Fireplace Remodel in Kinneloa Mesa

A fireplace remodel has a functional core and a finished face. The core is the appliance: an insert, a direct-vent gas fireplace, a gas log set or an open wood firebox. Each has its own requirements for opening size, clearance to combustible materials, hearth extension and venting. Those rules decide how close a wood mantel can sit, whether the surround can be wood or must be stone or tile, and how deep the hearth needs to be. Choosing a mantel first and an insert later often means one or the other has to change.

So we start with how you want to use the fireplace. Evening heat at the push of a button points toward gas. Real wood fires with efficient heat point toward a wood insert. A new location in the house, such as a family room without a chimney, points toward a direct-vent gas fireplace, which runs $4,450 to $8,950 installed. Once the heater is chosen, the remodel design follows its manual and the code, and we can show you finish options that fit.

Remodels in Kinneloa Mesa and the surrounding towns range from refacing a dated brick front in tile or plaster to rebuilding the whole wall. Stone veneer, large-format tile, smooth plaster and painted brick all work over a sound masonry face. The hearth can be extended or rebuilt to meet clearance rules, and mantels can be wood, stone or steel as long as they keep their distance from the opening. We coordinate gas line and electrical work with licensed trades so the insert, blower and any wall switch are ready when the finish goes on.

Before any demolition we inspect the firebox and flue, because a remodel is the wrong moment to discover a cracked liner. If the chimney needs work, it is cheaper to do it with the walls open. Every remodel is quoted in writing after the design is set, with the heater, the masonry and the finish listed as separate lines so you can adjust one without guessing at the others.