Keep Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Heighten its Warmth, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a chilly Waterloo day, nothing “warms” up a room (metaphorically speaking) like a blazing fireplace. The light, sound and movement all mix for a romantic, relaxing atmosphere.

Unfortunate fact is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace barely heats a space. Up to 90 percent of the fire’s heat is lost through the chimney. An open fire actually draws more heat out of a space than it could possibly return. Homeowners endure a fire risk from airborne sparks landing on combustible surfaces, as well.

Ready to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more pleasurable)? {Upgrade with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Waterloo!

Going right into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained component that directs heat directly into a room, rather than losing most up a chimney. The fire can be seen via a glass panel. The ambiance remains – along with far more warmth!

Homeowners can select between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are available from Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Waterloo. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is custom-made for those who want instant, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally goes on at the flip of a switch. Available in a wide array of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and minimal effort to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert generates significantly more heat than gas. The work involved is much greater, though. A fire has to be physically started, wood added, and air controls adjusted to moderate the blaze. Because it burns so thoroughly, a wood fireplace insert uses much less timber than an open-hearth setup. For those with unlimited or cheap sources of firewood in Waterloo, a wood burning insert can be additional heating source for a home.

The choice between gas or woodburning is purely user preference. Many Waterloo homeowners proactively install insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when designing homes.

The alternative scenario for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection discovers cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will get around many issues, and is often less costly than making repairs. The decision might not be difficult.

Fireplace inserts are made of heavy-gauge sheet steel. The doors are cast iron, which allows fantastic heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, viewable through ceramic glass, and can be left unattended.

Smoke is expelled via a new stainless steel liner installed inside the chimney. Wood fireplace inserts use a single 6-inch liner; gas, two 3-inch liners, one for delivering air to the firebox, and another for expelling gases.

Butler Chimneys typically installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Waterloo in one day. If the former is added, a new fuel line is run from a gas source elsewhere in the house.

New stainless steel chimney liners have lifetime warranties. Their installation can sometimes permit homeowners to skip costly chimney repairs that would otherwise be needed to ensure safe venting of fireplace gases.

Another advantage of fireplace inserts? If power goes out, they remain a steady, reliable heat source. In severe weather, they can literally be a lifesaver.

Ready to look into a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!