As the saying goes, “home is where the heart is.” However, we prefer another version, one that better suits today’s topic – home is where the hearth is? Yes, as you have probably guessed it, we are going to talk about every homeowner’s dilemma – to buy or not to buy a fireplace. If you still have trouble figuring this one out, then stick around because we are going to show you a trick or two about how to buy the perfect fireplace for your house.

Why Should You Choose a Fireplace?

Some homeowners have a romantic notion on how a dream house should look like. Others tend to believe that fireplaces are good only to add to the value of their home. Whatever the reasons may be, a fireplace is indeed a decorative element that really manages to make a home cozier.

Still, before buying a fireplace, you will be faced with a little dilemma – do you want a fireplace that really heats up the place or something more decorative? For instance, you can learn from specialized websites such as ElectricFireplaceReviews.net that not any stone and firewood ensemble out there is good at actually providing heat. In fact, when it comes to highly decorative models, oftentimes most of the heat goes up the chimney and very little remains inside the room. So, before purchasing an electric fireplace, you can check the linked website for a helpful buying guide or some useful reviews of the products you might be interested in.

So, you must really think about this before ending up with something that you don’t want.

As we’ve said before, there are many reasons you should definitely go ahead and buy a fireplace: it is a great decorative piece, adds to the home’s value, can heat the room if you choose the right heat-delivery system, and not to mention it is great for setting the mood.

You should know that even traditional fireplaces (mantel, wood, fluke, and chimney) can be made more efficient, depending on the type of fuel. For instance, using sawdust pellets instead of wood blocks gives you more heat without wasting the same amount of material.

Now, on to the topic at hand – how do you choose the best fireplace for your home? Here are a couple of tips to get you started.

1. Don’t buy online

Nowadays, you can buy almost everything without leaving the house, including fireplaces. Our advice to you is DON’T! It is one thing to buy a mug or a new USB stick and an entirely different story to buy a fireplace. So, it is for the best to go to a brick-and-mortar store and explore the options. Don’t forget to measure the space to figure out what type of fireplace the room could fit.

2. Know Your Fireplaces

Fireplaces come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In fact, there are somewhere around 11 types of fireplaces.

• Open hearth – traditional approach, looks good, but not very efficient heath-wise.
• Enclosed – the glass panel in front of the fireplace ensures that more heat goes inside than outside.
• Inserts – can be fitted into the opening to turn an open hearth into an enclosed one.
• Wood stoves – an enclosure that allows you to burn firewood. Can be placed anywhere in the house provided that you have tiles. It needs a chimney and a pipe for ventilation and air exchange.
• Direct-vented built-in models – harnessing the power of gas, this type of fireplace can be ventilated using an existing chimney.
• Fireplace conversion – using ethanol instead of gas, this fireplace will give a more modern look to your room.
• Wall-mounted – this type of fireplace balances aesthetics and utility. The best thing about it is that it goes directly into the wall and doesn’t take too much space.
• Tabletop – think of this as the portable version of a fireplace. Operating on ethanol, this type of fireplace can be placed anywhere in the house.
• Electric Fireplaces – they look like tradition enclosed hearths but rely on electricity rather than gas or other types of fuel. Some models can be controlled via remote
• Electric fireplaces/entertainment centers – media centers, aka the place where you put your TV, sound system, Blue-Ray player, can also fit an electric fireplace just for a dash of color. Not the best choice if heating is what you have in mind, but it does look nice.

3. Keep an eye out on your budget

Buying a fireplace is not exactly what you might call cheap. In fact, depending on fuel, model, and retailer, you could end up paying anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousands. So, before heading to the store, you should definitely set up a budget.

4. Aesthetics, utility or both?

Of course, the fireplace should add to the value of your home and not lower it. Don’t just buy the one that looks nice or has an efficient energy-delivery system. Aim for a fireplace that has the best of both worlds.

Conclusion

As you can see, buying the best fireplace for your home doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to plan in advance to see what the best choice for you will be. You can always ask the salesperson for some help if you get too confused.