New fireplace installation in Gainesville, planned locally

Picturing a fireplace in a room that doesn't have one, or replacing a unit that's worn out? Start with the room. The wall it goes on, the floor in front of it and the roof above decide between a factory-built unit and a masonry fireplace. Our local installers, part of a family-run company, look at all three for free and plan the install around the listing or the code book.

• Prefab fireplace installation with its listed chimney
• Framed-wall zero clearance fireplace installation
• Masonry fireplace installation built to FBC R1001
• Prefab fireplace replacement when an old unit burns out
• Wood burning fireplace installation sized to the room
• Hearth extensions and clearances set before walls close

1. Look at the room

   Wall, floor and roof above get a look, and you hear which kind of fireplace fits the room.

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2. Framing that follows the manual

   A factory-built unit is framed with the clearances in its manual, and its chimney pipe is routed with no more than four elbows.

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3. Set the unit and chimney

   Chimney pipe installation, firestops, attic shield and roof parts go in as listed, or masonry rises to R1001.

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4. Hearth, finish, final check

   The hearth extension and noncombustible facing go in, and the job wraps up with the final inspection.

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The room decides the fireplace. Here's how our pros match what's there to what fits.

UL 127 listed unit

A unit listed to UL 127, installed exactly as its listing and manual say (FBC R1004.1).

Listed chimney system

The chimney sections, firestops, attic insulation shield and top listed with the unit (FBC R1005).

Firebrick lining

Refractory materials selected for the masonry firebox design and the proposed repair or installation.

Hearth extension

Noncombustible material in front of the opening, sized by the code, or by the listing for a factory-built unit (R1001.10, R1004.2).

1. 01

   Metal unit or masonry build

   A factory-built unit costs less to put in than masonry, where a footing, a firebox and a brick chimney all get built on site.

2. 02

   Path the chimney takes

   A straight run up through an attic is simpler than offsets, a tall roof or a second story.

3. 03

   Carpentry and facing work

   Building the wall or chase, then the facing and hearth, adds carpentry and masonry time.

4. 04

   Paperwork with the building department

   Permit fees and the inspection visits the building department requires are part of the total.

• Wall framing and space for the unit
• Floor strength and room for the hearth extension
• The roof and attic path for the chimney
• Clearances to wood in walls, floors and ceilings
• Outside air supply for the room
• The existing unit and chimney, when replacing
• Permit steps and a written price

• The old metal fireplace has burned through

  Its firebox or panels have failed and parts are gone. A listed replacement unit and chimney take its place.

• A family room with no fireplace

  There's no chimney yet. A look at the wall, floor and roof shows which fireplace fits.

• An unused fireplace you'd rather replace

  The old one may not suit how you want to heat the room. We show you the options side by side.

• A new addition on the drawing board

  The best time to plan a fireplace is before framing. Our pros work from your plans and the listing.

• Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert Installation A wood-burning insert set into your masonry fireplace, liner and all.
• Electric Fireplace Installation Electric fireplaces hung on the wall, set into it or slid into a firebox.

• Fireplace Repair and Service Fireplace faults fixed, from firebrick and dampers to hearths and smoke.
• Gas Fireplace Installation Sealed direct-vent or room-air B-vent units, each set up by its manual.
• Chimney Liner Installation and Relining A listed liner matched to the fireplace or insert above it.

• Chimney and Fireplace InspectionChimney, fireplace and venting checked, with findings explained on site.

• Start with the room, then pick the fireplace it can take Where the fireplace goes decides what kind it can be, and the kind decides most of the price. Here's how the wall, the roof and the floor shape the choice.
• A fire a few evenings a year, gas or wood? When a fireplace is for a handful of evenings rather than daily heat, the choice comes down to convenience, upkeep and what each fuel asks of the chimney and the house.
• Keep the fireplace and add an insert, or start over? An insert turns the fireplace you have into a better heater. A new fireplace replaces it. The shape your firebox and chimney are in goes a long way toward settling which one makes sense.

Chimney Guides