Very few things contribute to the ambience of any setting like fire. Friends and family, dancing around a raging bonfire on a cool summer’s evening. A warm, cozy blaze, shining brightly as a family gathers around to watch a movie. The quivering flame of a few candles and a fireplace full of smoldering embers as the air fills with the spark of romance.

For certain, fire – carefully controlled, of course – can add something to almost any atmosphere. But when it comes to having a fireplace or wood stove in your home, the question is simple: what do you hope to get out of it?

Benefits Of Fire At Home

There are a number of reasons that you might consider including fireplaces in your plans when building your dream home (or adding one, if you’re already living there). For example:

• Mood. As we touched on in our intro, fire is a great mood creator. In some cases you can just flick a switch and a flame appears; in others, building a fire is a fun family endeavor.
• Heat. This may sound obvious, but fire is hot. To expand on that idea, some families use fireplaces and/or woodstoves as their primary source of heat during the winter. Want to make a room a little toastier? Just build a fire in the fireplace.
• Energy savings. Along with the warmth that comes along with building a fire on a cold winter’s night, there’s another bonus – you can cut down on your energy bill by heating colder rooms (or your entire home) with the radiant glow of a fire.
• Cooking. Feeling rustic? If you’ve got a wood fireplace or wood stove, what’s more fun than being able to roast s’mores, make popcorn, or create other culinary masterpieces usually reserved for the campground right in the comfort of your own home?

Types Of Fireplaces

• Wood-Burning Fireplace. One of the most common types, a wood-burning fireplace is fairly straight forward. Once a fire is built and lit, smoke is ventilated through the chimney, allowing the wood to burn without sending everyone into coughing fits. Although a wood fireplace is likely the most authentic option, it also requires some upkeep. The chimney should be cleaned and maintained regularly to ensure proper ventilation, and the fireplace itself may require some routine cleaning to remove burnt scraps and ash.
• Gas Fireplace. The modern gas fireplace is enormously convenient – often crafted to appear realistic using fire logs, a gas fireplace has a pilot light that remains lit at all times (just like other gas appliances). Igniting the fireplace is usually as simple as flicking a switch on or off – and the ability to moderate the size of the flames is often a standard bonus feature. Like any gas appliance, the biggest negative here is the risk of leaking gas (and carbon monoxide detectors are a must if you choose this option).
• Electric Fireplace. Probably the least authentic (but also the most accessible) of any of the different fireplace options, most electric fireplaces are popular because they are usually portable and don’t produce an actual flame. This makes them a fun addition to an apartment or condo where a fireplace wouldn’t otherwise be an option – and there are also some cute furniture designs, such as TV stands, that have a built in electric fireplace to turn the ambience up in any room.