If you’re interested in upgrading your home, or simply adding something new to the living room, you might consider installing a fireplace. But what are the advantages of installing a fireplace in your home, and what should you consider before moving forward with your decision?
The Benefits of Installing a Fireplace
Let’s look at some of the top benefits of installing a fireplace:
- Extra warmth. The top benefit of installing a fireplace is getting access to extra warmth. You’ll be burning wood or gas, or generating heat with some other mechanism, which can be downright luxurious in cold winter months. If your heating system isn’t very efficient, this can serve as a means of auxiliary heat generation. If you just like the coziness of radiant warmth, you can turn down the heat to the entire house, and use your fireplace to concentrate heat in a single room.
- Backup heating. Even the best, most modern systems can periodically fail. If you lose electricity or lose access to your natural gas, or if your main furnace system fails, you’ll have a backup way to generate heat for your home. Wood burning fireplaces aren’t reliant on anything other than burning logs, so you’ll always have an emergency source of heat.
Sounds, lighting, and ambiance. Some people choose to install a fireplace because of the overall ambiance it adds to a living room. The soft, warm flicker of flames provides a source of natural and low-level lighting. The burning of logs produces a gentle crackling noise that might remind you of cozy winters or of time spent with friends around a fire. You may also appreciate the smoky smell that fills the room when you keep the fireplace running. - Resale value. In some ways, you can consider a fireplace to be an investment. Adding a fireplace can instantly boost the resale value of your home, allowing you to make more money when it’s time to sell the house. You may not make back every penny you spend on it, but you’ll likely be able to recoup most of your costs, depending on where you live and the nature of the fireplace.
- Aesthetics and display. Merely having a fireplace instantly gives you a focal point for the living room (or wherever you choose to install it). Accordingly, you can design the rest of the room around it. You can rearrange the furniture to guide people’s attention to the fireplace, or invest in a nice fireplace mantel that allows you to put something important on display.
Energy options. There are many different types of fireplaces available, including some that use different modes of energy consumption. The traditional option for a fireplace is one that burns wood logs. These are still readily available, but they’re not allowed to be installed in certain homes based on neighborhood restrictions. Many people prefer wood burning fireplaces because of the natural flames and ambiance. However, there are also alternative options that are, in some ways, more efficient. For example, you can choose to install a gas burning fireplace, or an electric fireplace; these won’t be able to produce the full experience of a wood burning fireplace, but they’ll still generate warmth and provide an aesthetic focal point. - Style options. Similarly, you’ll have many fireplace options in terms of aesthetics and style. No matter how you’ve designed or decorated your living room, you’ll be able to find a fireplace option that fits.
- Relatively low costs. Compared to other home upgrades, fireplaces are relatively inexpensive. It doesn’t cost much to buy or install a fireplace, and it won’t cost much to keep one running. As you might imagine, buying wood logs can be more expensive when compared to other forms of heating, but you can always keep an eye out for free firewood in your area.
- Easy Installation. Depending on the type of fireplace you get and the type of home you have, most fireplace installations go smoothly and quickly.
Working With A Professional
If you do decide to install a fireplace in your home, it’s a good idea to work with a professional. While it’s possible to install a fireplace on your own, there are a number of important safety measures you’ll need to take—and if you make a mistake, it could jeopardize the health and safety of you and your family.
For example, natural gas fireplaces could end up with a leak, and bad ventilation installation could result in carbon monoxide poisoning. A professional installer will practically guarantee that you can avoid these risks.
These days, fireplaces are inexpensive, easy to install, and they come in a wide variety of styles. If you have the money to afford the purchase and installation, you should consider adding one to your home.
