by Jackie Kennard
If there’s one part of your home that can significantly add great ambiance, it’s your fireplace. “People are looking to the hearth to be a decorating focal point,” says Steve Wagner, fireplace and hearth expert for Plow & Hearth catalog.
Subscribers who participated in 2008 Country’s Best Log Homes reader survey listed at least one fireplace among features they most want in their home. And with good reason: A fireplace is one of the most iconic features of a log home, and it improves the home’s value.
Efficiency and practicality are at the top of the list of log-home fireplace trends — as long as appearance is not compromised. Traditional styles remain the most popular, but they’re no longer limited to only wood burning models. Owners can choose from gel fueled stoves, and gas models, and electric fireplaces that come in everything from rustic classic to modern art.
Traditional wood-burning fireplaces are typically constructed of masonry or are
factory-built out of cast-iron, plate steel, or even lighter metals such as aluminum. Sizes range from small to magnificent and the hearths are almost always a dramatic focal point.
Quick kindling points on wood-burning fireplaces:
• Today’s models must follow strict guidelines for safety and emissions. EPA clean-burning woodstoves and fireplaces are designed to efficiently burn wood with a lower rate of creosote buildup and with lower emissions of environmental pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).
• Performance is important. “Most people like to add a heat exchange system to their fireplace to best utilize the heat,” Wagner says.
A wood-burning fireplace is a very distinct and visible feature to a home. Its style most often resembles that of the home. For instance, in a log home, stone is the most popular option and is usually complemented with a log or timber mantel.
If you require plenty of heat, choose either a clean-burning or EPA-certified wood-burning fireplace.
Natural gas/ propane fireplaces
“The most attractive characteristic of a gas fireplace is its instant-on ability,” say the experts at Fireplaces & Wood Stoves, an online guide to fireplaces ( www.fire-placesandwoodstoves.com).
No longer do you have to compromise on appearance. Companies like Fireplace
FIREPLACE XTRODINAIR
CHAMPLAIN STONE
Xtraordinair use a technology that has the look and feel of real wood.
The beauty of the hearth also comes from accessorizing. “We sell a lot of accessories for gas units because they often need to be decorated in order to create the same feel of a wood burning fireplace,” Wagner says.
There are two types of gas fireplaces: Complete units ready for installation, and gas log inserts designed to be installed as a retrofit for a traditional wood-burning fireplace.
Flip-of-the-switch points on gas fireplaces:
• Gas fireplaces are available in either vented or ventless models. Vented models
use either a traditional chimney/flue or a vent pipe. Ventless models require no special venting, which means that they can be installed in almost any location. These units are quite safe as long as your home has an adequate air exchange system in place. Setting a vent-free fireplace directly under a window is a growing trend especially when it is a European inspired “ ribbon” fireplace that has the appearance of fine art.
• Gas fireplaces come with thermostats and remote controls.
• Gas-burning fireplaces and stoves can be placed on nearly any wall or in the center of a room.
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