When is the Best Time to Plan Your Fireplace Installation?

When the leaves turn orange, red, and yellow, you know that the pleasure of enjoying warm fires on frosty days is soon coming. There is perhaps no better time than early fall to have a new or upgraded fireplace installed in your home. Most people today agree that a fireplace should do more than simply provide eye appeal. Although standard masonry fireplaces are popular, they are also inefficient and do not help to cut energy costs. There are several ways to transform a masonry fireplace into a viable heat source, however. You can also have a free-standing fireplace or wood stove installed, and these modern appliances are highly efficient.

Fireplace Upgrade

Your masonry fireplace can be converted into an efficient heat source if you have a fireplace insert professionally installed. These well-insulated appliances fit directly into your existing fireplace.

Inserts became popular in the decades preceding the 1990s, but many installers apparently cared more about speedy work than about producing optimal results. Some fireplace inserts installed in the ‘70s and ‘80s are not up to code, which is one of the reasons they sometimes don’t operate as efficiently as they could if correctly installed.

The benefit provided by a fireplace insert largely depends upon proper installation. Also, as an important safety and operational measure, the flue lining must be evaluated to determine if it is compatible with the appliance. An increased amount of heat is produced in the fireplace due to an improved environment for fires to generate heat for the home.

Another option for your masonry fireplace is to install a pellet stove insert. These unique appliances burn highly compressed wood pellets made from wood waste, and they are incredibly efficient.

Free-Standing Fireplace or Wood Stove

If you get a free-standing wood stove or wood-burning fireplace, a flue pipe will need to be installed that goes up through the ceiling and out to the roof. The expense is highly economical compared to the cost of building a masonry chimney, and yet these modern appliances are very efficient and can help you lower your heating costs in winter.

You may also opt for a gas fireplace, which can be vented through a wall. Gas fireplaces are inexpensive to operate and much more convenient than dealing with firewood. The convenience of gas also makes zone heating a viable option. With zone heating, you turn off your central heating system and turn on the gas fireplace in whatever room you are in. Gas fireplaces are turned on and off with ease.

Whichever type of free-standing fireplace you choose, you will be able to enjoy the calming effect of fire and a greater amount of heat than what is produced in a traditional masonry fireplace.

Keep in mind that there may be government restrictions and guidelines where you live which must be adhered to, with regard to installation of fireplaces and other heat sources. These are among the details you can depend on professional installers to handle properly.

If you act while autumn leaves are still coloring the landscape, your new heating solution can be installed and ready in time for winter. Contact our professionals today to schedule a fireplace upgrade or installation of a stand-alone wood-burning fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, or gas fireplace.