22 August 2020
How to Select the Perfect Fireplace for your Home
The perfect addition to your home during the current Australian winter season is a fireplace. Fireplaces create a stylish focal point while adding character and sparkle to any room.
There are a number of exciting designs available today from freestanding wood fireplaces to minimalist insert fireplaces among many others. With the wide range of heating products available, it is understandable that many people can get overwhelmed when choosing the perfect one for their home.
Read on for practical tips on how you can select and get the most fitting fireplace today.
Selecting the Perfect Fireplace
There are several key factors to look at when choosing a fireplace. You first have to decide whether the fireplace will be your primary source of heating for your living room. Is it for aesthetic reasons and creating a charming atmosphere, or do you want one that can provide both?
Clearly defining what you need is an excellent first step in identifying the best fireplace for your home. You can also include things like budget and style preferences here to get a clearer idea of your ideal set up.
Deciding how you’ll fuel your fireplace or heater is also a significant consideration. Here is a breakdown of the features of using gas, electric, or wood fireplaces.
Wood fireplaces
Wood fireplaces are reasonably straightforward to use and maintain as they run on firewood. As the most conventional and oldest fireplace choice, people choose these fireplaces because they enjoy that authentic smell, look, and sound of burning timber as well as generally heating larger areas.
Pros
- The atmosphere of a freestanding wood fireplace is unmatchable, with its welcoming aroma and sound of burning crackling logs
- Wood Fires offer a way to stay warm, have light and cook if the power goes out during winter
- These fireplaces work anytime provided you have kindling, wood, and a matchstick or firelighter
- Wood can also be a reasonably cheap source of fuel.
Cons
- Wood fireplaces require moving and storing wood, which means some extra work is necessary
- Traditional open wood fireplaces aren’t very efficient, but slow combustion fireplaces can be very efficient potentially heating a whole home
Gas fireplaces
While people still treasure their wood-burning heat sources, many people today in Australia live busy lives. For such people with limited time to deal with firewood, a gas fireplace offers a hassle-free solution from zonal or multi room heating.
Pros
- Gas fireplaces turn on instantly and can generate large amounts of heat.
- They also offer more control over the heat production through additional features like remote controls and thermostats
- Gas fireplaces have minimal maintenance needs as you don’t need to clean any ash, only an annual service
- Gas fireplaces are efficient as well as decorative with some models even featuring accent lighting. Some models can also be used during a power outage like a wood heater.
Cons
- Even though the ceramic logs used in gas fireplaces look much more realistic today than in the past, they can still lack that realistic effect of genuine fire since the logs never move.
- You will need a gas line installed to the fireplace, which may require additional resources
Electric fireplaces
Electric fireplaces use electricity as the fuel source and project images of artificial flames. Even though they can generate some heat they do not come close to wood or gas fireplaces.
Pros
- Electric fireplaces are ideal in tight areas where a gas or wood fireplaces could not be flued.
- Installation is straight forward as it just involves plugging them into a power point
cons
- They will not work during power outages
- They provide very little heat and rely on electricity
- The images of the fire are fake flames
The above information is a basic summary of three types of fireplaces, but it is hoped that it has helped you decide on the perfect fireplace to install in your home. Regardless of which type of fireplace you decide on, a fireplaces provides fantastic ambience and added value to any home.
The perfect addition to your home during the current Australian winter season is a fireplace. Fireplaces create a stylish focal point while adding character and sparkle to any room.
There are a number of exciting designs available today from freestanding wood fireplaces to minimalist insert fireplaces among many others. With the wide range of heating products available, it is understandable that many people can get overwhelmed when choosing the perfect one for their home.
Read on for practical tips on how you can select and get the most fitting fireplace today.
Selecting the Perfect Fireplace
There are several key factors to look at when choosing a fireplace. You first have to decide whether the fireplace will be your primary source of heating for your living room. Is it for aesthetic reasons and creating a charming atmosphere, or do you want one that can provide both?
Clearly defining what you need is an excellent first step in identifying the best fireplace for your home. You can also include things like budget and style preferences here to get a clearer idea of your ideal set up.
Deciding how you’ll fuel your fireplace or heater is also a significant consideration. Here is a breakdown of the features of using gas, electric, or wood fireplaces.
Wood fireplaces
Wood fireplaces are reasonably straightforward to use and maintain as they run on firewood. As the most conventional and oldest fireplace choice, people choose these fireplaces because they enjoy that authentic smell, look, and sound of burning timber as well as generally heating larger areas
Pros
- The atmosphere of a freestanding wood fireplace is unmatchable, with its welcoming aroma and sound of burning crackling logs
- Wood Fires offer a way to stay warm, have light and cook if the power goes out during winter
- These fireplaces work anytime provided you have kindling, wood, and a matchstick or firelighter
- Wood can also be a reasonably cheap source of fuel.
cons
- Wood fireplaces require moving and storing wood, which means some extra work is necessary
- Traditional open wood fireplaces aren’t very efficient, but slow combustion fireplaces can be very efficient potentially heating a whole home
Gas fireplaces
While people still treasure their wood-burning heat sources, many people today in Australia live busy lives. For such people with limited time to deal with firewood, a gas fireplace offers a hassle-free solution from zonal or multi room heating.
Pros
- Gas fireplaces turn on instantly and can generate large amounts of heat.
- They also offer more control over the heat production through additional features like remote controls and thermostats
- Gas fireplaces have minimal maintenance needs as you don’t need to clean any ash, only an annual service
- Gas fireplaces are efficient as well as decorative with some models even featuring accent lighting. Some models can also be used during a power outage like a wood heater.
cons
- Even though the ceramic logs used in gas fireplaces look much more realistic today than in the past, they can still lack that realistic effect of genuine fire since the logs never move.
- You will need a gas line installed to the fireplace, which may require additional resources
Electric fireplaces
Electric fireplaces use electricity as the fuel source and project images of artificial flames. Even though they can generate some heat they do not come close to wood or gas fireplaces.
Pros
- Electric fireplaces are ideal in tight areas where a gas or wood fireplaces could not be flued.
- Installation is straight forward as it just involves plugging them into a power point
cons
- They will not work during power outages
- They provide very little heat and rely on electricity
- The images of the fire are fake flames
The above information is a basic summary of three types of fireplaces, but it is hoped that it has helped you decide on the perfect fireplace to install in your home. Regardless of which type of fireplace you decide on, a fireplaces provides fantastic ambience and added value to any home.
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