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Assume your builder installed your fireplace correctly? "Don’t be so sure," says Tim Polasko, fireplace manager at The Place. "We often go into homes and find incorrect installations which could, or have, resulted in fires."
This local home is in a nice neighborhood ,built by a reputable builder, however, "there were several installation mistakes," reveals Tim. "Luckily this home didn’t catch on fire, but it was close. The drywall was too close to the firebox. There was building debris still sitting on the firebox inside the wall. There was no protection around the chimney pipe in the attic space. The pipe was too close to the framing. The chimney was too short. Now this home was at least fifteen years old; the owner never suspected. We found charred wood, drywall, and insulation inside the walls. They were very lucky we caught it when we did."
Other homeowners are not so lucky. There was a house boarded up from a fireplace fire right around the corner. "As I drove through the neighborhood," reports Andrea Reedy, President of The Place, "I saw many homes with the same type of fireplace as our client's. I worry that others are at a similar fire risk."
All sales and installation staff at The Place is National Fireplace Institute Certified. "We have a safety inspection available for homeowners who want to burn their fireplace with peace of mind," informs Tim.
There is a great tax incentive for taking action now. The US government is giving a tax credit of up to $1500 to homeowners who upgrade their inefficient fireplace to an efficient one by adding a wood or pellet insert or stove. You can be safe, warm, and save money!
Today there are attractive new natural gas and propane heaters that can warm the living areas of your home while at the same time saving you money on your heating bill. These supplemental heating sources are not the boring space heaters of yesteryear. Today's new appliances add warmth, ambiance, and charm to any room, plus, these gas appliances can even add value to your home.
A central furnace cycles on and of several times an hour and heats your entire house - even unoccupied rooms - wasting money. Using supplemental gas hearth appliances to heat only the rooms your family occupies most allows you to turn down the thermostat for the central furnace, decreasing your fuel bill.
"Zone heating" puts the heat where you need it, when you need it, adding to your home's comfort and ambiance but also reducing household fuel consumption, conserving energy and saving you money. Studies indicate that zone heating solutions can provide energy savings of 20 to 40 percent.
There are a variety of gas hearth appliances available that are attractive, easy to install, and a convenient way to heat your home. All are available with manual controls and remotes, wall thermostats, and most offer blowers to circulate the heat. Gas appliances have different energy efficiencies and benefits.
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Gas Stoves Gas stoves feature large, dancing yellow flames and glowing red embers that closely resemble a wood fire. Gas stoves are easy to install in just about any location in your house or condo. A stove's cast iron, soapstone, or steel body and decorative trim help to project color and style into the room. |
Gas Fireplace Inserts Made of cast iron or steel, gas fireplace inserts can be installed in an existing unused or inefficient fireplace. Gas fireplace inserts convert an existing masonry woodburning fireplace to an efficient gas fireplace with more air circulating capabilities. Most vent to the existing flue. The insert's glass doors allow the flames of the fire to be viewed while making the fire more efficient, often delivering more heat to the living space. |
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Gas Fireplaces Factory-built gas fireplaces can be installed to look just like traditional masonry fireplaces or can have an ultra-contemporary design. These fireplaces are easy to install because new technology allows gas fireplaces to be vented directly through an outside wall or installed without a chimney. Some gas fireplaces are "heater rated" to provide efficiency and heat output similar to a central furnace. Gas fireplaces also have a positive effect on property prices, adding about 12 percent per fireplace to the value of a home. |
Gas Logs Gas log sets installed into woodburning fireplaces offer a clean and convenient way to enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace. "Vented" logs are intended for decorative use only, but "vent-free" gas logs provide ample space and heating. Contact us if you would like us to explain the applications and benefits of both types of appliances to help you select the type that is right for you. |
Each year, millions of people enjoy the warmth, comfort, and ambiance of their hearth products during the heating season. Caution should be taken, however, when operating fireplaces and stoves, for the glass panels and other surfaces can become extremely hot due to the high efficiency of the products.
The temperature of a glass panel in particular can increase within a few minutes of ignition of the appliance and can remain hot long after the product is turned off. Touching the fireplace or stove glass can lead to significant burn injuries.
This guide, courtesy of the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association, will ensure that you and your family will be able to safely enjoy the comfort of your fireplace.
To minimize the chance of burn injuries, the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA) recommends the following steps for safe and enjoyable operation of a hearth product:
Most of us want to be environmentally friendly, especially if it saves us money. Then why not supplement your home heating by burning wood in your fireplace? You can help the environment by burning less fossil fuel plus save money, especially if you have a source of free wood. Right? “Not necessarily”, says Joe Quinn, Sales Manager of The Place.
If you have a standard wood burning fireplace, it’s NEGATIVE ten percent efficient. In addition, wood fireplace fires emit about 47 grams of particulates per hour. That’s not green!
Fortunately, there are some modifications which can be made to your fireplace to make it efficient and green. They cost as little as $500 and as much as $4000. The cost goes up as the efficiency, environmental friendliness, and beauty improve.
A grate heater allows you to add a blower to your fireplace. The grate heater blows up to 40,000 BTU of heat into your room.
Standard dampers allow cold air to seep into your home. It has a metal to metal “seal”, which doesn't! A special damper can be installed at the top of your chimney which seals 90% better. This is a simple and easy fix for drafty fireplaces.
Finally a wood-burning insert can be installed. Efficiency jumps to about 83% and emission particulates plummet – down to as low as 1.26 grams per hour! “Because inserts make such a huge difference in people’s heating costs, they are in high demand,” says Joe. Prices for a wood insert range from $2500 to $4000 installed.
The Wall Street Journal has a good article about fuel-efficient fireplaces with tax incentives.
