Showing posts with label Fireplace. Show all posts

Interior Designing of Houses Intricately Reflected Through the Fireplace

They put in a fire, bought from a store or market place and go about their decoration centered on such fireplaces. It is more about having one of these structures in the house for the sake of it, rather than showing innovation to complement that house decor. The idea is to create a homely and cozy environment around the fireplace, only then will there be a finished decoration that suits the structure.

Readymade designs on stoves and grates to be used for better decor

Variety of stoves to burn wood or coal for warmth in the room is available in the market these days. People go out for their purchases, check out a few stores and pick up one stove that they find to be suitably decorated and appealing. In most cases, designs on these stoves for the fireplace are done with heavy wrought iron or steel on the front, the side which is facing the room. Most of the designs available in the market will be appealing enough. So, people get these items, depending on their affordability and put it in the rooms that they want, burning their wood without much ado having installed a suitable flue arrangement and air supply if necessary.

Interior designing of houses intricately reflected through the fireplace

The manner in which people place their fireplace will show the intricate detail that they wish to obtain in their interior decor. So, simply buying a pre-fabricated fireplace grate or stove and putting it in certain place in the room or inside the box like fireplace structure or adjacent to the wall, may not suffice in reaching a desired decor. It is only through proper innovation and use of ideas that one can design a meaningful fireplace.

Planning fireplaces from the very beginning of house designing

Fireplaces have to be planned when the design of the house is being done. It should be included in the architecture plan layout of the house. Proportion of the opening of the fireplace should be judged with the size of the chimney and the room. It should complement the size of the room in which it is located, or else the wood burning fireplace will look insignificant. Height of this structure should be considered more importantly.

Augmenting the fireplace effect with additional decorations of the surrounding areas

Apart from the fireplace grate being beautifully designed, the surrounding hearth should also have proper decoration. Wood panel, tiles, furniture in the rooms and the wall paintings should be given due attention. Stone works are nowadays done along the fireplace for better interior decoration effects. A lot of handicraft items can be put around the boxed structure for bringing a medieval imagery. Such places are nowadays getting much attention in houses and interior decorators are adding innovative ideas in the living room, in sync with the wood burning fireplace, so that a warm and cozy environment is created inside the house.
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How To Take Care of a Fireplace

How often do you take the time to thank your fireplace for all the times it kept you warm during power outages? How about those nights where its flickering flames sparked an evening of romance, or those times when its unmistakable smell brought comfort and calm to your life?
There's a great way to thank your fireplace - take good care of it!
  1. Encourage good draft up your chimney. You can do this by keeping a window open while you burn a fire. The air entering your room will get sucked up the chimney. Opening a window also ensures that your indoor air quality stays good while you burn the fire.
  2. Open glass doors when you use the fireplace. If you have glass fireplace doors, invest in a screen to block the fire instead of using glass. Doing so will also aid in ventilating the fire and encouraging airflow through the flue.
  3. Hire a chimney sweep. The flue inside your chimney suffers a gradual build-up of creosote (hard-layered residue from the wood-smoke), which can catch fire. You have to clean your chimney periodically in order to avoid such a catastrophe. This isn't a do-it-yourself project; you need to hire a professional to clean your chimney. You should have your chimney cleaned once a year if you use it a lot. If you use your fireplace two or three times per week during colder months, have it inspected and cleaned each year. Another handy method is to inspect and clean after every 70 fires. Ask the chimney inspector about the condition of your flue liner and (if you have a masonry chimney) mortar.
  4. How to reduce creosote build-up?
    • Proper wood. Dry hardwood logs are ideal for your fireplace; less moisture means more complete combustion.
    • Ventilation. A smoky fire is the result of wet wood, poor ventilation or both. You can improve ventilation by keeping glass fireplace doors open (replacing them with a mesh screen).
  5. Clean the ash out of the fireplace. Wearing a dust mask, open a window in the room and then open the damper to let the draft suck any airborne ash out of the fireplace. Then, using fire gloves, remove the old coals. You can use the broom and dust pan fireplace tools to carefully and slowly gather the dust that remains along the floor of the fireplace. Remember to wait about three days after the original fire to do any of this; embers stay hot for a surprisingly long time!
  6. Chimney cap. Not only can an uncapped chimney collect gunk and debris, but it can also cause your damper to rust or even invite animals to make it their unlucky home. Proper fireplace maintenance requires that you have a chimney cap on top.
  7. Glass doors and facades. You can purchase glass cleaners, brick cleaners and other appropriate cleaners to maintain the happy appearance of your fireplace. If you have dish soap handy, simply dilute it to make your own glass cleaner.
These simple steps can ensure that your enjoyment of the fireplace is not dampened by lingering doubts about safety. Let your fireplace know that you care; keep it maintained and running smoothly!
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