Your masonry fireplace, fitted with a wood insert in Key Biscayne
We clean and check the chimney before the liner goes in, and any repairs come first as their own items.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Signs your fireplace is ready for a wood insert
- Soot on the face above the opening
- An insert chosen before measuring
- An old insert without its manual
- A hearth too short for an insert
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The insert installation, explained step by step
Fresh air and other fireplaces in the house
A wood insert uses air from the room, and manuals say to provide a source of fresh air while it burns. One maker notes that an insert can create a downdraft in another fireplace in the house, and suggests slightly opening a window near the unit if that happens.
Tell us about other fireplaces, strong exhaust fans and how tightly the house is sealed. We explain how those affect the insert and what the manual recommends for your layout. The goal is a fire that draws steadily without pulling smoke from elsewhere.
No grate or andirons inside the insert
Many wood inserts are designed for the fire to be built directly on their firebrick floor. Manuals warn against grates, andirons or anything else that raises the fuel. One label links a raised fire to a risk of smoke and flame spilling out.
If you are used to an open fireplace grate, this is one of the habits that changes. We remove the old grate from the firebox before the insert goes in if it is still there. At handover we show you how the manual wants the early loads arranged.
If you already bought an insert
Sometimes the insert arrives before anyone has looked at the fireplace. That can work, provided the unit fits the opening, the hearth and the clearances, and the host is masonry in sound condition. We check the insert you own against its manual and your fireplace.
If it fits, we plan the liner and faceplate around it. If it does not, we explain the problem and the options, such as preparation work or a different fireplace in the house. Keep the manual and the packaging until the assessment is done.
Firebrick inside the insert itself
Many inserts line their firebox with their own firebrick, separate from the masonry fireplace around them. Those bricks wear with use and can crack. The manual shows how they sit and which replacement bricks to use. Some manuals allow the bricks to come out to lighten the unit for installation.
We check the insert's firebrick during maintenance visits and explain when replacement is sensible. Bricks inside the insert are ordered from its parts list, not cut from ordinary firebrick. The fireplace's own firebox repair is a separate matter, handled before the insert goes in.
Confirmed before a wood insert is ordered
- Faceplate panels and insulation strips
- Noncombustible hearth extension check
- Blower outlet coordination with an electrician
- Serial number and model record
Fireplace insert questions we hear in Key Biscayne
Will my existing hearth be large enough for an insert?
It depends on the model and how high it sits. Manuals set the size and thermal rating of the floor protection in front of the unit. We measure your hearth and explain whether it can stay, needs extending or needs added protection.
What do we keep after the insert is installed?
Keep the insert manual, the liner instructions and the written record we leave. That record lists the model, serial number, liner system and clearances checked, and it notes any change to the damper.
What does the free inspection include for an insert in Key Biscayne?
We look at the masonry fireplace, the smoke chamber, the damper, the chimney and flue, the hearth and the trim around the opening. We also check roof access for the liner work and measure the opening in three directions.
We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo