Fire Pit Tips

Unless you are an experience contractor and understand the nature of fireplaces, any fireplace construction is best left to those who know. Many do-it-yourself types are often reluctant to pay someone to perform any type of work around their house, figuring if it does not work right the first time, that they can fix it. However, with fireplace construction if it does not work right the first, second or even the third time there may not be any house left to fix.

Understand a fireplace is a hole in the wall, usually surrounded by combustible materials that allows heat and sometimes flames to rise up through the roof of the house. This pipeline for potential disaster has many areas in which someone without experience in fireplace construction can botch up the job and burn down the house. The inner lining of the chimney has to be perfectly sealed as it goes upwards and the outer section of bricks, in additional to being sealed with cement, has to remain a specific distance from the inner lining.

The chimney will also require a slight offset installed near the bottom during fireplace construction to help prevent smoke, rain and small animals from finding the way into the home from above. A damper needs to be installed to open when there is a fire burning, letting the smoke out and closed to prevent snow and birds from coming down the chimney. Have no fear, Santa can make it in.

Inside Mistakes Can Also Spark Danger

Inside the home, if the front of the fireplace construction is not sealed there is a risk of spurious smoke making its way into the room. Tile and wood trim can be dangerous if the fireplace design allows flame and heat to enter through the front of the fireplace. Small, more modern fireplaces are typically not resting on the ground, so additional support and fireproof insulation will be needed during the fireplace construction to insure safety once the flame is lit.

However, before considering fireplace construction in an existing home, there will need to be a solid footer, strong enough to hold the additional weight of the fireplace and chimney. The base will probably need to be excavated beyond the existing floor, and if the fireplace is going to over a basement, the footer for the fireplace will need to extend to the basement floor and at least eight inches beyond to provide a solid foundation for the fireplace construction.