It has been a cold and snowy winter here on the Cape, a gas fireplace can add ambiance and warmth to your home. A gas fireplace is convenient and easy to enjoy with just the flip of a switch or click of the remote control, instead of carting in messy firewood. Gas fireplaces, fueled by either natural gas or propane, are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be quickly installed in almost any room in your home. From natural looking logs to ornate grates, gas fireplace technology has improved greatly in the past few years.
While your family is relaxing around the fireplace, you can also feel good knowing that is a smart investment. Gas fireplaces can reduce your household heating costs by providing zone heating in the areas where most of your time is spent. The thermostat can be turned down for the rest of the house while the gas fireplace heats the room you are in. And, a gas fireplace adds value and desirability to a home according the National Center for Real Estate Research, increasing the value of a home up to 10%.
A gas fireplace is also much safer than a wood burning fireplace. If you have children or pets, you don’t need to be worried about fly away sparks or flames. Also, there are no fumes or particles released into the air in your home as they are vented outside. There are several options available so that a gas fireplace can easily be added to any home, even if there isn’t an existing chimney.
- Natural vent, (B vent) uses the home’s existing chimney and exhausts combustion by-products to the outside through a pipe installed inside of the chimney.
- Direct-vent fireplaces are an ideal solution for homes that don’t have an existing chimney. They can be vented through the wall or roof to pull in outdoor air for combustion, and expel used air to the outside eliminating the heat loss associated with chimneys. Direct-vent units need to have a sealed glass door to maintain the fire and ensure efficiency and indoor air quality.
- A ventless gas log insert is another option that turns your fireplace into a highly efficient heating source. They are an efficient heat source as 100% of the heat generated stays in your home. A vent-free gas fireplace insert is easily installed within existing masonry or factory-built fireplaces.
Considering all of the options available, gas logs have many advantages. They are maintenance-free, come in a variety of styles and are easy-to-install. They also pose significantly less fire hazards and produce much more heat than wood, and turning it on with the flick of a switch makes it extremely convenient.
On a cold winter night, there is nothing better than a warm fire that starts without any lugging, tending or cleanup and doesn’t leave the rest of the house with a cold draft. Today’s modern gas fireplaces burn beautifully, with red hot embers and tall glowing flames around realistic looking ceramic-fiber logs molded from the real thing.