A Simple Guide to Make Buying a Fireplace Easy

If you’ve been dreaming of adding a fireplace to your home or are frustrated with your older, inefficient fireplace, this overview will help you zero in on the perfect fireplace style that will meet your heating needs and decorative tastes.

Felgemacher Fireplace Shop of Cheektowaga, NY, serves the greater Buffalo, NY, region with fireplace sales and installations. Here are a few things to think about as you plan for a new fireplace.

First, what kind of fireplace?

Fireplaces are divided into two main categories:

• Manufactured fireplaces
• Fireplace inserts

Manufactured fireplaces

Manufactured fireplaces are pre-made and ready to be installed in a wall within your home. They come in gas, wood and pellet models that are highly insulated and capable of producing all the heat you need.

With a manufactured wood fireplace, a venting chase connected to the house will be built as part of the installation. Vented gas fireplaces also vent through a special drafting system. Non-vented gas fireplaces require no venting.

Today’s fireplaces come in a range of styles, from traditional to contemporary. Many models are designed to be installed at ground level; others are made to sit higher on the wall. Some models feature a wide, rectangular shape for an exciting visual experience. There are even two-sided fireplaces, perfect for bringing elegance to two adjoining rooms.

Fireplace inserts

Fireplace inserts also come in gas, wood and pellet models. The difference is they’re designed to be placed into an open masonry fireplace, not installed in a wall as separate fireplaces.

The purpose of a fireplace insert is to dramatically improve the performance of an existing masonry fireplace, which may be retaining only a small fraction of its heat and allowing for a lot of draftiness. Inserts are major heat producers and prevent drafts and heat loss.

Maintenance for fireplaces and inserts

Chimneys and flue systems connected to wood-burning fireplaces require regular cleaning. Professional chimney sweeps use specialized tools to remove flammable creosote and debris from the flue, thereby reducing the chance of chimney fires and smoke backups. Wood fireplaces and their chimneys or chases should be inspected annually.

Gas fireplaces don’t require as much cleaning as wood models, but they should be properly inspected once a year to spot early signs of damage and malfunction.

Hearth amenities

Modern fireplaces and inserts are built to impress with gorgeous designs, styles and finishes. But don’t stop there. Consider adding:

A fireplace mantel

This is the perfect place to display artwork, antiques, seasonal decorations and more.

A fireplace surround

These lovely wall treatments around the fireplace can be made of a variety of natural and faux materials to give your entire hearth area a majestic appearance. 

Accessories

Complete your new look with a set of handsome fireplace tools, a raised hearth, glass fireplace doors, a pretty hearth rug and a handy storage bin for logs.

Fireplace installation

Manufactured fireplaces and inserts should be installed by experienced technicians who know how to do the work safely, correctly and in compliance with code requirements.

Codes that affect how fireplaces are installed and operate are set forth by the State of New York and individual cities; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Fire Protection Association; and possibly other entities in your region. A lot more goes into installing a fireplace than at first meets the eye.

Find the perfect new fireplace

Felgemacher is ready to help you find the perfect new fireplace for your home. In our showroom, located at 2727 Broadway Suite 5 in Cheektowaga, NY, you can see models from leading manufacturers such as Enviro, Pacific Energy, Hargrove, American Hearth and Simplifire.

Pay us a visit or give us a call, and get on the road to a new fireplace. You can also reach out with our contact form.