Choosing the right type of fireplace for your home is not always an easy decision, with lots of options to pick from. Ultimately, your choice is going to come down to a few main factors including the cost of running the fireplace you want, how easy it is to install, what kind of maintenance you will need to do, and how it looks and feels in your home. Keep reading to find out more about the different types of fireplaces, to help you pick the right option.
Wood Burning Stoves
Wood burning stoves are making a comeback as more homeowners realise just how effective they can be at heating the home up for less. Wood burning stoves do exactly what the name suggests – you light a fire with wood inside the stove, which heats the room impressively. In fact, a wood burner can get warm enough to heat your entire home. They can be a little more time-consuming to install compared to other types, as you’ll need to prepare the chimney. Once installed, many modern stoves are easy to maintain, as the majority have an air-wash system to keep the viewing glass clean. If you’re thinking of installing a stove, consider a Drolet stove.
Multi-Fuel Stoves
If you like the idea of a real fire in your home but don’t want to be limited to only burning wood, then a multi-fuel stove might be ideal for you. These stoves burn wood and look and operate very much like a wood-burner, but with one main difference – there is a different grate installed, which allows you to burn other fuels too, such as smokeless coal.
Electric Fires
If the main consideration when choosing a fireplace for your home is the ease of installation and use, then an electric fire might be the best option to consider. These fires can simply be plugged in and switched on, so you don’t even need a fire surround, mantel, or chimney. While they might not be as good at heating the entire room as much as a wood burner, you can get a decent amount of heat from them and they can be a stunning feature, too. There are tons of styles to choose from including imitation wood burning stoves and wall-hanging electric fires that are great for saving space.
Electric Fire Suites
An electric fire suite works in the same way as an electric fire. However, in this case, the entire thing comes as one product, making it the easiest and simplest to install. If you don’t have a fire surround in your home, you can simply place the entire electric fire suite in the area where you want it to go – most often, they are attached to a wall or chimney breast – plug it in, and switch it on.
Gas Fires
A gas fire can be an ideal addition to your home if you want some extra warmth. Gas fires are connected to the gas mains and therefore should only ever be installed by a professional. These days, gas fires are more modern than ever before and there are lots of amazing styles to choose from with something to suit every home.
Bioethanol Fires
These fireplaces are similar to stoves in that they use a real fire to provide the heat output and the stunning flame picture in your home. However, they will only work with bioethanol fuel, which is stored and used as fuel for the fire in the fireplace’s fuel box. There are various types of bioethanol fires to choose from, including traditional fireplace options, free-standing, or even table-top fires that make an amazing feature in the centre of your room.
With so many options to choose from, picking the right kind of fireplace in your home requires you to think about installation, use, fuel, cost, look and feel, and more.
