Choose And Set Up The Right Fireplace For Your Home

Whether youre building a brand new home or redesigning your old one, chances are the fireplace is one of the first items you think of. Fireplaces are essential to the function and design of any room. Properly designed and installed, a fireplace can add instant warmth and serve as the rooms focal point, pulling all the other room elements together. Unfortunately, the opposite also applies: if you choose the wrong fireplace, you also end up with a room thats imbalanced, ill-proportioned, or lacking in character.

Fireplaces now come in various designs and styles, so theres sure to be one that will work for you. Here are a number of simple tips to help you choose the perfect fireplace for your home.

Determine your needs. Do you want a strictly decorative fireplace or something thats both aesthetic and functional? A couple of marble fireplaces are entirely decorative, but most are designed to contain at least one basic heating element. If you want a functional fireplace, you will have to work with available heating systems and your chimney type, which can limit your choices. Brick, marble, and stone finishes typically work for all applications.

Know your chimney type. A few chimney types work with various heating sources. Here are the most common types of chimney:

Class 1 Flue: Usually found in older houses, this type is characterized by a stone or brick chimney stack that measures seven inches across or more. This type of chimney works with all heat sources.

Class 2 Flue: Homes built after 1960 will normally have this chimney type. The Class 2 Flue possess a slightly smaller steel flue liner in place of the brick structure. It works with gas, electric fires, and LPG, but is not advisable for solid fires like logs or wood.

Pre-cast Flue: Several new homes are fitted with a pre-cast flue, identified by a small rectangular box on the roof. As with the Class 2 Flue, it works with all heat sources except logs or woods.

If you dont have a chimney, your choices are an electric fireplace or one with either a balanced flue or powerflue system. Powerflues offer the rustic look of a traditional fire, but require an electric source in the proximity of the fireplace. Balanced flues are placed behind a glass panel, which can cut down artistic appeal and warmth.

Proportion your fireplace. The size of your fireplace and your room should be proportional to one another. A big fireplace works well in a big room, and a small fireplace should be adequate for a smaller room. Also consider your available wall space, and see to it that theres adequate floor space in front of the fire to help the heat spread.

Specify a budget. Price will always be a major concern when it comes to fireplaces. They typically cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Before selecting a type and finish, look at the available prices online and determine what you can work with.

Select the perfect material. The material you selected have an effect on both the appearance and the function of your fireplace. Brick and stone are commonly referred to as the best fireplace materials due to the fact that they heat extremely well, unlike metal and wood which need to be well-insulated. Try to match your homes architectural style: a steel grate will go well with a classic, elegant look, while a wood or brick finish will suit a rustic country theme.

Consider ongoing costs. When you buy a fireplace, you dont pay just for the unit itself. Power and fuel costs have to be taken into account, as well as the price of cleaning and maintenance. Look for one thats confirmed energy-efficient by regulating bodiesyoull normally find the energy stamp on the package.


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About the Author:
Steve Harmon is a general contractor with over 25 years of experience in the construction business and the author of several building and construction articles on redeco.org. Steve has been building things since he was a kid, and his mastery in everything from building materials to proper H/VAC design, combined with his clear and simple writing style, has made him one of the most famous writers on redeco.org.