A fireplace is a great addition to any living room space in your home. It is used primarily to provide heat during colder nights. It is also both romantic and cozy to sit in front of the fireplace. There are various types of fireplaces available today including the traditional or “old school” type, or you can go with modern eco-friendly ones. Having a fireplace can be a liability if not maintained or properly installed. Fireplaces have been responsible for some serious accidents over the years. There are some important things to consider before you have a fireplace installed in your home.
The proper depth for a fireplace must be considered. For smaller fireplaces, you will want to consider getting a gas coal basket. There are some new models that could fit well in a fireplace as small as 5-1/2”. There are different modern fireplace models that could provide some heat even with limited or small venting requirements. The gas coal basket for example, is a great alternative to burning real coal and wood, which can be pretty messy. Traditional wood and coal-based fireplaces needs regular maintenance. There are multiple depth configurations for these.
Prefabricated fireplaces are the easier and more affordable choice to install, rather than having a traditional one. The best thing about prefabricated fireplaces is that they come with the right height, width and depth. The only thing left to calculate is the height of the chimney and flue size. Both the chimney and flue size must be proportioned so you won’t have to inhale excessive smoke in the room. Chimneys would also mean more work as well. There are build ups in the chimney that should be cleaned out regularly to avoid chimney fires. To avoid chimney fires, the creosote must be removed by having the chimney cleaned at least seasonally.