Article Views:
49
Ezine ready page
Ezine ready page
Posted on April 1, 2006 by Deon Melchior | Posted under Home Improvement
Installing Your Wood-Burning Fireplace or Stove
|
The short answer is very carefully! The longer answer involves a question- how handy are you, really? Home improvement tasks can be fun and rewarding, and many people choose to improve their repairperson skill by doing odd jobs around the house. However, installing a fireplace is the wrong place to practice your DIY skills. The installation of a wood-burning fireplace or stove is not the same sort of home-improvement task as installing a new cabinet or shelf in your kitchen; it is something very, very serious. You will be handling materials that, if installed properly by a knowledgeable person, will guarantee the long life and safety of your new fireplace for years to come. However, if you are unfamiliar with these materials and/or if you have limited to no experience in handling the sort of insulating materials that come standard with the installation of any fireplace, whether it burns wood, gas or some other fuel, you could be playing a dangerous game with the health and safety of your family, and should reconsider. It is crucial that all materials accompanying your new fireplace or stove be handled by somebody who is well-used to the installation of fireplaces and stoves; not only for reasons of common sense and safety, but many manufacturers will void their warranty of damage is caused by installation by an unqualified person. When it comes to installing fireplaces, you need to call somebody who knows what he or she is doing, and if that person is not you, you should put down the hammer, step away from the fireplace and call a professional! How can I find a good service to install my wood-burning fireplace or stove? As with choosing any service, the reputation of the company is paramount. Now is not the time to skimp on cost. Call many companies, and ask for several references. You probably will not hear from any disgruntled customers, since companies will not put you in touch with their unhappy clients, but those customers are nonetheless your opportunity to ask how the company operates. Ask how long it took to complete the job, and how this length of time differed from what the company first quoted. Do ask about quoted price versus final price, since wide discrepancies there could be an indication of something wrong. Once you have talked to the customers and picked a few companies that seem promising, call your Better Business Bureau and order reports on each of the companies. A long list of unresolved or serious complaints against the company should be treated with great seriousness; if you are putting the safety of your home and family in the hands of a company, you want them to have as few complaints against them as possible. Finally, once you have narrowed your list down to two or three companies, get price quotes, and go with the one that both fits your budget best and the one with whom you are the most comfortable. What should it cost to install my wood-burning fireplace or stove? There is no real set answer to this question. This will depend on the make and model of fireplace you have picked and the sort of home you live in, as well as the various materials that are being used. Installation prices can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; once you have found a company you are comfortable with, they should be very up front about the cost of installation. Look around for the deals. About The Author: Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com |
Tags:
