What You Need To Know About Choosing The Right Fireplace For Your Home & Your Budget
The nights are getting a bit chillier so if you’ve been thinking about installing a fireplace before it gets REALLY chilly, you’ll need this! We spoke to Jason and Fiona of Highland Fires & BBQs and got their tips on what to consider when selecting a fireplace.
If we’re going to bunker down for the winter, then let’s stay warm (and choose the right fireplace seeing we’re going to be sitting in front of it a helluva lot!). The Highland Fires & BBQ’s showroom is open with social distancing and they offer phone and online consultations for those who want to keep their distance.
What’s the space you’ll be heating?
While it’s easy to say the room you’re heating is x metres by x metres, you also need to consider other variables within the space.
Is it an open plan living area with adjoining rooms for heat to escape into? Or can you close doors off and keep the heat contained? Does the room have high ceilings? Is your house well insulated? Does it have a lot of windows and if so, are they double glazed? And what sort of materials make up the interior of the room? Do you have polished concrete floors or lush carpet? All those sorts of variables will drive the decision around what the fireplace size and heating capacity you’ll need.
“We start by asking what heating capacity a customer needs. A small wood fireplace might heat up to 120 square metres, a medium one up to 200, and a big heater will be up to and beyond 300+ square metres. This depends on some of those factors like insulation and building characteristics,” says Jason.
Other things to consider:
Is the fireplace your main source of heating or an occasional fire for weekend use? If it’s the main source, it’s essential to get all the factors right, including size and position.
Like for like, a closed slow combustion wood fireplace will produce more heat than an equivalent closed gas fireplace. They will also produce more heat using less wood then an open wood fireplace, but of course you lose some of the romance of an open fire.
Factors like how the fireplace is made then comes into play – cast iron vs steel construction, heat convection chambers and optional heat banks can all influence how efficiently a fireplace could heat your space.
Jetmaster Universal Double-Sided
Wood, gas or electric?
That’s the age old question, isn’t it? It can come down to three things:
– The space you want to heat
– The time you’re willing to commit to your heating
– Budget!
All three types of fireplaces have their pro’s and con’s. The good news? There are gorgeous traditional and contemporary designs for all three types of fireplaces – you most definitely won’t be sacrificing beautiful interiors because only one type of fireplace – wood, gas or electric – is the answer for your space.
“About 60% of our customers choose a wood fireplace because they want the bigger heating capacity, they like the ambience of a crackling wood fire, and they’re happy to source and split wood through the colder months,” Fiona points out.
“There’s also a wide range of freestanding and in-built wood heaters so there’s plenty of flexibility to find the right one for your space.”
Gas is popular for convenience, style and ambience.
“And you get flickering flames at the touch of a button with no wood to chop!” says Fiona.
Quality gas heaters today have realistic flames, great heating capacity and plenty of design options. Something to note, gas heaters tend to be more expensive than wood and installation can cost more.
Electric heaters have come a long way in design and realistic looking flames. They don’t need flueing, they’re easy to install and they provide year-round ambience with or without heat.
“We’re just having one of our British-made ilektro fires installed by a local builder building a passive house in Bowral where they want the effect of a real fire but not necessarily the heat,” Jason says.
ilektro seven fifty landscape electric fireplace
How will it fit into your existing space or if you’re doing a new build, your new space?
This is when we start talking about placement, aesthetics and what will work well in your room. There are plenty of fireplace options – from upright wood fires with legs or a pedestal, to cube-style fireplaces that sit on a table, bench or wood box, to built-in or double-sided fireplaces. Double sided fireplaces work well for larger areas, providing heating for two different spaces. Many built-in fireplaces these days have stunning contemporary designs that mean the fireplace becomes a streamlined part of the interior look of the home.
You also need to get technical when working out how a fireplace will fit into the space. For example, do you have an existing chimney where a wood or gas fire could be retro-fitted? Do you need a new enclosure to be built for a wood or gas fire insert? If you have limitations with flueing perhaps an electric fireplace is a good option.
“There are good gas and wood models available that can be retro-fitted into existing chimneys that are either empty, have old heaters in them or need some minor remedial work,” says Jason.
If you’ve got a blank space ready for a new built-in fire, that opens up a choice of heaters. For gas, it can simply be a matter of building a timber enclosure for the fire with gas and power nearby.
“And it can be dressed any way you like, traditional or modern style, from sheeting to cladding to stonework or tiles, with or without a hearth and mantle,” Fiona says.
Maison Mt Blanc 970 Series Double-sided
For in-built wood heaters, some people build complete brick or stone chimneys while others go for a hotbox enclosure that contains the fire and can be simply gyprocked and painted.
“We work with people’s builders, and we can also bring in trades to help co-ordinate the additional requirements to complete the fireplace,” Jason explains.
“And the style of the fireplace is a big factor,” Fiona adds.
“Do you like contemporary or traditional? On legs or pedestal? Industrial or cottage-style? There are many different shapes and styles coming out of Europe in particular.”
How efficient will your new fire be?
If you grew up with a wood fire or you’ve got an old one in your house, it’s worth knowing that wood fireplaces have come a long way in efficiency and function. New technologies in the way fires are designed and built mean you can produce more heat for longer with less wood and lower emissions. Good for the environment and your back pocket!
“Many fires are made to produce excellent convection heat (not just radiant heat from the flames or unit) by pulling in cold air and pushing out warm air through convection chambers, without using a fan,” Jason explains.
“Some come with thermal heat banks and materials like soapstone exteriors that hold heat for longer and slowly release it.”
Other newer technologies include things like self-cleaning glass so you don’t get the blackened glass of yesteryear.
“The European fires we stock are some of the most efficient wood heaters in the country, but that’s not to forget great quality fires made in Australia and the US too,” says Fiona.
What’s your budget?
How long is a piece of string? The type of fireplace you select will be driven by budget, but that’s nothing to be concerned about. There are plenty of options to choose from. From super fancy high-end installations through to budget-friendly (and still gorgeous!) fireplaces.
At Highland Fires & BBQs, prices range from $800 to over $15,000. You’ll also need to consider install costs. A qualified technician will need to install the fireplace for the warranty to be valid, so allow some extra in your budget for that too.
“There really is a fireplace for everyone and every budget. It’s our job to make sure customers get a fireplace they’re going to love for years at the right budget for them,” Jason says.
“We will always aim to give customers an understanding of the full cost including the fireplace, flueing and installation.”
It comes down to talking with people who are knowledgeable about fireplaces, fireplace design and family life. Jason and Fiona at Highland Fires & BBQs are those people. They know what questions to ask, and they know what fireplace will work for your space and situation. Give them a call on 4872 2234.
Highland Fires & BBQs stock a wide range of fireplaces and fireplaces brands including Jetmaster and European brands. A family and locally owned business, the focus is on awesome customer service, product knowledge and working with clients to get a fantastic, high quality finish and result. Their Mittagong showroom is currently open but they also offer phone and online consultations for those who want to keep their distance. It’s totally possible to select a fire remotely and have it installed without leaving the comfort of your own home, and without direct person-to-person contact.