Few features accentuate a home’s inviting, cozy and even downright romantic atmosphere quite like an indoor fireplace. Beyond simply keeping your abode toasty when the temperatures drop, choosing the right fireplace for your residence’s structure may save considerable cash in the long run and enhance its potential resale value.
Choosing the most practical fireplace model for your home may require some careful research and possibly professional consultation, but once you feel those waves of soothing warmth caress your cold skin, every second spent weighing the options will instantly and undeniably seem more than worthwhile.
Gas
Though wood-burning fireplaces reign as the traditional preference, many gas fireplaces generate even greater heat more cleanly and cost-effectively. They also require less construction or reconstruction adding to a remodel. Varieties with direct vents through either newly constructed or existing chimneys utilize a pipe to minimize necessary alterations to a house’s structure and facilitate installation in any room. Ventless indoor fireplaces offer the simplest installation
Wood
The crackle and snap of a roaring fire in the belly of a wood-burning hearth is an iconic vision of rustic hospitality and comfort. Traditional open hearths have melted the chill from homes around the world for centuries, typically with solidly built stone or brick. Would burning fireplaces may not heat every room as quickly and thoroughly as many modern designs and can demand considerable labor to install from the opening itself to a properly vented chimney.
On the other hand, enclosed fireplaces allow you to savor the fire’s ambiance as it burns behind a generous glass panel, lose less heat through the chimney and keep more warmth pumping directly into the house. Although not technically “fireplaces” in the commonly regarded sense, wood-burning stoves will allow for burning wood to produce some welcome heat as long as a pipe can vent smoke into the chimney to escape outside.
Finally, a direct vent fireplace insert can be fitted directly into an existing fireplace to convert an aesthetically pleasing-but-inefficient open-hearth model into a more fuel-efficient configuration without sacrificing any of the classic design’s inimitable charm.
Electric
Where cost takes on unavoidable priority, electric fireplaces reign supreme by a sizable margin over nearly every alternative on the market. Their cost-effective heating efficiency is unparalleled. Installation is a comparative breeze. Most will allow you to shut off the heating function entirely with a handy remote while still savoring the atmospheric appeal of the flames themselves. Some will even allow users to customize the look of the flames themselves.
Mantle electric fireplaces are built to mimic a wood-burning fireplace’s traditional elegance as closely as possible without needing chimney access or venting. For unparalleled sophistication, certain lines of media furniture also come with electric fireplaces conveniently equipped for more modestly sized apartments and homes.
Think carefully about the benefits of an indoor fireplace that speak the most to you. Take into account the degree of desired heating, your home’s design, and your existing HVAC network. A new fireplace may entail lifestyle adjustments such as supplying and storing a ready stockpile of firewood or increasing your gas or electrical consumption several months of the year. Whatever you choose, your home is bound to become one decadently alluring oasis in the heart of any winter.
