Don’t worry about inviting chimney contractors into your house for chimney installation. You can simply use the place outside your house for venting a gas fireplace. But once you are done with installing it, you’ll just need to turn on the switch to start the fire.

Gas fireplace installation

A gas fireplace doesn’t require a chimney for ventilation, it can be vented with the help of an exterior wall. Follow the steps below for the perfect installation of a gas fireplace.

Placement of the Gas Fireplace

The first step is to choose the perfect room for the fireplace since it will heavily impact the décor and give your room aesthetics. To vent the smoke, run a gas supply line with a help of chimney contractor. You can also use a wire that connects fireplace to the switch to increase the heat output through blower.

  1. Clear fireplace installation box, surrounding walls and wood framing from any hurdles preferably ½ inch from the sides and 3-1/2 inch from the top.
  2. Take necessary measures to divert the heat towards vent. Metal shields can come in handy to lure heat.
  3. Contact your dealer to understand the accurate dimensions for your vent layout.
  4. Keep the vent away from windows, doors, corners and other spots where it is likely to leave the house.
  5. Before jumping into the process, make sure to contact the inspection department or chimney contractors, if necessary.
  6. Get the Gas, Electrical and Vent in Place

After receiving vent parts and fireplace, give yourself some time to lay out the fireplace location, build the platform and check the vent by running it. Once you are done with all the necessary steps including gas line and wiring, start with building a frame and then use drywall to cover it. You can finish the process by taping or decorating it just like you wish. Unlike chimney cleaning, this process needs a lot of smart work and patience.

Punching Through the Wall

If you somehow manage to punch through the wall exactly 12 inch without running into any obstacles, then you won’t need to remove any more drywall. Frame around the opening using lumber into the hole, preferably short pieces and use screws to keep them in place.

If you find Vinyl siding, use a utility knife to cut it and if you find an aluminum or steel siding, use metal-cutting blades or tin snips. Use vinyl or metal J-bead to cover the ends of the sidings and then get yourself in position to install the drip cap before letting the vent cap slide into the hole.

If your exterior is made up of stucco then drill four holes from the inside using masonry bit and then cut the stucco with a masonry blade. To cut the wood sheathing present underneath, a regular blade might come in handy. To cut a brick, use masonry blade or blade chisel. 12 x 12 inch hole is perfect for mounting the vent cap over the brick with the help of plastic anchors or screws. Use urethane caulk to seal the vent cap.

Drywall Job

After constructing the surround with the given instructions, grab a drywall screw gun and spend the better part of the day completing it. The task is very delicate so you will need to pay more attention to keep the horizontal lines straight and leveled, vertical lines plumb and even spacing between parallel metal beads and vertical lines.

After doing the necessary adjustments, use paper drywall tape to cover the inside corners and then use joint compound to fill in the slight valleys that appear. You can ask dealers or chimney contractors to guide you for taping and filling process that must be done in 3 coats because of shrinking issues.

Trowell on the Texture

Use a high-quality primer to prime the walls and then after drying it use a huge trowel to apply a thin layer of premixed texture making sure to take necessary breaks at the corners. Smooth out the trowel marks if the weather is not really hot because it will take a few minutes to set in place. Since, a gas fireplace doesn’t need chimney cleaning md, the firebox will remain untouched and tidy for a longer period of time.

A gas fireplace is a classy feature that adds ambiance to your house, it doesn’t require chimney cleaning or inspection but instead you can just install one at your place and enjoy a roaring fire on a cold night.

Your chimney may seem like the most underrated part of the house, but a chimney inspection by the experts may do wonders for your chimney, your pocket and also save you from many disastrous after-effects. Minor chimney cleaning should be done yourself on a regular basis to avoid the buildup of creosote, tar, and soot and to avoid hazardous accidents. Below are some tips for your chimney maintenance.

Chimney inspection and cleaning

  1. Start with the basics and clean all the ashes and debris from the fireplace. Chimney cleaning should be done before the winter season so the chimney could be burnt for the cold winter nights. Clean all the ashes with a spade and put it in a bucket.
  2. After the ashes, you need to clean the creosote. When the fire is burnt in the fireplace, the smoke goes up and out the chimney which leaves behind smoke stains and creosote which is a mixture of soot, brown and black tar and can be highly flammable. Rub the brick walls with soapy water to clean the stubborn stains. Get an annual chimney inspection to remove the soot and tar stains. The creosote is the cause of fires in the chimney and houses.
  3. Get a chimney cap installed because it will keep out the snow, the debris, small animals and birds, the buildup of bird’s nests and other dust and debris. These all things can cause chimney blockage which may later lead to fires in the house. Also get a wire mesh fixed so that animals may not get in. You will need to maintain your chimney cap as well. Check its condition and whether it needs to be repaired and fixed or not.
  4. Call for an annual chimney inspection before winters to check if your chimney lining has cracks or not. If you have cracks in your chimney lining or flue lining, then moisture may leak inside and water from snow and rains can also go inside the chimney. Moisture is the worst enemy of your chimney and can completely destroy your chimney. It is also unsafe for you because dangerous and hazardous gases may also leak into the house and moisture is the number one cause of destructive fires in the chimneys.
  5. For proper chimney maintenance, you can also waterproof your chimney. This way your chimney will be safe from moisture and water leaking inside and will be more durable.
  6. Also, you need to check for mortar between the bricks. The bricks of the chimney are joined with mortar. This mortar comes off or deteriorates with time. If the mortar is not there to hold the bricks together, then it may also cause your chimney to collapse and cause destruction. Call an expert to check for mortar between the bricks and if it has come off, then it may be fixed again to hold the brick together.

Chimney cleaning annapolis md and maintenance it on a regular basis will increase it life and is also safe for you and your family.