Fireplace a top amenity for new homebuyers
Herald-Standard
Fireplaces have traditionally served as a natural focal point for centuries supplying warmth and comfort to homes. Gas models are a standard feature in homes at Cross Creek Estates Development in South Union Township and a popular amenity for new homebuyers.
Fireplaces have traditionally served as a natural focal point for centuries supplying warmth and comfort to homes. Gas models are a standard feature in homes at Cross Creek Estates Development in South Union Township and a popular amenity for new homebuyers.
Fireplaces have traditionally served as a natural focal point for centuries supplying warmth and comfort to homes.
Typically used for heat, a fireplace can also function as a conversation piece outlined by tile, stone or brick.
Non-functioning hearths can be accented inside with firewood, candles, and other seasonal decor.
Fireplaces date back to the 17th century and served as the heart of the home in colonial America, according to ushistory.org.
Benjamin Franklin invented a metal-lined fireplace in 1742 called the Franklin stove that stood in the middle of a room.
Today, fireplaces rank among the top three features desired by new home buyers, while half of all U.S. households have at least one fireplace or freestanding stove, states the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Additionally, 59 percent of those home owners consider the fireplace to be a major design feature of their home, and 73 percent of wood-burning fireplace owners say they use them to enhance the home’s atmosphere.
Chip Ciarrocchi, owner of Cross Creek Estates Development in South Union Township, said a gas fireplace is a standard feature in his company’s house plans.
Ciarrocchi added that he typically uses stone, tile surround, or a white basic mantle, but customers can also customize the fireplace.
“What’s popular now is wiring the T.V. over a fireplace,” said Ciarrocchi. “People want that connection.”
Ciarrochi added the fireplace is generally installed in the family room.
Houselogic states that durable, fireproof ceramic tile has been used for centuries to make expressive fireplace surrounds, with their color and style a reminder of certain architectural eras.
Using real rock for a classic look is a sustainable choice, but it can also be costly.
Instead, many homeowners are turning to manufactured or stone veneer to create the same look at a fraction of the cost.
The most energy efficient fireplace on the market is a direct-vent gas fireplace that has glass doors on both sides.
Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) reports a fireplace remains the most popular choice and adds significant value to a home.
Most fireplaces are no longer made of traditional brick and mortar, HPBA said, but are engineered and pre-built by major manufacturers.
More than seventy-five percent of all fireplaces installed each year are factory-built and shipped to the construction site.
With today’s venting options, HPBA said fireplaces, stoves, inserts and other hearth appliances can be installed almost anywhere in the home.
Many stoves, fireplaces and inserts are engineered to burn fuels derived from renewable and sustainable sources such as wood, pellets, corn, and other alternatives.
Because people typically use less than 40 percent of their home, warming the rooms with a fireplace, stove or insert also enables optimal energy efficiency by turning down their central thermostat.
To reduce heat loss in the fall and winter, energy.gov provides the following tips:
n Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning.
When the fireplace is in use, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.
n If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
n If you do use the fireplace, install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.
n Check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
n Purchase grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.
n Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.