How to choose a fireplace for your home

Fireplace in a country house, what could be better, in cold weather, gather the whole family near a smoldering fireplace with stories of the past day.

If this idea is still at the project level, we will help you by telling you the main nuances of the choice. First, let’s look at the main characteristics that must be considered when buying a fireplace..

Decide on the purpose of buying a fireplace. If the fireplace is installed to decorate the room, a fireplace with an open firebox is better, and perhaps installing an electric fireplace with artificial fire is sufficient. For heating, it is better to install a wood or gas fireplace with a closed firebox, they give off maximum heat.

Portable or built-in. If you want to install a built-in or wall-mounted stone fireplace, it is better to take into account its location already at the stage of building a house, its installation requires several fire safety requirements. If you plan to install a fireplace in an already finished room, you need to calculate the additional load on the floor, taking into account the weight of the fireplace. With a portable or mobile fireplace, it is easier, in this case, you can limit yourself to the choice of size and general design, how often and where you will move it.

If the fireplace has a heating function, its main characteristic will be power. To calculate the power, you need to know the volume of the heated room. For example, for a room of 250m3, a power of 10kW is sufficient. Also, when calculating the power, it is necessary to take into account the presence of other sources of heating, thermal insulation of the heated area and fluctuations in the outside air temperature..

The appearance of the fireplace is also not an unimportant issue. If you opted for a built-in or wall-mounted fireplace, it is better to purchase only a fireplace insert, and order the finishing separately, this will allow you to change it if you decide to update the interior in a couple of years. For a mobile fireplace, you will have to make an unambiguous choice, since the market is ready to offer a huge selection for the most sophisticated taste.

Quality fireplaces and fireplace inserts are equipped with a double combustion system. This technology distributes air flows during fuel combustion, which increases the combustion process, increasing efficiency while saving fuel and reducing the amount of harmful emissions, and the atmosphere.

Now let’s look at the main types of fireplaces.

The wood-burning fireplace is fired with wood and consists of a chimney, firebox, and cladding. By location, they are divided into wall, corner and free-standing (island). Wood-burning fireplaces come with an open firebox or a closed one. The closed firebox is equipped with a transparent fire-resistant glass door, which gives such a fireplace additional fire safety. Some doors, such as Supra, Edilkamin and Spartherm, are equipped with a «clean glass» system and silent glass lifting mechanisms. A fireplace with a closed hearth heats rooms with a larger area as they have a greater heat output. To install a wood-burning fireplace, a chimney is required. A properly laid chimney will provide you with the correct draft, so it is better to entrust this to a professional.

The fire in a gas fireplace is formed with natural gas or liquefied propane. Outwardly, such a fireplace does not differ at all from a wood-burning one. Ignition in a gas fireplace takes place instantly, and, therefore, heating is faster. Such a fireplace is easier to use, almost silent and less fire hazardous, but you still have to get permission from the fire service. The gas fireplace can be mobile, which is useful for heating other rooms. The installation and laying of the internal gas pipeline should only be carried out by a specialist gasman..

An electric fireplace is a household appliance. For its operation, it is enough just to connect to the mains. There are also a lot of advantages here, and the main one is that there is no need for a complex chimney installation, which means that it can be installed even in a small apartment or study. Electric fireplaces can be used for heating, and simply decorate the interior, simulating a natural flame. They are quite mobile, have a rather low price and a variety of sizes and designs of portals. They can be both in the form of a portable firebox, and in the form of a built-in hearth, where you will be offered to choose the facing individually.

Bio fireplaces. They have appeared on our market quite recently. They represent a glass flask with a hearth inside. They work on biofuel (denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol). They do not require the installation of a chimney, and all the heat is emitted into the room, but nevertheless they are more of a part of the interior, due to the rather high price.

Installation and assembly of such complex equipment as a fireplace should be performed only by qualified specialists. Do not forget that the fireplace runs on flammable materials, so you need to strictly follow the fire safety rules and operating conditions.