advertisement

Uncovering a hidden fireplace

Q. Our house is very old, and there seems to be a fireplace that was covered over with wallboard. We'd like to restore the fireplace but have no idea what we'll find when we open the wall. Once we do this, what professional should we contact to see if the fireplace is still safe to use?

A. Since your home is old, two issues are likely to be found when you open the wall. First, the fireplace is probably not built to current fire-safety standards. In particular, the chimney is likely to be unlined, which could expose the wood framing near the chimney to excessive heat. Second, the fact that the fireplace was covered over with wallboard suggests it may be in deteriorated condition and therefore was abandoned by a previous homeowner for safety-related reasons. Common defects in such cases would be loose or damaged masonry and deteriorated mortar.

The expert you should call to evaluate the situation is a chimney sweep who is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. If it is determined that the fireplace is no longer safe for use, ask the chimney sweep about the efficacy of installing a wood-burning insert or a gas log insert. This is a common means for making use of an old deteriorated fireplace. The added advantage is that an insert will provide more heat in you home than a conventional, old fashioned fireplace.

Q. I'm selling my house, and the buyer's home inspector brought up two electrical issues I want to ask about. This is an old home that used to have 2-prong outlets. I changed these to 3-prong outlets, thinking this would be an upgrade, but the home inspector reported that the outlets are not grounded. The other issue is the garage door opener. I added this about 10 years ago. There was no outlet on the garage ceiling, so I used an extension cord for power. The home inspector says this is not approved as permanent wiring. What is your opinion of these conditions?

A. Replacing 2-prong outlets with 3-prong outlets is a common practice in old homes. Unfortunately, this usually results in outlets that appear to be grounded but are actually not. This poses a safety hazard in some situations. Fixtures with 3-prong plugs are intended to have a ground for fire safety and to prevent damage to electrical appliances. Also, surge protectors on computers and other electronic devices are only operative when there is a ground.

There are two possible solutions: Have an electrician provide ground wires to the outlets (an expensive repair), or restore the original 2-prong outlets (an inexpensive repair). Although 2-prong outlets are not as safe as grounded ones, they are legal in older homes and do not give the false impression of being grounded.

If a garage door opener is wired with an extension cord, a grounded outlet should be installed at the fixture. Another solution would be to remove the garage door opener, but that would be an unfriendly gesture to the person who is buying your home.

• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.

© 2015, Action Coast Publishing

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.