Fire. It cooks our food, it warms us, and provides a comforting glow that chases away the darkness that closes in this time of year. The hearth, whether in front of a fireplace or woodstove, has long been the centerpiece of the home because of this importance, and it’s still true today. Adding a fireplace or stove to your home not only adds ambience, it can add value. Buyers frequently place fireplaces on the top of their list of must-have features when looking for a new home. Have a fireplace on your wish list? There are many ways to make your wish for fire come true.
WOOD BURNING FIREPLACES: TRADITIONAL WAYS FOR GATHERING ‘ROUND
There’s nothing like the crackling of a fire, but there are hidden costs to enjoying a traditional fireplace. Not only are they the least energy efficient when it comes to providing heat for your home, they are also the most time-intensive. Chopping, hauling or buying firewood, ash cleanup, and all-important maintenance should all be considered when thinking about installing a wood-burning fireplace.
Fireplaces, regardless of type, should be inspected every year before the season starts. In this case, that means inspecting the chimney and flue (the opening in the chimney) for holes, loose mortar, or buildup of creosote, which can cause a chimney fire. Should creosote be found, you’ll need to have the chimney cleaned. One way to avoid creosote build-up is to make sure the firewood you’re using is cured before burning.
Traditional fireplaces have one other drawback. While lovely to look at, they aren’t very good at heating the home, since most of the heat escapes up the chimney. Consider a wood or gas fireplace insert. These inserts not only seal up a drafty fireplace, their fans blow the fire’s warm air out into the room. The result? You get to keep your traditional fireplace surround and enjoy a fire, but with much more heating efficiency.
GAS FIREPLACES: INSTANTLY BRINGING WARMTH TO YOUR HOME
If you love the look of a “real” fire but hate the effort, a gas fireplace can give you the best of both worlds, all while giving you a fire with a simple press of a button.
Most gas fireboxes contain realistic-looking logs and flames, so that you won’t feel like you’re missing out, and they easily fit into your home’s décor just like a traditional fireplace. If you have more modern tastes, there are contemporary-styled fireboxes that, rather than try to mimic a “real” fire, they highlight the flames and clean lines with stone or glass rocks that surround the burner.
Either of these style fireboxes are further enhanced with architectural features, like the surround, hearth, and mantel. Of course, many contemporary designs stand out for having few, if any, of these touches. The materials you choose — brick, stone, tile, or wood — should all work with each other, as well as with your home’s existing architecture, for a cohesive design.
When it comes to upkeep, gas fireplaces are much less time-consuming. It’s simply a matter of vacuuming dust or debris out of the firebox, logs and burners before you first use it for the season. Any other maintenance or repair to the gas line or connections, whether propane or natural gas, should be handled by a professional.
FREESTANDING STOVES: SPACE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Want the warming benefits of a real fire but lack the space for a full fireplace? A freestanding wood or gas stove might be the perfect option. Like the potbelly stoves from the 1800s, today’s stoves are typically made from cast iron, but you’ll also find them made from welded steel. The beautiful modern versions of traditional stoves come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, but many feature glass doors, so you can still see the beauty of the fire that lies inside.
Today’s modern stoves, whether wood or gas burning, are designed to be very efficient when it comes to heating, so the choice again comes down to how much work you want to put into maintaining fires and cleaning up after them. It should be noted that there is one distinct advantage of the freestanding gas stove — there are vent-free options. These stoves don’t require any venting to the outside, so it’s much easier to locate and install, with the help of a professional, of course.
FIRE PITS AND CHIMINEAS: COZYING UP OUTDOORS
While a fireplace or stove can feel cozy indoors, there’s something especially enjoyable about a fire outside, accompanied by the sounds of nature. Having a fire pit or chiminea on your patio provides the perfect gathering place and helps extend the outdoor entertaining season.
Having a fire pit in your backyard can be as simple as purchasing a freestanding metal design, or you may choose to go the more permanent route by installing a stone kit or custom design. Either way, the possibilities are endless, and the result is sure to be a place where family and friends will naturally want to gravitate.
Another easy-to-install option is a chiminea, which is essentially a small outdoor fireplace. From the Spanish word for chimney, they are traditionally made of clay or terra cotta, but you can also find them made of copper, steel, or even cast iron. Their freestanding design makes them easy to place and change locations.
We’re in that time of year when the days can be gray and the nights long and cold; when we long for the comfort of family and friends around a fire. Since time immemorial fire has called to us, and we have answered by gathering around to embrace its warmth, bask in its glow, and be hypnotized by its dancing flames. While no longer a necessity for survival, a roaring fire is a primal way to unplug from the modern world.