There are many types of fireplaces available in the market right now. What you should know is that a prefabricated fireplace will be built at the factory and then just assembled in your home. This makes the overall setup process fast and easy to do.
A prefabricated or prefab fireplace is like any other fireplace type. It also needs maintenance. One of the maintenances will be cleaning it. This guide looks at how you can clean the prefab fireplace and keep it looking good on overall.
What You Will Need
- Paper towels
- Spray bottles
- Liquid detergent
- Dust mask
- Cleaning rags
- White vinegar
- Knee pads
- Drop cloths
- Household bleach
- Hand broom
- Plastic sheeting
- Vacuum
- A bucket
Procedure
- Give the fireplace time to cool down
You are advised to wait for at least 12 hours since the last fire before cleaning the prefab fireplace. This stage also involves covering the furniture that might be around the fireplace. The aim is to avoid ash and dust from attaching to the furniture while cleaning thus leading to a mess.
You can wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling potential carcinogenic dust. You could use folded towels in place of knee pads as you may have to be on your knees a lot cleaning inside the fireplace.
- Remove the dust and ashes
Next is to remove the ashes and dust from your prefab fireplace. Use a hand broom or a small shovel for the job. Ensure to dispose of the ash or dust in the garbage can.
- Removing soot
Most wood-burning prefab fireplaces will have this problem. However, you can always remove soot from the fireplace with the use of a liquid dish detergent. Apply it to a water-dampened brush and scrub the surface with soot. Clean off the area with a clean rag.
- Vacuum the fireplace
There will still be some loose dirt around the fireplace. Using your vacuum, remove as much dirt and debris as possible. Always have your mask on to keep you from inhaling the ash while vacuuming.
- Scrub the fireplace
In step 3, we only removed soot. Now it is time to scrub the whole fireplace. Here, you can mix phosphoric acid, bleach, and boiling water in a bucket then use a brush to scrub the surfaces. Others would use a spray bottle to get deep into the different parts of the fireplace and ensure you end up with a clean fireplace.
You can still use the detergent to help in removing the stubborn stains and leave you with a clean prefab fireplace.
How Do You Update A Prefab Fireplace?
Maybe you have been using your prefab fireplace for a couple of years now, but you find it is good to update it. There will be a few things you can consider doing to help improve the look of your prefab fireplace. They include;
- Paint the Fireplace and its Surround
Paint can be a good thing for your fireplace. You should take your time to find a paint color that suits your existing decor. Also, it should be fire-resistant considering the fireplace will be opening at high temperatures with flames present.
Do not forget to paint the fireplace surround too. It needs to look good as well so that it completes the look.
- Install or update the prefab fireplace door
Sometimes the fireplace door might look outdated. Well, if the glass has been neglected and now looks old, it is time to reconsider it. You can have it replaced with a shiny door improving the look and working of your prefab fireplace.
Sometimes the prefab fireplace might not even have doors in the first place. So, we recommend you install them. Go ahead to source the doors that can look amazing on your fireplace and have them installed professionally.
- Add a mantel shelf
Having a mantel shelf is highly recommended. This is because it will improve the look of your fireplace while at the same time acting as a heat shield.
When working as a heat shield, it will keep the heat from reaching the TV just in case you decide to mount the TV above the fireplace.
When Should I Replace My Prefab Fireplace?
Here we want to look at how long the prefab fireplace lasts. We can say that your prefab fireplace can last for 20 to 30 years. All you have to do is take good care of it as recommended by the manufacturer.
It is possible that homeowners might not know much about their prefab fireplace durability until an inspection is done. So, make it a habit of inspecting the fireplace more often and checking whether the fireplace needs repairs or not.
Conclusion
The overall cleaning process seems straightforward for most people. Just make sure you also practice safety while doing the cleaning. Have your dust mask on to ensure that you keep the ash and dust out of your nose. Also, take care not to over scrub as you might destroy some surfaces.
