Fireplace Fitter Sandhurst Berkshire (GU47): Re-opening an old disused fireplace to put in an open fire, a wood burner or a gas fire is a wonderful way to add a homely feel and a bit of charm to any Sandhurst home. Adding a wood burning stove or open fire for those chilly winter evenings can even prove to be cheaper than certain central heating systems, as long as you've got a regular source of timber or fuel. If combined with a back boiler it can provide you with plentiful steaming hot water at the same time.
Before you start chipping away at a blocked up chimney there are a few things you'll need to do to make certain you can safely install your new fireplace. Any work which is executed on your fireplace, flue lining, chimney breast and hearth must adhere to the UK's Part J building regulations for combustible appliances. If you own a listed building you will also have to find out if planning permission is required from the local authorities before any work is started.
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
You might be able to do some of the work in renovating a bricked-up fireplace if you have the skills needed, but there is always a problem in finding structural and safety problems that need to be resolved professionally. If you're lucky when you open up a stopped up fireplace you might find a decent chimney breast, hearth and lintel that requires nothing other than the advice and services of a chimney sweep to get it ready for use. What's more typical however is a patch of old brickwork that hides a blocked flue, and also requires some form of structural reinforcement before it can be safely used.
Because of the acute fire risk and health problems that can be caused by a poorly installed or restored fireplace, it's best to avail yourself of the experience and knowledge of an experienced fireplace installer in Sandhurst. There must always be airflow into a room where there's a fireplace to guarantee sufficient levels of oxygen allow the fire to burn properly. If there's not enough airflow then it's possible that a fire will burn inefficiently and cause a build-up of carbon monoxide, which can be lethal.
To safely overcome any issues with air flow, vents may need to be fitted around the room during a fireplace installation, to ensure suitable oxygen levels reach the fire. They might have to fit air vents in unused chimney flues which can trap moist air and lead to damp spots and staining to your chimney breast.
BEFORE WORK STARTS
Opening up an old fireplace can create a lot of of muck and soot. A fireplace installer will bring dust sheets to cover up your home furnishings and provide some form of protection, but it's sensible where possible to remove carpets and furniture from the room before work commences. If you are conducting a complete renovation of a property or room, the fireplace should be opened up and worked on before any decoration or plastering works are dealt with. This should help to prevent any impairment by soot and other chimney dirt to any completed work.
STRUCTURAL & CONSTRUCTION WORK
Once you've opened up your old fireplace you'll have a better idea of the work that needs to be done, and also be able to thoroughly sweep the chimney and clean up any parts of hearth that is still in position. Bringing in a proper chimney sweep to de-soot your chimney will be one of the initial things on your to-do-list. They'll be able to offer you expert advice on the chimney and flue after sweeping, as to the condition of the chimney structure and if it is advisable to replace the existing flue liner.
If it is necessary to install a new flue liner or strengthen the chimney all relevant UK Building Regulations must be adhered to. A reputable fireplace installer and builder in Sandhurst will be needed to undertake this task, and will need the knowledge and skills in construction to follow all building regulations.
If the size of the original fireplace is larger than your requirements, a concrete supporting lintel will need to be put in. When you've successfully supported the fireplace with your lintel it is now time to renovate or update the hearth. In past times the hearth was usually sunken into the floor, however current building regs require it to be raised above floor level. You can get bespoke options to fit any size and design of fireplace, or you can pick from a range of popular sized hearths to fit in with your decor.
DESIGNS OF FIREPLACE
Choosing your ideal fireplace can be challenging when faced with the various styles available from a fireplace showroom or online store. The recommendations and advice from your sales and installation team, which will hinge on your particular requirements, will help you to choose a fireplace that's both appropriate for your existing chimney and flue, as well as for your home's decor.
The age of your property, and the theme you're trying to establish for your room, will all help you decide upon the design and type of fireplace that's best for you. For example, an attractive inglenook fireplace can be an ideal backdrop for a classic cast iron wood-burner stove, highlighting its character and reflecting heat back into the room.
Even if your Sandhurst property hasn't got a chimney you still have options for a fireplace feature through the installation of a multi-fuel stove or a wood burner. This type of fireplace can be installed with its own flue which is channeled through an external wall and does not need a chimney, to be installed safely.
MULTI-FUEL, ELECTRIC, GAS, WOOD OR OPEN FIREPLACE?
The charm and look of a "real" fire can't be beaten, but what alternatives are out there if this sort of fireplace isn't possible in your Sandhurst home?
Wood Burning Stoves - A wide variety of styles to suit any type of property in Sandhurst, and can even be a freestanding feature. A model with an integrated back boiler can supply extra heating capabilities by transferring the piping hot water to a radiator in a cold room of your property.
Electric Fireplaces - Basic installation and a diverse choice of styles make electric fireplaces an extremely popular choice for Sandhurst houses without a chimney. Modern electric fires can provide authentic looking flame effects and even the crackling sound of wood to replicate an open fire when set into into an old fashioned fireplace.
Gas Fireplaces - Gas fireplaces are available in a variety of styles to suit any property and are more efficient (thermally) than wood burners. A Gas Safe certified engineer must fit and maintain any gas fire in your property.
Multi-Fuel Stoves - Provides you with options to use wood, coal, oil and gas to furnish you with a multi-purpose stove for any property in Sandhurst. The AGA range for instance is well known as being capable of providing heating for the entire home, a constant supply of hot water and an oven and hob for cooking all in one useful appliance.
Open Fireplaces - Provides an eye-catching focal point for your room and can utilise a range of solid fuels. In the past an open fire may have been associated with being inefficient, draughty and smoky, however a well fitted modern fireplace is a joy to behold while lounging in the warmth it provides.
Fireplace fitters can be located in Sandhurst itself, in the following postcodes: GU46 6ZA, GU47 8PJ, GU47 8LA, GU47 8LQ, GU47 8NG, GU47 7ET, GU47 7AA, GU47 8DX, GU47 8JT, and GU47 8HS, as well as in neighbouring locations like Eversley, Eversley Cross, Hawley, Minley, Ambarrow Wood, Ravenswood, Little Sandhurst, Darby Green, College Town, Wixenford, Owlsmoor, Gardeners Green, Frogmore, Cricket Hill. Sandhurst fireplace builders should have the telephone dialling code 01344 and the postcode GU47. You ought to confirm this if you prefer to use a locally based fireplace fitter.
Chimney Sweeping Sandhurst
It is easy to postpone a routine household chore like sweeping the chimney, but if you have an open fire or a stove, it really is essential that this is done regularly. Chimneys should be cleaned and swept at least once per year, if not more.
So as to get this job done properly you should always bring in a qualified Sandhurst chimney sweep. As well as cleaning your chimney, the chimney sweep will be able to identify any issues that exist with your chimney, so that these can be addressed quickly.
Chimney fires can easily be the result of an accumulation of ash, soot and creosote if you don't sweep your chimney. An equally dangerous situation that can arise as a result of a blocked chimney is carbon monoxide fumes flowing back into your house.
Check that your chosen chimney sweep in Sandhurst is properly covered by public liability insurance, and is knowledgeable in this field. To find out what it costs to get a chimney swept in Sandhurst CLICK HERE.
Flue Linings
Allowing your chimney to perform much more efficiently, a flue lining is a vital addition to your chimney structure. Fitted to the inside of chimneys to transport smoke and fumes outside, flue liners are ducts made of clay, metal or ceramic material. Older chimneys in Sandhurst may not be fitted with flue liners at all, or will need to be re-lined subject to their condition and age.
Dangerous gases can be produced by burning fires and these gases could cause damage to the flue of your fireplace. Make certain that your fireplace specialist inspects the flue for damage and possible problems. You need to prevent those dangerous gases from seeping into your home, which is exactly what can take place when a flue is compromised. Extreme heat could also be permitted to penetrate into the chimney's structure, generating the potential for fires.
Improve the Efficiency of Your Fireplace
Sparked by concerns over the environment, the classic fireplace has lost some of its charm, but it is still a favourite for many homeowners in Sandhurst. The natural ambiance of a fireplace invokes special recollections for those who've got them. The fireplace has many benefits for your home, but there are also a few significant negative aspects that need to be monitored. Due to power costs elevating so rapidly these days, your fireplace needs to be a source of heat, not one of inefficiency. When you've got a fire going in the fireplace, it can actually take away warm air away from the room, making your heater work harder. In case you do not have a fire, the damper is intended to keep heat in. Yet, dampers are not terribly successful seals, consequently all the warm air escapes and allows cold air to come into the property.
What most folks in Sandhurst don't know about their fireplace is that it doesn't do what they believe it is doing. Rather than keeping heating charges down, it may actually do the complete reverse if one is not careful. However it's not all gloom and doom seeing that there are ways to make your fireplace very economical. There are at least four basic elements that you are able to do to improve your fireplace. You will recognize that these tips will help make your fireplace produce quality heat and your energy bill a lot lower.
The first point is to replace your fireplace damper with a more efficient top sealing damper. This type of damper is set up at the top end of the chimney, and works like a storm door. It will keep the inside air from getting out, and the outside air from going in, and performs in cold or hot weather. The product is easy to install, and can be purchased on the web. A second thing that you can do should be to position a fire-back at the rear of your fireplace. It is produced from cast iron and is used to help the look of your fireplace whilst shielding the back wall from heat damage. The fire-back reflects the heat from a fire, and sends it back inside the room, increasing the overall performance of the fireplace.
Another approach is to get a fireplace heater, which draws in air in a room and warms it up. These fireplace heaters are set up as closed systems so they don't give off any smoke, but they're effective at keeping your house warm. The last and final thing you're able to do is to fix glass doors, which might be the most expensive option. If you do a bit of research, you can get a good price on glass doors and mount them on your own. Such doors create a barrier between your living space and the hearth, not only making the area less for the fire to heat, but also providing protection.
All these tips are straightforward to implement, and the required products can easily be sourced online. Get the best from your fireplace and watch your energy bill fall.
Searching For Fireplace Installation Online
In this day and age the majority of householders in Sandhurst who are hunting for services of any sort are likely to "Google it", or in other words search for them on the web. Naturally if you're looking at this web page you more than likely stumbled on it by searching on Ask, Bing, Yahoo or Google and we are thankful for that. On the face of it it may appear that the results which are shown on page one are just what you need, however that's not always the truth. Most householders, when trying to identify fireplace installers in Sandhurst will key in "fireplace installation Sandhurst", "fireplace installation in Sandhurst", "Sandhurst fireplace installation" or "fireplace installation near me" into the search box and review the results.
The top trade portals like Bidvine, TrustaTrader, My Hammer, Quotatis, Checkatrade or Rated People, and business directories such as Three Best Rated, Scoot, Yell or Yelp will show up highly on the resulting page one listings, as will solely pay per click (PPC) advertisements (typically the top 4 listings). The websites applying to bona fide fireplace installers in the area will likely be positioned a good deal farther down the search results - on the second or third pages perhaps. If you cannot unearth anyone acceptable in the search engine results, it is perfectly okay to try out one of the various trader vetting portals such as My Hammer or Rated People, where you can get free estimates, read through reviews and check out customer feedback.
Sandhurst Fireplace Related Tasks
There is a wide range of work that can be undertaken by your local Sandhurst fireplace installer including fake fireplaces, wood burning fireplaces, classic fireplaces, fireplace surrounds, fireplace removal, cast iron fireplace installations, brick fireplace installation Sandhurst, wood burning stove installation in Sandhurst, fireplace hearths, fire grate conversions Sandhurst, flue liners in Sandhurst, freestanding stoves, Victorian fireplace installation Sandhurst, fireplace mantels, electric fireplace installations Sandhurst, fireplace replacement, cast iron fireplaces, double-sided stoves in Sandhurst, traditional fireplaces, three-sided fireplaces, gas fireplaces Sandhurst, inset stoves, Victorian fireplaces in Sandhurst, chimney modifications, fireplace cleaning, hearth fireplaces, fireplace fitting, modern fireplaces, electric fireplaces, fireplace refurbishment, chimney sweeping, chimney strengthening, wood burning fireplace installation, fireplace design in Sandhurst, stone fireplace installation Sandhurst, and lots more. These are just a handful of the activities that are handled by people fitting fireplaces. Sandhurst companies will be delighted to keep you abreast of their whole range of services.
Fireplace Installers Near Sandhurst
Also find: Minley fireplace installers, Wixenford fireplace installers, Cricket Hill fireplace installers, Hawley fireplace installers, Gardeners Green fireplace installers, Eversley fireplace installers, Eversley Cross fireplace installers, Frogmore fireplace installers, Owlsmoor fireplace installers, Darby Green fireplace installers, Ambarrow Wood fireplace installers, Little Sandhurst fireplace installers, College Town fireplace installers, Ravenswood fireplace installers and more. It is possible to get fireplaces installed in the majority of these villages and towns. Possessing the necessary experience and know-how, these skilled tradespeople can successfully install fireplaces in your property. Dedicated specialists facilitate residents in enjoying the warmth, comfort and atmosphere that come with having a fireplace in their living areas. By clicking here, fireplace installation quotes are accessible to local residents.
More Sandhurst Tradespeople: When your Sandhurst home needs improvements or remodeling, many different tradespeople could be required to successfully complete the task, and even though your current search is for fireplace fitters in Sandhurst, Berkshire, you might also need the expertise of an electrician in Sandhurst, SKIP HIRE in Sandhurst, a carpenter and joiner in Sandhurst, a bricklayer in Sandhurst, a floor fitter in Sandhurst, a tiler in Sandhurst, waste removal in Sandhurst, a chimney sweep in Sandhurst, a roofer in Sandhurst, a cleaner in Sandhurst, a handyman in Sandhurst, a general builder in Sandhurst, a heating engineer in Sandhurst, a stonemason in Sandhurst, a plasterer in Sandhurst, a painter and decorator in Sandhurst, and probably others.
For the best local Sandhurst information check here
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Fireplace installation in GU47 area, phone code 01344.