Fireplaces are available in a wide variety of fireplace designs, but what are the main categories?
Gas
Gas stoves provide a comfortable and realistic flame at the touch of a button. Ventilation options can allow installation in almost any room and on any floor of your home. Gas stoves come in a variety of styles, sizes and designs and offer several ventilation options. Decorative models won’t give you much warmth, and more expensive models can heat an open floor plan almost as efficiently as an oven.
Wood
Can you imagine burning natural firewood? Wood stoves impose most of the constraints on your design. The chimney system must operate vertically in a relatively straight configuration and clean the roofline following local regulations, which are at least 3 inches in most cases but can be overly dependent on roof slope and home construction. You will want to set up the stove in a location that can be accessed from the entrance to the outside to bring in firewood and take out ash. The wood-burning fireplace also places the highest demands on the refractory stove that protrudes into the room, as well as on the side and top headspace. Unless you opt for an advanced, energy-efficient fireplace design that offers sealed doors for long-term burning, and designs designed for high heat dissipation, burning wood can remove more heat from your room than it adds.
Electric
Electric fireplaces were once more than just the spotlight for space heaters, they are now in vogue. It works 100% efficiently and does not require ventilation, so it can be installed anywhere. It may also be the only option for tenants or high-rise apartments and office buildings. Designs range from small to large, traditional and contemporary. Most have a space heater that can provide a lot of heat for small spaces. There are no specific installation requirements – just plug it into your existing 3-prong outlet – so it’s a relatively straightforward installation that most homeowners can do on their own.
