More and more owners living in private houses and cottages are installing a fireplace in their halls and living rooms, which allows them to admire a live fire, creating comfort and harmony in the room. However, when planning to bring an idea to life, many are faced with the difficulty of choosing, since there are different options for executing such an idea.
You can purchase ready-made open/closed fireplace inserts or order the construction of a fireplace stove, which also has its own advantages. To make the right choice, you should familiarize yourself with their features, characteristics and advantages in more detail. Please note that you can choose and buy a fireplace at https://x-kamin.ru/.
Fireplace
Fireplace. Natural stone finishing
A fireplace is an original element of the interior; it is a symbol of warmth and comfort, while simultaneously emphasizing the status of its owner. It creates a special atmosphere of calm and tranquility in the house. Open fireplaces look the most beautiful, delighting with a real living flame that you can touch.
Unfortunately, such models do not heat the house very well; it is rather an exclusively decorative element of the interior. It is better not to leave a fireplace with an open fireplace unattended, as this is a fire hazard. In addition, this option is complicated and not very economical, because an open fireplace runs on wood, which burns very quickly.
A similar model is fireplaces with a closed firebox. The flame in them is behind thick fireproof glass, which allows you to admire its beauty, but they destroy some of the realism, because you can’t feel the aroma of burning logs or hear their crackling sound.
Fireplace with closed firebox
Which fireplace to choose. Open firebox or closed
Firewood in such models is consumed more economically, and the room is heated better. Such a fireplace can be used to heat several rooms at once; for this you just need to properly design the air duct. If the area of the house is small, it can even replace conventional heating.
If we compare these two models, the option with a closed firebox will cost much more, since it requires a chimney with good thermal insulation and made of high quality materials. The fireplace will need to be lined with heat-inertial material; you can use soapstone. However, all installation costs will be more than recouped after the start of operation.
Rules for installing a fireplace
When installing a fireplace, there are several basic rules. First of all, if this is a model with an open flame, it is better not to install it in a draft, however, it is also impossible to completely block access to oxygen. For this reason, the room in which the device will be located must be quite spacious.
It is important to cover the wall near which the fireplace will be located with special fireproof materials. Also, do not forget that the weight of the fireplace can be quite large, so it needs a good foundation; the floor under the device must be very durable.
Bake
A stove is an excellent option for those who need heating in their home. It is better to plan it at the stage of designing the house; it is very heavy and the foundation for it must be strong enough. The main thing here is to find a good master.
Central oven for a brick home
Considering that the stove is necessary for heating, so that the house warms up evenly, it is better to install it closer to the center of the home. It is interesting that it is often smaller in size than a fireplace, although it produces much more heat.
Stoves can be stone, metal, they are also called heating and heating-cooking. Each type has its own advantages. Traditional stone stoves retain heat very well, from 10 to 12 hours. Heating models perfectly heat the house, they are easy to install and consume very little wood. Cooking stoves are very similar to heating stoves, the only difference is that you can cook food on them. There are models with tiles and even ovens. This is a good option for areas where there are frequent gas or power outages.
When finishing, the stove is usually covered with special heat-resistant paint or enamel; the color most often chosen is black or burgundy, and occasionally beige.
Possibility of installation in a rebuilt house
The first criterion that it is advisable not to omit is the possibility of installing the unit in an already completed building. Let’s say right away that both stoves and fireplaces of absolutely all types CAN be installed in an already rebuilt house, the only question is expediency: when installing some types, you will have to dismantle the walls to install a chimney, which, of course, will not be cheap for the owners.
For example, if a private house has already been rebuilt, then it is not advisable to place a built-in fireplace in it (although it looks very impressive), since the unit is designed together with the house.
built-in fireplace
You should not build a home stone stove in an already rebuilt building. This is the same big stove from Russian fairy tales, capable of heating a room, cooking food, and delivering aesthetic pleasure; and modern soapstone stoves (a natural material consisting of magnesite, talc, chloride and magnetite). By the way, a stove made of this material will last you longer than one made of traditional red brick.
stone oven
The remaining options for both stoves and fireplaces will not require extensive installation efforts or serious cleaning afterwards. Among the stoves are combined, cooking and heating. Among the fireplaces are corner, wall, island, electric and bio fireplaces.
heating stove
Stoves and fireplaces
An interesting hybrid of a fireplace with a closed firebox and a heating stove. The device combines the advantages of each of the originals. It heats a room as quickly as a fireplace and retains heat as well as a stove. Thanks to this, the device is perfect for heating individual rooms, while the owners have the opportunity to enjoy the sight of the flame.
Stove-fireplace in the interior
A similar effect is achieved due to the presence of two fireboxes in the device, one of which is closed with a glass door. The structure itself is made of cast iron or steel, its size is usually larger than the dimensions of a conventional stove. Since air distribution is not provided here, it can only heat the room in which it is located.
This device is even suitable for cooking, it has special burners, although there are some problems with adjusting the temperatures.
When finishing, it is usually covered with special heat-resistant enamel or lined with ceramic tiles.
Stove or fireplace?
Now, knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both devices, making a choice is much easier. First of all, you need to decide why this device is being installed and what functions it will perform in the future. For example, if heating is of paramount importance, it is better to choose a stove or fireplace with a closed firebox. If there is no need for heating and the device will only serve a decorative function, a fireplace with an open firebox will do the job perfectly. In cases where the device is planned to be used for cooking, it is definitely worth choosing an oven.
Furnace complex
The choice also largely depends on the complexity of installation of each model. Of course, if the house is only at the design stage, there is not much difference, but if it has already been built, this factor can become decisive. Considering that a stove requires a solid foundation, and laying a chimney for it is quite complex, it is better to plan its installation in advance. In this case, a fireplace will be more preferable because it is easier to install.
When choosing a system for your home, it is important to be guided not only by beauty or practicality, but also by fire safety. It is necessary to take care to install a good chimney that meets all safety requirements, otherwise the joy of the purchase may be short-lived.
It is impossible to say which is better - a stove or a fireplace. You should make a choice based on your specific situation, taking into account the layout of your own home and the expected functions of the future device. In any case, the variety of modern models is so great that everyone can find an option that suits their home.
Advantages and features of using electric fireplaces
If you buy an electric fireplace, you can easily create comfort in your home and add the right accent to the interior of the room.
Such devices should be considered not only as an ersatz to traditional fireplaces, but also as a worthy alternative, which also has a lot of advantages. But when choosing this type of equipment for your home, you need to take into account that, despite the most natural imitation of flame, they lack the charm of live fire. Although you can choose a model with the functions of simulating not only the play of flames, but also the crackling of firewood in the firebox, the characteristic smell and other characteristic features of a “real” fireplace. The choice of electric fireplaces is huge, they differ in:
- appearance;
- power;
- installation method (built-in, wall);
- range of additional functions, etc.
You can buy a model consisting of a firebox or with a portal: in the first case, the home owner has more opportunities to use such a fireplace to create an original design of the device for complete and organic integration into the space of the room.
Among the advantages of electric fireplaces, it should be noted:
- simple installation without a chimney device, which is easy to carry out at any stage of operation of the house, and only requires a connected socket for connection;
- there is no need to create fuel reserves and clean the firebox;
- the efficiency of using the device when heating a room (as an additional one) with the ability to regulate power - in this case, all the generated heat remains in the room and is not removed with combustion products through the chimney. In summer, the electric fireplace can only be operated in visual mode with flame simulation;
- subject to installation requirements and operating conditions, these devices are fireproof, since they are not a source of open fire;
- if necessary, the electric fireplace can be easily dismantled and reinstalled in another place, more suitable for this device, in the opinion of the home owner;
- creating coziness and comfort in your home with the help of an electric fireplace is not only easy, but also more affordable: the cost of most models is not high compared to installing a traditional fireplace or purchasing a factory-installed wood-burning unit.
When choosing an electric fireplace for your home, you should take into account its power consumption, which is quite capable of creating additional load on the network. Therefore, before installation, you need to check the reliability of the electrical wiring and choose a model taking into account its technical characteristics. And constant use of the device can unpleasantly surprise you with increased energy consumption, since the power of such fireplaces varies on average from 1 to 2 kW. You also need to take into account that the operating principle of an electric fireplace is identical to a fan heater, so you cannot do without a characteristic noise effect that does not even remotely resemble the crackle of burning wood. But the most important drawback is still the artificial flame, which, although it imitates natural fire as accurately as possible, is still not able to completely replace it.
