If an open-hearth fireplace is not practical for your home, however, there are other wood-burning options available.
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Hire a professional to inspect and clean your chimney annually to ensure its safety. The only other major expense of operating an open-hearth fireplace is for annual maintenance.
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Although the installation of a new fireplace is very expensive, the cost of operating one is low, particularly if you have a free or inexpensive source of firewood. These fireplaces are typically used only occasionally and recreationally, rather than for heating a house. Moreover, for safety and efficiency reasons, some states and local governments have restricted the building of new open-hearth fireplaces. Open hearth fireplaces are rarely practical to add to an existing, contemporary home without a hearth already in place, due to the extreme disruption and expense of constructing the hearth and chimney. For most people, the emissions do not cause any harm, but they can be a problem for those with pre-existing lung conditions. Woodfire emissions can include particulates, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants, depending on what you burn. Although many people like the smell of smoke a fireplace creates, it will contaminate your home’s air to some extent. For help with cleaning glass fireplace doors, consult our guide on the subject.įinally, open-hearth fireplaces release pollutants into your household. Creosote can also build upon a fireplace’s glass doors. Excessive creosote deposits can catch fire, and that fire can spread to your house, so wood-burning fireplaces should be professionally cleaned every year. To protect your house from embers, the open face of the hearth is typically shielded from the room by a metal mesh screen or by movable glass panel doors.Īdditionally, burning wood releases creosote, which builds upon the inside of the chimney. The largest safety concerns are embers, creosote, and emissions.Įmbers can shoot out from a crackling log like a projectile and start fires if they land on a nearby carpet or wood floor. Open hearth fireplaces are rustic and very aesthetically pleasing to many people, but they are extremely inefficient and can be dangerous if left unattended, particularly if you have pets or children. For more information on wood fuel options, read our guide on types of firewood. Manufactured options, such as wood bricks made of compressed wood chips and sawdust, can be a good alternative. Wood burning fireplaces are best used to burn seasoned (aged) hardwood, which burns longer, hotter, and causes less tar buildup in the flue than softwood. The mantle may be made of brick, stone, adobe, concrete, wood, or other materials. An open-hearth fireplace typically has a decorative exterior facade, called a mantle, which often includes a decorative shelf at the top.
“Hearth” refers to the bottom wall of the firebox and the protective stone or brick foundation in front of them, which protects the floor from escaping embers. The appeal of these fireplaces comes from the fact that the fire is visible, so the fire’s light, heat, sound, and aroma enter the room directly. How it worksĪlso known as a “masonry fireplace,” it is an open-faced fireproof box built into the wall of a house, typically made of brick or stone, with a chimney on top to vent out the wood smoke. This guide will help you narrow down your choices to find the perfect fireplace for your home.Īn indoor open wood-burning fireplace, or “open hearth” fireplace, is the classic image of a fireplace throughout history. Even after choosing a fuel type, you will still have an abundance of factors to consider, such as the vent system you have in place (or plan to install), mounting and display options, and other factors. The variety may seem overwhelming, but determining the right kind of fireplace for your home will be easy when you consider a few key factors.įirst and foremost, your choice of fireplaces will be determined by your choice of fuels, which determines the relative safety, convenience, efficiency, and cost. Fireplaces may be built into a large stone mantle or may be small enough to display on a coffee table. Some fireplaces are appropriate to warm up a single room, for cozy special occasions, while others are efficient enough to heat a small house, and others are purely decorative, producing little to no heat. In recent years, the options for homeowners have expanded dramatically to include a wide array of fuel-types, structures, visual effects, and other options. Fireplaces have been the focal point of most households throughout human history, providing light, heat, hot food, and a central place to rest or entertain guests.
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