A Fireplace For Your Home - A Look at the Choices Available

Fireplaces have the uncanny ability to add warmth and appeal to any space in the home, with popular locations straying from the traditional living room focal point. Homeowners are now including fireplaces in their kitchens, bathrooms, kitchens and even as a source of heat for their patios.

Due to increasing popularity of fireplaces in the home, new technologies have become available in recent years that allow homeowners to address safety and efficiency issues of the past.

Gas fireplaces, or gas logs as they are often called, have reduced the need of homeowners to traipse outside in their slippers in order to bring in firewood. They operate with a series of gas burners sometimes located within ceramic logs, in order to give a more realistic visual.

Due to safety concerns surrounding vent-free fireplaces which became popular beginning in the 1970s, manufacturers have developed an auto shut-off switch that is attached to what is called an oxygen depletion sensor, or an ODS. The ODS continuously measures the amount of oxygen in the area surrounding the vent-free fireplace, and triggers the shut-off switch if the readings drop below what is determined to be a safe level.

Many homeowners still prefer to burn real wood in their fireplaces, regardless of the need to replenish the firewood and clean the hearth. For this reason, manufacturers have also made available new improved options for wood-burning traditional fireplaces.

Most of these new wood-burning options are equipped with what is called a direct vent system. This means that the fireplace requires venting through a chimney or other wall opening. It significantly limits the ability of some homeowners to place fireplaces in non traditional locations throughout their homes.

Still a third option in terms of the types of fireplaces available is a clean-burn system that burns both wood and the resulting gases in order to increase the friendliness to the environment with reduced emissions.

Primarily, the goal of manufacturers of new and improved home fireplace systems has been to decrease the environmental damage caused by traditional wood-burning fireplaces, and to increase efficiency of systems used to provide heat. Their new systems have actually managed to do much more!

Gas fireplaces reduce the amount of cleanup required by homeowners, who are generally using their fireplaces to help in relaxing after a long day or week at the office. These are people who do not necessarily have the time required to perform the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance required of traditional brick or stone fireplaces. They are looking to get the same benefits with less of a time commitment.

The new systems meet EPA requirements for reduced emissions, and with the continuously rising price of heating fuels throughout the country, these new fireplaces provide additional or alternative methods by which a homeowner can heat their rooms or their home.

Imagine having the ability to use the same remote control that activates your flat screen television to turn on your fireplace, creating an warm and welcoming environment for you and your guests. This reality used to be a dream, but thanks to the efforts of fireplace manufacturers, these ideas are now a reality.


This home building article by:
Michelle McClory with BuildingPlans.com

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