What better way to tune out the hectic pace of the post-holidays than to sit down in front of a crackling fire and allow it to soothe your senses with its dancing flames and rustic aromas. I can think of no better way to bring your family together and silence the unending barrage of mindless television programming than to light a fire. I am forever grateful for the memories of my childhood in Denmark where my family spent so many evenings quietly reading together in front of our family fireplace. From a design point of view, a fireplace can completely change the feel of a room. This can be especially welcome by those whose homes lack strong architectural details such as built-ins or picture windows. Add a fireplace and it immediately becomes a focal point around which the rest of the room can be designed.
Because most of today’s gas, pellet and wood stoves do not have to be vented through traditional masonry chimneys, you don’t have to make significant alterations to your home to add a fireplace. There are styles to suit nearly every décor, ranging from ultra- modern to neo-traditional. Many also offer the flexibility of being installed at varying heights so that you can maximum viewing pleasure based on the way you use the room.
Modern advances in fireplace technology mean today’s stoves burn cleaner and more efficiently than older fireplaces so it is important to consider the following information before you light up:
Masonry Fireplaces: Although a staple in many homes, traditional masonry fireplaces are not efficient sources of heating and are a major source of indoor and outdoor air pollution. If you do choose to burn in a masonry fireplace, contact us to have one of our certified contractors come out and check for air flow issues that can significantly impact the amount of smoke the fireplace produces and the level of heat loss you may experience. Masonry fireplaces should be cleaned regularly by a professional. Remember as well to only burn dry, untreated wood or manufactured logs, which produce less air pollution than wood. Never burn materials such as cardboards, plastics, magazines or boxes. The colored inks on commercial materials such as these can produce harmful chemicals when burned.
Wood Stoves: Available in a wide range of styles and sizes, today’s wood stoves can help you reduce your heating costs and you can find sizes that will heat everything from a single room to an entire home. They require less firewood than traditional fireplaces and burn cleanly, producing hardly any smoke or ash. In fact, according to the EPA, older uncertified stoves and fireplaces release 40 to 60 grams of smoke per hour but newer EPA-certified stoves produce only two to five grams of smoke per hour.
Pellet Stoves: Pellet stoves are one of the cleanest-burning heating options available today. They burn dried wood and other biomass wastes that are compressed into pellets. Unlike log-burning stoves, these high-efficiency stoves can be vented through a wall.
Gas Stoves: Clean-burning and versatile, gas stoves burn either natural gas or propane. They require very little maintenance and can be installed in almost any room since they can be vented through an existing chimney or direct-vented through the wall behind the stove.
What better time of year than now to give your family the gift of an energy-efficient, clean-burning fireplace that will enhance the beauty and appeal of your home and give you the opportunity to create warm family memories in the months and years to come.