to burn efficiently and safely all the time. They might have to install vents into unused chimney flues which can sometimes trap condensing air and cause staining and damp spots on your chimney breast.
BEFORE WORK COMMENCES
Having a fireplace opened up can create large amounts of soot and muck. Even with covers and other dust protection for your home furnishings, the risk of damage from soot and muck is still likely and it's advisable to remove your furniture and carpets before any fireplace restoration work starts. If you're conducting a complete renovation of a room or house, the fireplace ought to be opened up before any decoration or plastering works are dealt with. This should help to prevent any damage by soot and other chimney dirt to any previously completed work.
CONSTRUCTION & STRUCTURAL WORK
Once you've exposed your old fireplace you'll have a better understanding of what work needs to be done, and also be able to thoroughly sweep the chimney and clean any hearth that remains. You now need to speak to your chimney sweep, if you haven't already done so, to come and look at the old fireplace and chimney. Not only will they ensure your chimney and flue are completely clean, but they can also take a look at the state of the chimney and flue liner and offer advice about whether you need to replace any area of the chimney structure and flue.
If it is necessary to install a new flue liner or strengthen the chimney all relevant Building Regulations must be complied with. This type of work needs to be tackled by a qualified person with experience of the current building regulations and decent working practices.
In older buildings you might find that the revealed fireplace is too large for your purposes, in which case a supporting concrete lintel will be necessary to adapt the opening. When your new concrete lintel is in position and secure you can now get on with the installation, renovation and updating of the fireplace hearth. If the existing hearth is sunken into the floor you'll need to raise it to conform to the latest regulations. Ready-made options from marble, slate or concrete are available to achieve this, or your fireplace fitter in Hockley might be able to provide you with a bespoke, made to measure hearth to fit in with the style of your room.
DESIGNS AND STYLES OF FIREPLACE
If you visit a fireplace showroom you will find that you have lots of choice with the array of different choices available to you. It is quite possible that due to your existing chimney, flue and airflow to the room, that some fireplace designs may not be appropriate, and it's advisable to follow the the recommendations and advice of your fireplace installation company in this respect.
Certain houses and rooms will look better with an open fireplace than a wood burner or multi fuel stove and vice versa. If you have an old-fashioned inglenook fireplace, a cast iron wood burner can look stunning in this surrounding, which also has the benefit of reflecting heat back into the room from the brick or stone walls surrounding the stove.
A wood burner is also an effective option if your home doesn't have a chimney breast. A chimney isn't needed because a stainless steel flue is fitted to the top or rear of the stove and routed through an outside wall.
ELECTRIC, GAS, WOOD, MULTI-FUEL OR OPEN FIREPLACE?
Who doesn't enjoy the warmth and glow of a natural fireplace on a cold evening, however if your circumstances do not permit this, what are the other alternatives?
Open Fireplaces - A roaring fire is a stunning focal point for any room in your home and it has the capability to burn virtually any solid fuel that is available. A skillfully installed open fire will be nothing like the smoky old fireplace that was perhaps bricked up by former owners, and its warm charm is a delightful addition to any room in Hockley.
Electric Fireplaces - A wide selection of electric fireplaces to complement pretty much any property in Hockley, can be easily fitted by any competent individual. Can be set into traditional fireplaces, and with the "real" looking feel of some electric fires it can often be hard to distinguish from the genuine article.
Wood Burning Stoves - A wide range of styles to suit any period of house in Hockley, and can even be a free standing feature. If combined with a back boiler these can provide steaming hot water to heat radiators or for other use around the home.
Gas Fireplaces - Providing instant heat and more efficient (thermally) when compared with open fireplaces or wood burning stoves, there are a wide array of designs to suit any Hockley property. Gas fireplaces must only be fitted and maintained by a certified Gas Safe registered technician, (previously CORGI registered).
Multi-Fuel Stoves - Can be used with a variety of fuels, (oil, coal, gas, wood) to establish a unique focal point in your home in Hockley. Some styles, like the multi-fuel stoves from AGA, can also be used for generating hot water, cooking and heating your entire property.
Fireplace installation work can be undertaken in Hockley and also in nearby places like: Great Stambridge, Ballards Gore, Ashingdon, North Benfleet, Rawreth, North Fambridge, Southend, South Fambridge, Battlesbridge, Canewdon, Stambridge, and in these postcodes SS5 4BG, SS5 4UL, SS5 4RA, SS5 4DQ, SS5 4RQ, SS5 4UD, SS5 4UA, SS5 4NU, SS5 4FE, and SS5 4EQ. It is likely that any fireplace builders from the Hockley district will have the postcode SS5 and the dialling code 01702. Clicking the "quote" form or banner will allow you to acquire the installation of fireplaces info for your area.
Ways To Lower Your Heating Bill Plus Keep Your Fireplace In Excellent Shape
With worries about the environment, the classic fireplace has lost some of its appeal, but it's still a favourite for many householders in Hockley. The natural comfort of a fireplace triggers very special recollections for those who have them. The fireplace can offer numerous benefits for your home, but there are also several important downsides that might need to be monitored. Due to power costs rising so rapidly these days, your fireplace needs to be a good source of heat, not one of inefficiency. When a fire is burning, it may provide warmth for those who are standing right in front of it, but it can actually pull warm air out of your room, making your heat source work even harder. In case you don't have a fire lit, the damper is intended to keep heat in. The thing is, fireplace dampers are renowned for being inefficient in keeping cold air out, and warm air in.
Many homeowners that have fireplaces in their residence in Hockley do not realise how the fireplace can cause their energy bills to skyrocket. Rather than keeping heating expenses down, it may actually do the precise opposite if one is not careful. Nevertheless, there are several techniques that can be done that will be able to turn your budget smashing fireplace into something a lot more efficient. There are four simple steps that you can take to make your fireplace into a cost-effective heat resource. All of these is going to make your fireplace very economical and very efficient.
The first point is to swap your current fireplace damper with a new top sealing damper. This kind of damper is placed towards the top of your chimney and helps to stop rain from entering. It stops the internal air from getting out, and the outside air from coming into the house, and works in hot weather or cold. It isn't very challenging to fit and may be easily purchased from a fireplace supplier or on the web. Next, you should fit a fire-back in the rear area of your fireplace. A fire-back consists of cast iron and it is actually meant to protect the wall behind from fire damage, whilst making your fireplace look elegant. The fire-back gets warmed up by the flames and sends the heat back into the room, consequently enhancing the overall efficiency of the fireplace.
Another option is to buy a fireplace fan/heater, which draws cool air in and warms it up. These heating units are sealed systems, hence no smoke is emitted, and they really can make a huge difference to the temperature of your home. The last and final thing you're able to do is to fix glass doors, which might be your biggest expense. If you do some groundwork, you can certainly get a great deal on glass doors and they aren't too hard to install yourself. Such glass doors create a barrier between your living space and the chimney, not only stopping the heat from escaping, but also affording some protection to the inhabitants.
The advice we've just given isn't difficult to put into action, and all of the products can be purchased online. Just do your utmost to make sure your fireplace is efficient and see your heating bill plummet.
Flues
Allowing your chimney to perform much more effectively, a flue liner or chimney liner is a crucial element of the chimney system on your property. Fitted to the inside of chimneys to transport fumes to the outside, flue liners are conduits manufactured from clay, metal or ceramic material. Some chimneys in older buildings in Hockley might not even be fitted with a flue liner, or if the current liner is damaged, might have to be relined.
Dangerous gases can be produced by burning fires and these gases can easily impair the flue lining of your chimney. While it is being cleaned, get the fireplace specialist to assess your flue lining for any damages or prospects of it deteriorating in the future. You need to stop those hazardous gases from leaking into your home's living space, which is what can come about when a flue lining is damaged. There's additionally the danger of fires in the property since a compromised flue can let intense heat penetrate the chimney's structure.
Chimney Sweep Hockley
You will need to have your chimney swept on a regular basis, irrespective of whether you have an open fire or a stove. At least once every twelve months is the advice for chimney sweeping.
You should always call in a professional Hockley chimney sweep, since this is usually an unpleasant job. While the chimney sweep is cleaning your chimney, he'll also be on the lookout for any safety issues, so that they can then be promptly dealt with.
If you don't continually sweep your chimney in Hockley, the resulting build-up of ash, soot and creosote can quite easily lead to a chimney fire. In addition to the risk of fires, you'll want to avoid at all costs any possibility of carbon monoxide fumes flowing back into your home, another common result of blocked or poorly maintained chimneys.
All of these factors add up to the importance of choosing an experienced Hockley chimney sweep, who's also covered by public liability insurance. To obtain a price for chimney cleaning in Hockley CLICK HERE. chimney sweeps are also available in nearby areas.
More Information
To reply to or ask questions related to fireplace installation check out the Buildhub Forum, topics discussed comprise trims for stoves, understanding building regulations, widening a fireplace, pellet stoves and boilers, wood burners and chimney flues. Enjoy an in depth YouTube guide on how to install and restore a Victorian cast iron fireplace range here. To read an interesting article about fireplace decorating ideas click here. The dedicated Wikipedia "fireplace" page is the place to head over to for information regarding wood burning fireplaces, fireplace heating efficiency, how fireplaces affect the environment, the history of the fireplace, the various types of fireplaces and the health effects of fireplaces. To look at fireplace imagery and related social media marketing, check this out.
Hockley Fireplace Related Tasks
The range of tasks that can be undertaken by your local fireplace installer are varied and wide, and will include stuff like fake fireplaces, classic fireplaces, cast fireplaces, fireplace price quotes, fireplace cleaning, modern fireplace installations, fire grate conversions in Hockley, cast iron fireplace installation in Hockley, marble fireplaces, Victorian fireplace installation, fireplace installation, contemporary fireplaces in Hockley, outdoor fireplaces in Hockley, flue lining installation, multifuel & wood burning stove installations, corner fireplaces, freestanding stoves, double-sided stove installations in Hockley, timber mantels in Hockley, brick fireplaces, chimney lining in Hockley, stone fireplaces, fake fireplace installation, fireplace suites, reclaimed fireplaces, fireplace repairs, tiled fireplace installations, designer fireplaces, oak beam fireplaces, contemprary fireplace installation, and others not listed here. This is on no account a comprehensive list of what is provided by the local fireplace installer. Hockley specialists will keep you abreast of their full range of fireplace sevices. If you've got fireplace requirements in Hockley, that you can't see here, you can go HERE and enter your details on our simple quote form.
Searching Online
There's no doubt that your initial impulse when looking for tradesmen in Hockley is to access the internet and "Google it". The truth is, you almost certainly used Ask, Google, Bing or Yahoo to access the page you are browsing as we speak. It isn't necessarily true that all the results shown on page 1 of the major search engines are helpful to you. In this specific situation you will be typing something like "fireplace installation near me", "fireplace installation in Hockley", "fireplace installation Hockley" or "Hockley fireplace installation" to discover the ideal person.
All the same, you will soon come to discover that many of the first page of results on those search engines will either be entries from corporate lead generation sites such as Checkatrade, Bidvine, Rated People, Quotatis, My Builder or TrustaTrader, internet directories like Three Best Rated, Foursquare, Yelp or Yell, or paid advertising that Google or whoever has automatically positioned there. You will quite possibly discover the sites of genuine fireplace installers out of sight on page 2 or 3 of the results, demoted by the big money corporations who can afford SEO. For sure, lots of fireplace fitters in Hockley have still not got their own websites, therefore if that's the case you could use one of the various trade portals like My Builder or Rated People where you can examine customers feedback, study reviews and obtain free quotations
Hockley Skip Hire Services
When undertaking any almost renovation work on your home or garden in Hockley, there is bound to be a fair amount of waste produced that will have to be removed. Your specific fireplace installations may generate hardly any waste, and there again it could result in a lot. Some tradespeople make allowances for the removal of waste when they prepare their quotes, and if this isn't mentioned ask if this is included, if not you'll have to sort it out.
Regardless of whether the tradesperson is dealing with this or you're doing it yourself, hiring a skip will often be the best option for waste removal. You'll need to pick the correct size of skip, because there are a number of different sizes on offer. Most skip hire companies provide mini-skips, midi-skips, builders skips and roll-on-roll-off skips, and for different projects skip bags are also available.
CLICK HERE and enter your details to get Hockley skip hire quotes.
Fireplace Installers Near Hockley
Also find: Canewdon fireplace installers, North Fambridge fireplace installers, North Benfleet fireplace installers, Ballards Gore fireplace installers, South Fambridge fireplace installers, Great Stambridge fireplace installers, Battlesbridge fireplace installers, Stambridge fireplace installers, Ashingdon fireplace installers, Rawreth fireplace installers, Southend fireplace installers and more. Companies who install fireplaces can be found in almost all of these villages and towns. With the requisite experience and know-how, these skilled tradesmen are adept at successfully installing fireplaces in your property. The ambiance, warmth and comfort that a fireplace brings to their living areas can be experienced by residents with the help and assistance of these dedicated professionals. Local home and property owners can get fireplace installation estimates by simply clicking here.
Fireplace Services Hockley
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Fireplace installation in SS5 area, (dialling code 01702).