Hot Stuff

A Fresh Look at Fireplaces

Written by Scott Sowers

Photo courtesy of Federal Stone and Brick

Back in the old days the fireplace earned its place as the heart of the home by serving as a heat source, cooktop, and home entertainment center. Many older homes still have traditional fireplaces, but they've become underused black holes decorated with candles, objets d'art and dried flower arrangements. Today fireplaces can return to being safe, functional, and fiery focal points. All you need is some direction and a match.

Traditional woodburning fireplaces abound in the Washington, D.C., area, but everybody knows they're not much good for heat. Converting to a gas-powered or a wood-fired insert can change all that and make the fireplace an efficient heat source. The aesthetics of an existing fireplace can also be updated by changing the façade, also known as the "surround."

Photo courtesy of Lennox Hearth products

Clean, Convenient Fuel

Before you select the surround, you need to decide on a fuel. If you enjoy the snap, crackle and scent of burning timber and don't mind the mess, stick with wood. But, according to local hearth industry experts, there is a clear trend away from tradition. "People are going to gas conversions or a wood-burning insert," says Mike Taylor, vice president of Acme Stoves in Rockville. A wood insert still allows you to burn wood, but glass doors keep in the heat and most of the ambience.

A gas insert takes wood out of the picture and can be a fairly simple job. "It's very easy if you already have natural gas in the home to just tap into it," says Dawn McDonnell, fireplace coordinator for Offenbacher's in Rockville. Propane can also be used as a fuel, but gas gets a bad rap because of the fakeness factor. However, McDonnell says, "The new ones look like real fireplaces."

Price Pointers

Installing a gas or wood insert isn't cheap because a new flue usually needs to be run inside the existing chimney. Expect to pay a minimum of $2,000 for an insert. You can buy gas logs starting at $500, but a qualified installer is needed to determine flue requirements and properly plumb the gas line.

If you're on a budget, you can also check out "vent less" systems that don't require a flue. Keep in mind that some manufacturers suggest leaving a window open while the flames are on. There are also electric systems and pellet-fueled fireplaces which run on a combination of electricity and recycled wood pellets.

Photos courtesy of Concrete Jungle

Design Directions

Once the fuel decision is made, it's time to think about how the fireplace looks in the room. "Proportion is always a critical issue," says Katie Z. Leavy, principal of Capital Design in Potomac. "A small firebox in a room with twenty-five-foot ceilings looks silly," she says. Silly is a bad thing, and you also have to think about a competing focal point, the television. To deal with the conundrum, some designers are placing the two on the same wall. "It makes sense with the way you arrange furniture," says Leavy, who cautions that "you have to have the space, and you have to make sure you're not creating a fire hazard."

Some folks choose to de-emphasize the old firebox. "Most of my clients try to make them go away because they protrude into the room," says architect Robert Cole of Cole-Prevost in the District. "Or they may be of a style that's at odds with people's lifestyles."

Deciding on a style for a fireplace makeover leads back to what's around it. "I have to determine what a customer is looking for and get into their heads by looking at wall colors, the style of house, and furniture," says Steve Prudhomme, president of Metal Specialties in Lorton. Metal fireplace surrounds work well in contemporary environments and can be rendered as shiny stainless steel, or dark-hewed, hot rolled steel. Designs can be minimal or ornate; the trick is to think outside the (fire)box.

Photos courtesy of Girardini Design

"Most people don't see it as a design element, but if the fireplace were more beautiful, they might spend more time in that room," says Julie Girardini, co-owner of Girardini Design in Sykesville. The bold use of steel or other materials on the surround can change the look of room. Painting existing brick or re-cladding with natural or cultured stone works, too.

If your imagination is busy working on other projects, consider a pre-cast fireplace surround by matching up your measurements with what's available commercially. Some materials, including concrete, can also be semi-customized. "We have four basic models that we can modify so they'll fit with neoclassical, contemporary, traditional, or transitional," says Kelly Carr of Concrete Jungle in Frederick.

Photos courtesy ofLennox Hearth Products

Move Outside

If you want the ambience of a fireplace, but the idea of doing more work inside the house puts you off, there's another option. Build it outside. "The romance of an outdoor fire takes care of all your senses with its smells, sights, and sounds," says Doug DeLuca of Federal Stone and Brick in Falls Church. Already popular in New England and California, taking the flames outdoors is a great way to turn a backyard into an outdoor room.

Wherever you put it, a fireplace adds that certain something to a space. If you're not convinced, take a look at what's going on in brand new homes. "I don't think they're going away," says Mike Hiner, president of Willow Construction in Easton. Hiner's new homes often include several fireplaces with a mix of fuel types. "The reason people enjoy them now is the same reason they always have," says Hiner. Got a match?