THE NATURE OF CRACKS
With the heating and cooling of refractory on both masonry and factory-built fireplaces, you can expect some minor cracks to occur....it's just the nature of things. Small hairline cracks in the refractory will almost always be present after repeated firings. When these fine cracks occur, you can rest assured that the homeowner can enjoy the fireplace with absolutely no danger! In fact, there is metal behind the refractory on a factory-built fireplace; therefore, even if the cracks get larger, the fireplace will still operate safely.

WHEN TO REPLACE REFRACTORY
One should consider replacing the refractory when large cracks occur. If the crack is larger than 1/16 inch (thickness of a nickel) the refractory should be changed. Also, if the refractory starts to crumble and fall apart in chunks, you should replace it. Refractory replacement on a factory-built fireplace is a relatively simple task, which is usually executed by simply unscrewing a bracket, removing the original refractory and installing the new panel. Repairs are much more difficult on a masonry fireplace because experienced brick masons must use special materials to patch the cracks...and it's much more expensive.

PREVENTION
To prevent the problem from happening in the first place, the homeowner should "condition" the refractory in a new fireplace by building relatively small fires for the first few burns and then gradually working up to larger fires. When adding wood to the fire, one should use caution not to throw logs into the firebox, which may hit and damage the back refractory. In almost all cases, the back refractory shows the most signs of wear and tear because it takes the most abuse from heat and log impact. Very rarely do side refractory panels need to be replaced.

CONCLUSION
As stated previously in this paper, factory built fireplace refractory is a highly engineered product, which if treated with respect, will give the homeowner many years of problem free service. Small cracks are to be expected. If fine cracks appear, it's not a safety issue! Consider replacing the refractory when large cracks are present, pieces of refractory start to break off or if you wish to change refractory for aesthetic reasons.

Check your local building code to determine how far the hearth must extend in front of the firebox and the area on the sides and top of the opening that require noncombustible material. Expect 8 to 12 inches on the top and sides and a minimum of 18 inches for the hearth. When it comes to the hearth, the deeper, the better. There's nothing worse than a hot ember that burns a hole in the carpet. The remainder of the wall can be any material you want, from drywall to plaster to the rustic appearance of wood. More

Wall-mounted fireplaces are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among homeowners looking to adopt a more sleek and modern look in their living rooms and bedrooms. "It's more and more of a trend," says Frank Hendsbee, manager of The Hearth Store. "It's a rectangular European design. A lot of homeowners have gone to the flat-screen TVs and the size of the wall-mounted fireplaces is fitting into people's decor."

Buy AnyWhere Fireplaces Here....

A flexible gas pipe is a specific type of gas pipe used to run gas line to various appliances used in the home, such as gas fireplaces, clothes dryers, gas ranges etc. You may currently have rigid steel pipe installed which can limit the placement of your gas appliances. When you need to set the fireplace or other appliance further than where the gas current pipe is located, you can use this flexible pipe to connect the gas from the rigid steel pipe to the fireplace

Gas fireplaces offer a bit more flexibility than wood burning fireplaces when installing them into any room into the home. Instead of requiring a chimney to go out through the floor and roof of the home, you can obtain direct-vent fireplaces which use an exhaust vent on the exterior wall of your home and connects right to the fireplace. There are many different styles of gas direct-vent fireplaces available from Copperfield Chimney Supply , which provides quality hearth products for your entire home.

As the temperatures cool down in Arizona more of us are lighting up our fireplaces and improper use is leading to home fires. Mesa, Az., Fire Department says they are seeing a new trend, fires that are too big for the fireplace. Public Information Officer Forrest Smith says homes built in the past 15 years typically have smaller chimneys and can't handle the same amount of heat as a traditionally built fireplace. More