How to Choose a Fireplace for a New Home or Addition

1. Do you want the fire for visual ambiance only?
2. Will your system provide warmth throughout the home or in a single room?
3. What level of heat do you want to experience?
4. Are you looking for a perfect setting for the annual family Christmas card?

The answer to many of these questions will direct you towards your fuel selection, type of fireplace, and visual styling.

The ideal spot for your fireplace depends on where you want to create a focal point or where you want more warmth.

The center of your home is ideal for an open concept house. Consider putting your fireplace in the center of the house so you can admire it and stay warm in many places.

In a living or family room, a fireplace creates a cozy place for your loved ones to gather. You can set up your holiday decorations next to the fireplace to develop a sense of nostalgia.

In the dining room or kitchen, a fireplace allows you and your family to enjoy a luxurious meal together.

In the bathroom, electric fireplaces are easy to clean and safe to use, providing a comfortable, relaxing environment for bath time.

In the bedroom, a gas or electric fireplace can keep you warm as you cuddle up in bed with your blankets and pillows.

In the home library, all you need is a cozy fireplace and a comfortable chair where you can sit down and read your favorite book.

You may have the ideal space and type of fireplace picked out, but do your architectural plans account for the venting required for your choices? It’s important to get this detail right to avoid expensive changes down the road. If all parties are not on board during the planning phase, you may discover a chimney needs to go straight through the center of the master bathroom to accommodate your wood-burning fireplace. Don’t fear if you’re too far along in the building process to make a major change in construction. Builders Fireplace and Stone has fireplaces to accommodate all building configurations.

Some fireplaces require a chimney or flue system to remove carbon monoxide and combustion products safely and efficiently from your home. Without proper ventilation, these harmful contaminants can affect your home’s indoor air quality. To accommodate your new wood-burning unit, you may have to consider whether you have the space for a chimney or vent system. Electric and bioethanol fireplaces don’t require this additional component, so it might be best to choose one of these options if you have limited space.

Some fireplaces put out intense heat that rises over the mantle to the wall above. This heat is enough to damage a TV or meaningful work of art. If it’s important to keep valuable items above the fireplace, you will need to choose a type of fireplace that doesn’t emit high heat levels directly above the fireplace.

Some fuel sources burn more efficiently than others, which impacts the level of heat that’s distributed into the room. You will also notice that some fuels have a lingering odor during and after use.

WOOD

Wood-burning fireplaces are the most high-maintenance and most expensive. If you’re ready to double-down, keep in mind as you’re designing your home and deciding on where to place your fireplace: a wood-burning fireplace needs a chimney for the smoke and gases to escape your home. The other fireplace choices don’t have this requirement.

GAS

Compared to wood-burning fireplaces, gas burning fireplaces are easy to maintain, without any clean-up of wood chips and ashes, and there’s no lingering smell. They can be installed in virtually any room you want, and they don’t require a masonry hearth and chimney like a traditional fireplace. Instead, gas fireplaces need a gas hook-up and can be vented through a pipe in the wall, or gas inserts.

ELECTRICITY

The most hassle-free of the bunch is the electric fireplace. They come out of a box already constructed and can be plugged in anywhere you’d like in the home – even in your existing fireplace! There’s no installation needed and no need to worry about ventilation. You can also move them around the home too so you can experiment with different spots until you find the perfect location.

ETHANOL

An ethanol fireplace is one of the newer fireplace choices on the market. It’s ventless and uses renewable, clean-burning bioethanol fuel (or pure alcohol).

Knowing your home’s overall aesthetic will be helpful as you design your fireplace and the surrounding area.

Depending on the colors and theme for the room, you might opt for accents like stone, brick, tile or woodworking around your fireplace to compliment the rest of the space and your furniture.

Traditional fireplace surrounds, with large mantles and expansive hearths, bring a sense of nostalgia. Contemporary circular gas fireplaces with show-stopping surrounds or minimalist linear units may be more your style.

Visit our showroom to see a variety of styles from contemporary to traditional. With more than 45 working display units, you’ll get first-hand experience of the heat level and ambiance from each unit.

There are various price points for fireplaces – from basic units that are economical and functional, to premium models with all the bells and whistles for the best in home comfort. Stop into our showroom to easily compare models and prices.