Fireplace - decoration and heat source in one

The fireplace does not only serve the function of additional insulation of rooms, but also the aesthetic function. How to match it to our interior?

Today's market offers us various types of fireplaces and allows us to adjust them to our requirements. In order to use it comfortably and create a pleasant atmosphere, we must choose the right type for the room in which it is to be located.

Open, closed and jacketed fireplaces

When building a suitable fireplace we have to decide on the type of contruction. You can choose between open or closed models. The former resemble fireplaces, which have been lit for centuries and which have served to warm up and illuminate the household. They create an amazing atmosphere within the fireplace. Unfortunately, they only use 20% of the energy from wood to heat the room, which is already quickly burned, so they are not the best source of heat, so the fuel is used more quickly.

Closed fireplaces are more practical. The fireplace stove is closed by a glazed door. In contrast to open contamination, they are safe and more effective because they use as much as 70% of the energy from wood. Therefore, they can be successfully used as a domestic heat source. They can cooperate with a hot air supply system or have a water jacket. The first option uses circulating air between the chimney insert and the casing walls. Thanks to the additional installation and fan, the heat can be distributed to other rooms. Such a system is very efficient, although sometimes it is necessary to install filters that purify the air.

Air is not the only heat transfer medium in closed fireplaces, water is often used as well. The water jacket surrounds the inserts and the combustion chamber, and the heated water is directed to the central heating system. This requires an oil or gas boiler and additional protection against overheating of the water and maximum pressure increase.

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Technical parameters

When choosing a fireplace for heating the entire house, we need to know the basic technical parameters. The average calculated from three hours of burning under test conditions is the nominal heating power. Its value is more significant than the peak power of the device. On the other hand, the efficiency parameter (presented in percent) shows us which part of the energy generated during burning with the nominal power is recovered in the form of heat.

Naturally, it is very important to choose the right material for the cartridge. Cast iron constructions are durable, steel constructions are lighter and cheaper. Some fireplaces can be fired not only with wood, but also with brown coal or wood briquette. Recently, inserts with glass doors sliding vertically are popular, making it easier to place the fuel in the fireplace.

How to arrange a fireplace in the living room?

Regardless of the type of fireplace you choose, it should look good in the room you choose.
It is difficult to match a fireplace to a particular room. Recently, traditional and rustic arrangements of brick and stone have been at the forefront. Nowadays, minimalist, almost ascetic enclosures reign supreme. Their material is also natural raw materials, but the form is more suited to modern interiors.

Decorative bio-fireplace

So far, the most popular replacement for fireplaces was the so-called "goat", i.e. a free-standing stove. Unfortunately, it requires access to a separate flue pipe and protection of floors and walls against high temperatures.

The glow of natural fire can imitate a bio-fireplace. For its installation we do not need complicated cables and additional construction work. Bio-fireplaces are fired with ethanol, almost 100% burnt, available in liquid or gel form. We can place them in rooms without flue pipes, but remember to ventilate the room regularly. This type of fireplace does not provide heat, it is only used as a decoration.