Enjoy Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Heighten the Warmth, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a cold Durham day, nothing “warms” up a space (metaphorically speaking) like a roaring fireplace. The light, sound and movement all combine for a romantic, relaxing environment.

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

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

Going directly into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained appliance that transfers heat directly into a room, rather than sending most through a chimney. The fire is visible via a glass panel. The ambiance remains – along with far more warmth!

Homeowners can choose between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are offered by Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Durham. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is perfect for those who want immediate, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally turns on at the flip of a switch. Available in a wide selection of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and little effort to operate and maintain.

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

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

The alternative situation for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection reveals cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will avoid many issues, and is often less costly than making repairs. The decision might not be too hard.

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 through a new stainless steel liner added 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 regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Durham 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 bypass pricey 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!