Fireplace in the house: what are there and how to arrange them

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The fireplace incredibly decorates the room and creates an atmosphere of home warmth and comfort in it. After all, it is such a pleasure to sit by a living fire! At first glance, the device of a fireplace may seem too complicated, but modern technologies work wonders and create structures that can be installed even in the most ordinary apartment. To choose the most suitable fireplace option for yourself, it is better to find out what they are.

Solid fuel fireplace

This most ancient type of fireplace is essentially a stove. It is completely inapplicable for a city apartment, but it may well be built in a country house. Such a solid fireplace can be completely lined with bricks or arranged with a cast iron firebox - with or without cladding.

The main difficulty in the construction of classic fireplaces lies in the installation of a chimney - a suitable place must be allocated for it, and the structure itself must be erected by an experienced specialist.

In addition, when using a solid fuel fireplace, you must observe safety precautions - do not leave the flame unattended, clean the chimney and remove ash.

Such traditional fireplaces are heated with wood, coal, as well as fuel pellets and briquettes. Structures are distinguished by the types of fireboxes: closed ones give the room more heat, and much less fuel is required to heat them up and maintain the fire than in open ones.

Gas fireplace

A gas-fired fireplace is much easier to set up than a wood-burning one. It can even be installed in a city apartment. If natural gas is supplied to the house, then you can bring it to the fireplace, and if not, then a regular gas cylinder with propane-butane will do. The chimney from the gas fireplace is led out into a gas duct or outside, so the installation of a special chimney is not required.

Gas fireplaces have a fairly large capacity and are quite suitable for heating a house or apartment. The illusion of a living flame is created by artificial firewood in the fireplace insert. A piezo lighter is used for ignition, and the flame can be controlled remotely using the control panel. Modern fireplaces are equipped with a thermostat that maintains a certain temperature and a special sensor to protect against carbon monoxide.

A piezo lighter is used for ignition, and the flame can be controlled remotely using the control panel.

Despite such a number of amenities, a gas fireplace has its drawbacks. To connect it to gas, you will need a special permit and the services of installation specialists, and this is not cheap.

Electric fireplace

Electric fireplaces do not require special equipment and do not need a chimney at all. They operate from a simple socket and are a modern electric heater with a fan. These fireplaces are easy to install, clean to use, safe and inexpensive.

For maximum resemblance to wood-burning, electric fireplaces are decorated with the same decorative elements - brickwork, tiles. An additional similarity is given to them by a realistic flame, burning wood with flickering coals and even an imitation of wood crackling.

The electric fireplace warms up quickly and well and heats the room perfectly. In many models, the brightness and intensity of the flame is regulated or automatically changed. An electric fireplace does not consume much electricity - only 0.1-0.2 kW per hour. And for the summer season, when there is no need for heating, the heating function can be turned off and just admire the fire.

Biofireplace

A bio fireplace is an exclusively decorative structure, since it will not be possible to heat even one room with it. Its work is based on the combustion of biofuel - a flammable liquid, bioethanol, which burns with a real fire. These fireplaces are very easy to use and consist of burners of various shapes and sizes.

The burner can be freely moved from place to place or installed in a specially built portal that imitates a real fireplace. It does not require a special chimney, does not smoke or smell, but it is still better to use it in well-ventilated areas.

The combustion process can be controlled, ignited and extinguished the fire several times until the fuel runs out.

The biofireplace requires a decent supply of fuel, because one liter of bioethanol is enough for only two to three hours of burning. The combustion process can be controlled, ignited and extinguished the fire several times until the fuel runs out.

Candle fireplace

The fireplace with candles also serves only an aesthetic function and is suitable in cases where no other options are suitable. In addition, this is the cheapest of all fireplaces, because for its construction you only need a simple portal design, which you can build yourself, and several large candles.

Despite the decorativeness of such a fireplace, the fire in it will be real. It will look especially impressive if large mirrors are built into the portal walls.

But it is worth remembering the precautions and making sure that the composition is stable and the fire from the candles does not spread to other objects. In addition, you need to take care of the dripping wax: in order not to stain the floor, it is better to put the candles on a tin tray.