We absolutely love having a fireplace in the winter. Even though we're now in LA our fireplace gets put to good use. It doesn't give off much heat but it really makes the living room cozy and adds a pleasant element to the small space.
The fireplace has a gas burning element which we keep covered with faux tinder and logs (found on Craiglist) but we could burn logs if we wanted.
Here are some steps we need to take to make our fireplace more efficient and give off more heat.
1. Get rid of the screen and add doors - Fireplace doors reduce the amount of air that would otherwise be siphoned up the chimney. Depending on the type of glass in the doors, some heat still radiates through the doors into the house.
2. Replace the damper - The damper is located just above the fire and is a metal plate that regulates airflow through the chimney. Some dampers fit snug when they're new, but frequently warp within a year or two, producing a loose fit and allowing air to leak past them. Chimney cap dampers close the entire top of the chimney.
I love my finish nailer. Well, I don't really love it, but I like it, I enjoy it, I find it useful for creating the world's most perfect crown molding corner (a future blog post, for sure).
But do I bring out the pancake compressor and finish nailer to drive a single finish nail into my son's train table? Do I go through 5-10 minutes of set-up when just grabbing a finish hammer and a nail set would do the job in 2 minutes? Of course I don't. And neither would you. Why? Because even though I find my finish nailer very handy for certain jobs, it is not meant to be used every time a finish nail is encountered.
The same can be said for a professional designer, or a myriad of professionals for that matter. They are very useful and necessary, but not in every situation.
So how do you decide if you need a design professional? It really comes down to your skill and the risk level you are willing to take. The following scenarios usually require a design professional, which is a general term I use to encompass architects and engineers. Upon reading this post you will have a better idea of when you should, and possibly should not, use a the services of a design professional.
Scenario 1: Structure Will be Affected
Any time your work will affect a load-bearing wall, column, or floor, you will likely need to consult an architect or engineer. It's simply not worth the risk to save money on this element of the project. Perhaps if your affect to the structure is minimal, you can have a designer address just that issue and you can take the rest on separately.
Expect to spend a minimum of $450 for a designer to analyze your project and draw details for the building department.
