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Fireplace Door Installation |
One of the best ways to make your fireplace highly energy efficient is by
adding quality fireplace doors, especially glass. When it comes time to
choose the specific type of door perfect for your fireplace, you will
quickly discover numerous options. Without doors, problems arise that
include embers, sparks, and even wood falling out onto the floor, thus
creating a fire hazard. In addition to resolving the safety issue, adding
the right door will improve heat efficiency.
Although it may seem a little intimidating, if you are handy, you may
prefer to complete the installation of your fireplace door yourself. If
you are not comfortable in completing the installation, you can locate
someone in your local community to do the installation for you.
Regardless of who handles the installation, the first and most important
step is to measure the fireplace opening, bringing the measurement to the
nearest 1/16 of an inch. Once the measurements are done, the area where
the door will be installed needs to be thoroughly cleaned.
There are two basic fits for fireplace doors - inside fit and overlap fit.
The inside fit is usually performed by a mason since this type of
installation requires precise measurements and is most often used for
custom doors. The overlap fit is by far the most common choice and when
using this type of installation, you are more likely to get a better fit.
This option is used when the fireplace door is bigger than the opening.
Therefore, the door will overlap the brick area and end up flush with the
brick, granite, marble, or whatever material makes up your fireplace.
If you decide to perform your own installation and run into the problem of
having the masonry around your fireplace be uneven, a mason can come to
your home to even it out. If the masonry is too irregular to be fixed,
the fireplace doors can always be installed using the overlap fit and then
placing fiberglass insulation in between the stone and doorframe, thus
creating a nice seal.
Keep in mind that a fireplace door plays an important role so having a
good fit is very important. In addition to adding a decorative touch to
your home, the door will also protect your home from fire, will help
reduce the loss of heat going up the chimney, and depending on the type
of door you choose, will hold heat, thus providing a cost effective way
of heating your home.
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