Ember Fireplaces

After visiting several fireplace stores, we decided to purchase a Mendota fireplace from Marta and Keith at Ember Fireplaces because of their showroom display collection, their knowledge of the features among the various lines they carry, and their competitive price. We enjoyed our experience with them because the relaxed atmosphere included no high pressure sales tactics. They were willing to work with us on our renovation’s extended timeline. Keith came to our house to answer questions about the preparation of the fireplace location. At this point, the fireplace is installed and working; we are enjoying sitting in front of it. We are pleased with the fireplace and our interactions with the people at Ember fireplaces.

It went great! It's beautiful and really lifts the visual impact when you enter our home. I really love it. Now fireplaces are complicated with several different trades, including electrical, plumbing, carpentry and tile. Ember worked with out busy schedules since we needed to be home when the work Was happening but we got the job done over a few weeks. Probably could have been quicker but we could only be home one or two days a week! We are very pleased!!

I would definitely recommend Ember to anyone looking to upgrade their fireplace. We had a woodburning fireplace with a brick surround that we wanted to change to gas.
We initially hired local contractors to do it but they turned out to be scammers. After they demo-ed the old fireplace, we fired them and decided to go with Ember due to all the great reviews we had seen.
Marta and Keith were great - always responsive.
We had to get the permits ourselves from our town, but they were very knowledgeable in how to go about it and helped us all along the way.
They also helped us pick out the tile to go around the fireplace which is absolutely beautiful.
The TV was mounted but when we decided we wanted it moved a little, Keith came by and fixed it, no questions asked.
I wish we had gone with them initially - you do pay a higher price, but that is for the quality of work and service you receive.

Was having some issues with my fireplace that a prior owner installed and wasn't sure where to turn. Ember was able to quickly identifying the model and send someone out. Ultimately it was a very minor issue but was glad to have an expert to check out the equipment and provide some instruction. Only issue was that it was a bit expensive and I wonder if it could have been diagnosed over the phone. That said, I would still recommend Ember.

Marta and team were great!  I had an existing odd brick faux fireplace that was put into my 1920s house for no apparent reason, but wanted to replace it with a working unit, especially since my oil bill was through the roof last winter.  Since there was so much brick in place, I didn't know if it was best to tear it down and start from zero or use the existing brick as part of the new design. I had called several fireplace experts over the past year, but nobody was able to help with the design through the installation like Ember did.

We started out with a visit to my home, then we looked at several options while Marta got a feel for what I liked. She presented a design that we changed a bit over some discussions and in the end I loved it.  We decided to keep the existing brick and build out the fireplace to make it fit the insert, then lower the hearth and add a reclaimed wood mantle. We also opted to paint the brick white to give it a current look while keeping in the style of the house. 

Marta was great about providing me several options for financing, as I didn't have the entire amount in cash to lay out for the project.  The financing process was smooth and easy, and shortly after we decided to move ahead I was approved and we were ready for the demo.

The demo went great, and the team was very clean and tidy, given they had to demo a bunch of brick to get the insert space right and demo the raised hearth.  We had a couple of delays due to permits and inspections, but overall I am VERY happy with the results (see photos) and overall the installation was a breeze.  I used the fireplace this weekend for the first time and it quickly heated my entire downstairs to a comfy 70 degrees.

I will mention that there were three snafus during the project, which Marta worked to quickly address and rectify. 

First, they hadn't initially pulled a permit for the work - which we discovered after I asked on the first day.  This delayed the project for a couple of weeks while we waited for the permit to arrive.  I believe they thought I was pulling it and I thought they were, so in the end it was a simple miscommunication. 

Second, the person laying the bricks to build out the fireplace laid them in a pattern that didn't integrate with the old brick, so there was a "grout seam" down each side, making it look like the additional brick was bolted on.  When I texted Marta the photos, she quickly agreed that the work wasn't right, and sent someone in to take down the brick that had been put up and then redo it so that it looked like the brick was there all along. 

Finally, I had mentioned that I needed to get the ceiling painted, which I believe the painter took to mean I would have it painted after the work was done. In fact, I am not planning to have it painted until the spring. Unfortunately, he wasn't careful with the white paint on the fireplace at the top, so there are white paint marks on the ceiling, which could have easily been prevented with painters tape.  However, I believe this was a simple miscommunication, not something that was intentionally done. 

Again, these were minor in comparison to the fact that they are a full-service shop and I had a very unique situation.  The team really went above and beyond with the work - they even identified a small gas leak in one of the lines in the basement and also fixed one of the electrical outlets next to the fireplace when they discovered it wasn't working - all at no charge. 

Everyone that has come to my home can't believe how beautiful the fireplace is and how it completely transformed the look of my home.  When I renovate my basement, I may add a fireplace there too, and will definitely use Ember again. I am so happy with Ember and would highly recommend them to anyone!

The installation of the gas line was less than half a day. Despite minor obstacles in our basement, the installers installed the line and left the installation area immaculate. Once the line was in, the ventless system was installed. All employees wore protectors over their footwear in the main living area so the floors would not get scuffed or dirty.

The team was polite, punctual and did what they said they'd do. We used the fireplace for a little less than a year. The owner came out for a routine checkup, found a defective switch, replaced it (under warranty). Punctual. Clean. Top notch service.

Highly recommend.

Ember came highly recommended to us through a client of ours. As a Woodworker my plan was to build the Mantel and have Ember install the actual unit.  Keith and Marta spent an evening discussing all the options that worked with our Design plan. When we were ready Keith and Sammy came to do the installation including a new gas line from the basement to the second floor. They were neat and clean and the installation came out as expected.
I can tell you that Ember was more concerned with my satisfaction then they were about collecting their balance.  There was one part missing from the order (it happens, no biggie ) and they would not take the balance until they were 100% complete and I was happy. As a Business owner I feel this speaks volumes of the integrity of a company and building on customer satisfaction is the fastest way to success.  
I have and will continue to recommend them to everyone.
Andrew

unknown

Excellent service
Friendly
Great price
Keith's crew was as good as he was

Keith and Marta were great to work with and managed all of the unexpected challenges of our job very professionally and collaboratively, we couldn't be happier.  We had a very traditional, wood burning fireplace with one full wall of our family room being completely brick with a raised brick hearth.  We wanted to convert to gas, remove the raised hearth and replace the brick with a more modern looking finish. We had a good idea of what we wanted to do at the start of the project but after discussing various options with Keith and Marta, we agreed to alter the design and go with a slate cultured stone for the fireplace surround while covering some of the brick in sheetrock to make the room feel more unified.  We discovered along the way that we needed to upgrade our existing gas line to accommodate the fireplace and while Ember did not perform that part of the job, they were nonetheless helpful in assuring it was done correctly.  The finished product is beautiful, much more aligned with the style of our home and we are very satisfied with the result!

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Keith from Ember fireplace came home, took the measurements showed the fireplaces and gave a good price on the whole installation. 
The work was very professional and on time. 
Highly recommend him for the work.

from start to finish - it was executed very professionally

My initial contact with the company started very positive. Marta quickly responded to my email inquiry and after an exchange of a few emails I had an appointment in less than two weeks. Keith, the technician, came within the window of time that was scheduled and he was professional and knowledgable about the unit he was about to work on. Keith reviewed the workings of fireplace with me when he opened it and before he left, he educating me on the functions of the remote, something I was not never properly instructed on it when it was installed a couple of years ago. In the course of our conversation, I realized that both Marta and Keith are partners in the company and it was very clear that they had skin-in-the game to service their customers and grow their business. I highly recommend Ember Fireplaces because of the quality experience. I look forward to having them service my gas grill in the near future.

Keith was informative, polite, and clean. He explained what he was doing, what the problem was, and how he could fix it. No doubt that we'll do business with him and Ember Fireplaces again.

I checked Angie's list on a Sunday evening and put in a request for service on Sunday evening. Ember Fireplaces emailed back 30 min later giving me 2 options for appointments for either the following day or 2 days later. In their email they also indicated they would call me the next day, Monday. On Monday morning at 9am they called and they came the same day in the evening, accomodating my schedule. They worked at 7pm on my fire place. Both partners of the company were very polite and professional, explaining all the different steps and leaving my family room in mint condition. They worked very efficiently and I am very pleased with the result. Quick, efficient and quality work. I can only recommend their services!

We have had Sammy from Ember come and service our wood burning wood stove for the past 5 years. 
He makes the process easy by reminding us that it?s time to schedule.   He is always on time and does his work quickly and professionally making sure that it?s perfectly operational for the upcoming season.  The stove was a god-sent during the Sandy power outage and it?s good to know that it will be in operating order in case of another storm.