The Benefits of A Fireplace

Chilling off next to a cozy fireplace is one way to spend family bonding time. A fireplace creates a soothing mood and provides a gathering point for everyone at home when the weather is cold, snowy, or rainy and raw. 

A brick or stone fireplace could be the missing anchor or focal point in your family room. Sure, a TV is great but nothing can create the cohesive ambiance that a fireplace provides. 

With so many fireplace options available, you are definitely not limited to a wood-burning fireplace! For many homeowners, a gas or electric insert is the preferred way to go. If your house wasn’t built with a wood fireplace, you don’t have to undertake the expensive and disruptive process of adding one. Technology offers you the option of adding either a gas or electric fireplace.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can design or build your own fireplace at home.

The Right Location

The right location for a fireplace is important.  An old wood-burning fireplace comes with limited placement choices among a floor-level or a raised hearth on an outside wall.

The possibilities for gas or electric fireplaces are almost endless. Because these can be wall-mounted in any room and at any height.  An open floor plan would be great to add a  fireplace. The fireplace can be in the center of the room and can serve as a focal point for your décor. 

Source of Fuel

There’s nothing like a frizzling wood fire. However, older fireplaces provide more conditions than the actual heat. This is because they spend most of the heat up the chimney. As a result, it can compromise the indoor air quality and create dust in your home. 

A clever solution in adding or updating a fireplace is a new energy-efficient fireplace that is certified by EPA. Having a glass door also makes it cleaner and more efficient. It also reduces smoke and dust as well as stopping it from sucking heat out of the room.

Just a friendly tip from Advantage Team about fire safety, before building a fire, it’s important to have your fireplace and chimney inspected and cleaned by a certified chimney sweep. Make sure to eliminate fire hazards such as creosote buildup. Also, remember to keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

Style of your Fireplace

The fireplace doesn’t have to be a traditional brick hearth with a wood mantel for displaying family keepsakes. For a natural, rustic look, there are several ways to use stone that look great and inspire a muted palette of grays and browns for the room. Let go of the mantel and try exploring the height of the room with a floor-to-ceiling surround.

Fireplace or Fire Pits Outdoors

Adding a fire pit to your outdoor living space would be a great upgrade. It would definitely turn your outdoor space into another family room. Plus that you would love to extend the time you can spend outdoors with a fire pit on the patio. 

Tips for Wood-Fire Lovers

  • For a cleaner-burning fire, you should go for hardwood such as oak, hickory, or ash that has been seasoned for at least six months
  • Place logs at the rear of the fireplace
  • Don’t overload it with too many logs at once
  • Never leave the fire unattended
  • Make sure it is completely extinguished before you leave the house or going to bed
  • Store wood out-of-doors and away from the house. 
  • Place it off the ground or on a foundation of cinder blocks or on runners made of pressure-treated lumber. 
  • Be artistic by creating a mini tower of logs in a crisscross pattern at each end. This will allow the air to circulate and then fill the space between the two towers with the rest of the logs. 
  • Don’t forget to cover the stack with a tarp without allowing the tarp to rest directly on the wood.
  • A manufactured fire log is a handy substitute for wood. Make sure to follow the directions on the label. Manufactured logs produce almost no heat, are expensive, and can be hard to extinguish if necessary. 

The fireplace is considered a sought-after feature that adds to a home’s value. It’s never been easier or more energy-efficient to have one. If adding a fireplace is not in your list of small and easy projects to do, you can check our blog on Small, Easy Improvements To Make While You’re At Home. 

On the other hand, if adding or updating a fireplace is one of your lists to your small projects and you are out of ideas on how to start and complete the project, Let Advantage Design + Remodel help you. Advantage Design + Remodeler’s Team has lots of design and planning ideas. 

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