Warm up to getting a fireplace…
People have gathered around fire for thousands of years. Sometimes finding yourself around a fireplace is purely for warmth while in others, it is for social reasons. . Whether it is alone or with family and friends, spending time in front of a warm fireplace is comforting and a little indulgent. Adding a fireplace in your home can make winter a season you actually look forward to.
Fireplaces in winter come with a host of benefits and advantages for you, your home and the people you share it with. When you choose to install or buy a fireplace, there is plenty to look forward to and plenty to appreciate.
Gas vs. wood
This is a debate you may already have had but each type of fireplace has its benefits over the other. We’ll take you through each and allow you to decide which benefits you most.
The benefits of gas fireplaces
1. Heat
For all the beauty that a wood fireplace promises, it simply cannot offer the same constant heat supply of their gas counterparts. Gas fireplaces provide a more consistent supply of warmth. Some models even come with a built-in blower that helps circulate warm air throughout the room and your home.
2. Convenience
One of the main reasons for gas fireplace popularity is its unrivalled convenience. This could be a section on its own but we’ll touch on the most prominent convenience benefits. Firstly, having a gas fireplace means you no longer need to buy, chop or store firewood and can forego harming trees. Secondly, there is far less cleaning involved than with wood fireplaces. This is because the absence of logs and a chimney means no ash or creosote is involved. Lastly, some manufacturers produce gas fireplaces that can be operated by remote, giving you click-of-a-button convenience.
3. Style
Gas fireplaces offer a profoundly wider scope for varying designs. They are built in a number of different styles to match their surroundings and your taste, making them both a functionally and aesthetically sound choice.
The benefits of wood fireplaces
1. Ambience
There are those among us who yearn for nostalgia. Wood fireplaces help satisfy that yearning for an authentic feel, with the unique aroma of burning wood. If you romanticise about the traditional gathering around fires, then consider installing a wood fireplace.
2. They don’t require electricity
On those rare occasions when there is a power outage; wood fireplaces can provide immeasurable comfort, warmth and light because they do not need any electricity.
3. Great for keeping green
Today wood fireplaces are built to be far more efficient than their predecessors. New fireplace inserts can heat a room for up to three times longer than traditional fireplaces, using the same amount of wood, and they are more environmentally friendly than their fossil fuel rivals.
If you’re considering installing a fireplace, you’ll be reaping the following benefits as well:
- Efficiency – Fireplaces are a more energy efficient solution to heating your home, particularly with advancements in design and functionality.
- Energy Independence – A well designed, properly functioning fireplace can significantly reduce your home’s reliance on central heating.
- Cost saving – Ultimately, fireplaces will cost you less than central heating systems and you will see a welcome change in your utility bills.
- Fireplaces keep you warm but they can also be the deciding factor in what really brings a home or room together in terms of appearance. They create a special ambience, while complementing the existing surroundings as a unique design feature.
The spectrum of styles and finishes has grown immensely in recent times. We would be happy to share some of the developments and ideas that could be added to your home.
