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Fireplace Screens – Find Out Why You Definitely Need One
Posted on December 25th, 2009 No commentsFireplaces today have become an art form, which can be made of wood, stone, brick, marble, metal, or any other durable material that can withstand heat. Mantle styles too can vary from unadorned to stylish to ornate to fanciful. They often set the decorative tone for the whole room. Having beautiful Fireplace Screens in front of a fire therefore, can enhance to entire activity of making and having fire in your home.
Of course today the sky is the limit when it comes to what shape and size your fireplace must be. I have seen some spectacular fireplaces around the world and can only marvel at the aesthetic value they bring to a room. Of course there are many traditional ones like those made of bricks and mortar or those surrounded by wood alone. Of course they offer use a glimpse into our history every time we make one, and sit back to enjoy the wonderful ambiance that fire can bring to a room.
If you are one of the lucky ones that owns a fireplace, then kudos to you. You must be the envy of many a friend on a cold winters night. Sitting in your favorite chair and listening as the wood crackles and bursts with the heat is wonderfully soothing, and to let your eyes dance with the flames has a certain hypnotic feel to it. But as you sit and watch your fire, you no doubt know that if can also be an extreme hazard if not controlled properly. By this we mean having a good screen to lessen the damage as those embers coming flying out.
It is absolutely imperative to protect your home and your loved ones with a screen which has a dual purpose. Make sure when you shop that you get durable ones which are made of cast iron, glass, copper or brass. Durability is your number one priority and second should be aesthetics.
There are a myriad of screens available to help you choose from. It is a beautiful art form and the designers really take good care to use many metals like cast iron, copper and brass combined with glass, to make a screen fit for a castle.
Screens today can adjust in a way for you to get optimum enjoyment from your fireplace. There are ones with hinged panels or solid panels. They come in different heights and different designs. There are designs that cleverly hide the unsightly ashes and then there are ones that have only glass panels with a copper frame.
It is really up to you to shop around and look at various Fireplace Screens, that compliment the room as well as enhances the fireplace itself. What better way to express yourself, than with a beautiful handmade screen.
Jeff Bridges has always enjoyed a warm fire on a cold winter’s night he currently helps run a fireplace screens website, which promotes fireplace screens in all shapes and styles.
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Real Flame, Less Mess With a Gel Fireplace
Posted on February 17th, 2009 No commentsLots of people think about installing a fireplace in their house. However, when they start investigating what’s involved in doing so, they quickly become overwhelmed. They realize that they’ll need to tear down walls and cut a hole in the roof for the chimney. There is also a lot of maintenance required for a wood burning fireplace.
But now there’s a simpler approach to installing a fireplace in your home. It’s known as a gel fireplace, and for many people it’s the ideal answer.
More and more people are opting for this contemporary type of fireplace, and there are some good reasons why. There’s no odor, soot, smoke, or fumes, which means almost no clean-up. No more hauling logs in from the cold or cleaning up messy ashes. No need for an extensive selection of fireplace tools and accessories. All you need to do in order to enjoy the warmth of a fire is to light up a can of fuel.
A ventless gel fireplace operates quite differently from a traditional fireplace. They create a real fire by burning a gel that’s produced from grain alcohol. You can enjoy a real flame with this clean burning product, without all the mess of a traditional fire. Typically, a gel fireplace holds three cans of fuel. Each container burns for about three hours or so. The gel even makes the crackling noise of a wood burning fire and there are scent sticks available you can add to your canisters.
There is no construction involved in installing a gel fireplace and no hookups required. It should only take an hour or so to put it together and set it up anywhere in your house that you choose. You can even move it later on if your decor changes. You can even hang some models on the wall. Another alternative is to buy a special insert for your existing fireplace in which you can burn the gel canisters.
A gel fireplace emits no smoke or fumes. However, they do release a small amount of carbon monoxide into the air, although the amount is so minute that there is no cause for concern. These fireplaces must pass rigorous safety tests with regard to their output of this gas.
Maintenance of a gel fireplace is very simple. They are also the most energy efficient, cost effective heating units on the market. Since there’s no flue, all the heat enters the room instead of escaping outside. Keep in mind, however, that they are not intended to be a major source of heat for your house, even though they do give off a warm glow.
Gel fireplaces range in price from several hundred to two thousand dollars, depending on the size and style. But they’re well worth it for people with busy lives who just want to enjoy a real fire without a lot of trouble.
About the Author:There’s more to a fireplace than just the fire. Learn more about essential fireplace tools and decorative fireplace accessories at Fireplace Tools and Accessories.
