Are you looking to add an extra level of comfort to your home? Do you need extra warmth in certain areas of your house that are drafty? Then you should look into purchasing a wood burning fireplace. Adding a fireplace can not only add a sense of coziness and romance to your home, it is also a practical purchase. Fireplaces can be used if the electricity goes out, which is a perk in the wintertime. Your fireplace will give you and your family a source of heat when there are no other options. Fireplaces also help to cut energy costs. Purchasing wood for your fireplace becomes cheaper in the long run than heating your entire home during the winter.
Now that you know the benefits of purchasing a fireplace, there are some key words and tips that will make the search for your perfect fireplace run smoothly.
Zero Clearance Fireplaces
During your search you may come across the term zero clearance fireplace. But what exactly does that mean? A zero clearance fireplace means that you can simply place the unit directly against a wall, wood, or paneling without worrying about the heat affecting these objects and causing a potentially dangerous situation.
Safety First
With any wood burning fireplace comes certain aspects that need to be addressed with caution. However, by following these simple rules you can enjoy your fireplace worry free.
* Make sure to burn hardwoods such as maple and ash. Hardwoods provide more heat than softwoods, and they typically produce less smoke than other types of wood.
* This goes to say that you should only burn wood that is fully mature. If there are still green patches in your wood then you should wait to burn it in order to avoid soot in your home.
* Keep your fireplace clean in order to avoid soot buildup and other debris. If ash reaches the grate of the fireplace it can potentially enter into the airflow.
* Always keep furniture, carpets, and anything that could possibly catch on fire away from the fireplace. Placing a guard in front of the fireplace will ensure that both pets and children stay safely away from the flame.
* Always ensure that you have both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors around your house and in the same room as your fireplace.
By attending to the safety requirements, you can enjoy the pleasure and warmth that a wood burning fireplace can bring to your home.
