Fireplaces provide a comfortable gathering place, provide heat and light, and are appealing to a majority of buyers. Nowadays there are more options than ever so there are multiple things to consider when choosing what is the best fit for your home remodel project.
These are the top 3 considerations for making your pick-
- Location – In which room do you want the fireplace – living room, dining room, master bedroom? You will want to choose a size that complements the dimensions of the room.
- Purpose – Is your main goal look and style or are you looking for heating and efficiency? Or both?
- Budget – Fireplaces can range from $100s to $1000s. While gas and electric fireplaces are typically more budget friendly, a real wood burning fireplace can be very expensive.
Currently, there is a strong trend toward gas fireplaces. They give you a real flame and provide radiant heat without all the maintenance of a wood burning fireplace. They give you more leeway in terms of venting. However, if your home does not already have gas, adding a tank and running the gas lines would definitely increase the expense. However, once it is installed, besides making sure the tank it full, maintenance is low and it is easy to use.
Some people prefer the ambiance and traditional feel of a real wood burning fireplace, especially in colder climates. A wood burning fireplace needs to be built of brick or stone and proper ventilation outdoors is very important or your house can fill with smoke. It will require cleaning and maintenance, not to mention keeping a supply of wood on hand. You can’t beat the look, sound, and smell of a wood burning fire place on a cold, snowy day. However, here in South Florida, this is not the most practical option as you will get little use out of it most of the year.
Electric fireplaces come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles and are a good option for most budgets. They come in a stand alone style, ready to plug in and use straight out of the box. Or you can get creative and build any surround you want for a built in or wall mount unit. This gives you many options for matching the décor in your home. They come with options for heat or no heat, color changing flames and media (logs, glass, etc) and can easily be controlled with a remote.
A fireplace can be a great way to add visual interest to any wall in your home. As with many designs, we recommend you look for inspiration photos online. We’ll be happy to bring your vision to life!