Chitika

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Why to Choose a Ventless Gas Fireplace

By Wendi Link


If you've ever walked into a house and found no fireplace, wouldn't you wonder why any person in their right mind ever built a house without one? They are cozy and romantic. They provide a rather inexpensive source of heat. And they look great in any room. So, why aren't they in the floor plans of all houses?

To ensure maximum space utilization, a space of 2-4 inches must be made in between the fireplace grate and both sides of the fireplace. If you have fireplace doors, you will also want to leave a space of 6-8 inches in between the fireplace grate and the doors to make sure that your fireplace doors are unscathed. A fire back can be used to protect the wall at the back of your fireplace from damage. This can also serve as a decorative element.

Large fireplaces are a stunningly beautiful feature in any room. However, care must be taken in the planning and construction of a large fireplace in order for it to perform properly without causing a smoking problem. Fireplaces must built within a general set of guidelines for proper sizing. Standard American fireplaces built with a sloped and angled rear wall to form a flattened smoke shelf should be designed with a 10:1 ratio of fireplace opening to flue size (square or rectangular flues). Length x width of fireplace opening provides the fireplace size length x width of flue tile provides the cross-sectional area of the chimney. Severe rectangles may need a 8:1 ratio. Round flues should provide a minimal 12:1 ratio as a round flue drafts more easily

So, there are alternatives. A gas fireplace makes things a little easier. A fire can be lit with a switch and there is no need to store logs. There are neat cement ones that look just like logs and the fire is very real and very warm. So, a gas fireplace does a nice job at replacing the traditional fireplace. Not in the construction costs of it though. Everything that went into panning for the traditional fireplace must go into the gas fireplace. And we haven't even mentioned ripping up the floor to put in a hearth. You should always have a hearth when you are dealing with a roaring fire. You can't have leaping flames hitting a wooden floor and drastically ruining your good time.

Gas log fireplaces should always be installed by a professional who can safely install gas lines and instruct owners on its safe operation. Check to make sure that the fireplace you are installing - especially unvented fireplaces - is allowable in your particular location.

In terms of material such as fireplace rugs and carpets which hold much fire hazard, you may want to look for a specific type of grate. In cases like this, a self-feeding fireplace grate will serve your needs perfectly. Armed with deep contours, the self-feeding fireplace grates allow for burning logs to be slowly eased down into the ember beds making sure that they are contained within the fireplace.




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