Fireplace Remodel in Thousand Oaks, Built on a Dry Chimney

People usually come to a fireplace remodel for looks. The brick is dated, the tile is cracked, the mantel is too small for the room. Sometimes, though, the thing they want to cover up is a water problem: a brown stain that keeps coming back on the chimney breast, paint that peels above the mantel, efflorescence on the brick face. Covering those with new stone or tile does not make them go away. Water keeps moving through the masonry, and it shows up again as stains in the grout, loose tiles or a surround that pulls away from the wall. Before we design anything, we check the chimney breast and the firebox for moisture and look up the chimney for the source.

If we find water, the fix comes first. That might be a cap, crown work, new flashing at the roof or masonry repair, each quoted in writing. Once the chimney is dry, the remodel itself can be what you want it to be: a new surround in stone, tile or plaster, a new hearth, a different mantel, a refaced firebox, or a change from wood to gas. Materials matter too. Some stone and tile can be set with a breathable backing that lets the masonry behind them dry, which suits a chimney breast that once had moisture problems. For the masonry side of that work, see chimney masonry repair.

Many remodels in Thousand Oaks include a change of fuel. A gas insert set into the existing firebox is the most common route, and it brings a sealed, efficient unit with its own liner running up the old chimney. Inserts installed with us run $2,650 to $5,300. A second route is a direct-vent gas fireplace in a new location, such as a family room or bedroom that never had one. These vent through a wall or the roof with a sealed pipe, so they need no masonry chimney at all. With us they run $4,250 to $8,500 installed, depending on the unit, the venting run and the finish work.

Either route changes how water reaches the fireplace. An insert's liner needs a proper top plate and cap so rain does not run down between the liner and the old flue. A new direct-vent fireplace needs its termination cap installed and flashed correctly where it passes through the wall or roof. We handle those details as part of the job and check them again at the end. The rest of the remodel, the surround, hearth and mantel, is quoted with the unit so you see one figure in writing. For details on inserts, see fireplace inserts.