This Mendota gas insert offers a specially designed fuller view of the fire, with a variety of door style options, available at Bowman’s Stove & Patio.
Oh, how we love our fireplaces. In fact, half of all households in the United States have at least one fireplace or freestanding stove, reports the National Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.
Which half are you in? It really doesn’t matter. With new products and designs to upgrade an existing fireplace’s style and efficiency, or have one added—with minimal fuss—to a family room, den, or even an unconventional spot like the master bedroom or bath, home office, or kitchen.
A wood stove or fireplace requires a chimney reaching above the roof, while gas or pellets can combust through a direct vent to the outside or with a vent-free system, says Dustin Bowman, of Bowman’s
Stove & Patio, Ephrata (www.bowmansstove.com). Chimneys don’t have to be costly masonry structures but can be insulated stainless steel pipes that run inside or outside the home.
Warmth & Efficiency
The snap and crackle of a traditional wood burning fireplace is certainly an undeniable ambiance, which is why they remain a popular selection when building custom homes or adding an addition. Sometimes they are one of several fireplaces in a home, with others being gas or stoves. There is just something about the authentic aroma and the interaction of stacking the logs to get them just right, that appeals to homeowners—OK, probably mostly men—who like to tend to their fire and get a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from providing that warm glow to their guests or family gathering.
But that comes with a certain level of commitment to consistent clean up and space to store firewood.
Increasingly, homeowners are retrofitting their wood burning fireplaces—and even changing the fuel sources—with efficient, easy-care inserts.
“We can take a regular wood-burning fireplace and convert it to gas or pellet or high-efficiency wood,” says Rick Soccio, owner of A.E.S. Hearthplace (www.aeshearthplace.com), with locations in Camp Hill, Newville and Chambersburg.
Inserts are essentially wrappers that fit inside an existing fireplace. In design and materials, inserts and freestanding stoves are similar. Both have cast-iron bodies with glass surrounds, to burn fuel at up to 90 percent efficiency, compared to 30 percent for open wood fireplaces. “The surround is what makes the difference,” says Soccio. That’s because open fireplaces draw air from the room and send heat up the chimney. Today’s inserts and freestanding stoves have blowers and fans that return heat for an even warmth in the room.
When it comes to warmth in the home, the choice of fuel is driven by emotions as much as the pocketbook
Modern styling
As more homeowners remodel to suit their lifestyles, the hearth is playing a star role in enhancing comfort and design.
One growing trend: Refacing an existing fireplace.
“We do a lot with granite,” says Matt Weston, of Fireplace City, York (www.fireplace-city.com). “Stone or wood mantels [are popular]. Brick’s not in right now.”
Some of Soccio’s customers “don’t want that traditional brick fireplace look anymore. They’re asking to have it resurfaced. They’ll do marble, granite, or tile to give it more of an urban look.”
Today’s fireplace doesn’t even require logs. Realistic ceramic logs and glowing embers are always options, but contemporary choices mean that your flames can dance through river rocks (see our editor’s fireplace makeover on page 56 for an example), crushed glass, or glass beads—maybe in a mirror-backed insert “for more of an architectural look,” says Soccio.
Since stoves can’t be installed on carpet or vinyl flooring, many homeowners lay tile flooring around their fireplaces, or they choose decorative looks for the protective stove board surrounding their freestanding stoves. “People want something that looks nice and goes with the color of their décor,” says Weston.
Fuel choices
Every fireplace upgrade or construction project starts with the same question: What fuel will I use?
Wood remains popula
r because it’s affordable, and many people have access to their own supplies, says Bowman. Besides, says Soccio, some people just like “that smell and that interaction” with wood.
For homes with hookups, natural gas is affordable and almost maintenance-free. Whether it fuels an insert or a freestanding stove, “you pretty much clean the glass,” says Weston. “All you do is sit in the house and hit a button.”
Wood pellets can fuel inserts and freestanding stoves. One load of pellets can fuel a stove for 10 to 36 hours, says Bowman. They create less ash than wood, although they must be cleaned every two weeks or so to run optimally, Weston says.
Made from sawmill waste, pellets remain popular for their price and eco-friendliness. “They’re not cutting down a tree on purpose to make a pellet,” says Soccio.
When it comes to warmth in the home, the choice of fuel is driven by emotions as much as the pocketbook, says Soccio. “A lot of people want that pretty feel, the nice comfort” and make their choice based on what they believe will best suit their lifestyle.
