Choosing a new Fireplace

Sadly fireplaces often fall out of use for a number of reasons, often your chimney will need a sweep and you just wont have ever got round to it, fireplaces can get damaged, perhaps by heat or you may be unsure of the safety of your current fireplace especially if it Gas. Having a fireplace and not using it though is a great pity they can really make a house feel like a home, cozy and safe especially on cold winter nights. Even if your fireplace has been completely removed and your chimney blocked off it can be restored and existing mantels and surrounds are easily replaced, perhaps with something that will suit your home better or look less dated.

So start to consider what kind of fireplace you might want there’s actually a lot of things to consider and decide upon to get the fireplace that is right for you and your home.

First consider the fuel perhaps; you could get a fire setup to burn solid fuel in general including coal or logs. Logs give off a great smell and are fairly easy to get, especially if you can cut them up yourself, coal burns for longer and is more efficient, you will have to add extra coal less frequently it also gives off less smoke than logs but still some. You may choose a fire basket more suited to either coal or logs but some will happily hold either.
Gas fires are great if you want real flames but don’t want the hassle of a coal or log fire which you have to get fuel for, take time to get it started and then have to wait for them to die down before leaving them. Gas fires can quickly be lit and turned off as soon as you wish.

Electric fires are perhaps even more efficient and don’t require a chimney so are almost the only choice if you don’t have one unless you add one, with gas you can have ventilation other than a proper chimney mind you. Electric fires though they try to look like real fires sometimes never quite manage it and some of the nicer ones don’t try too hard to look like real fires, simply giving off a warm glow.

You will also need to choose the look of your fireplace made up of the materials and style you choose. Styles vary from Victorian fireplaces in cast iron often with tiles on the surround to Baroque ornate carving and Georgian in sandstone with columns.

The style you go for will have a bearing on the materials of course if you are going for a style playing on Greek influences you will want Marble most likely, an old farmhouse style fireplace may be backed with bricks and have a simple mantle made out of reclaimed wood with a bit of character.

Lastly chose your fireplace accessories such as pokers, fire buckets and you will most likely need a fire guard especially if you have pets or children around but also to stop coals or logs coming out of the fire place.

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