On a frosty Menomonee Falls day, nothing “warms” up a room (metaphorically speaking) like a blazing fireplace. The light, sound and movement all combine for a romantic, relaxing ambiance.
Unfortunate reality is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace hardly heats a space. Up to 90 percent of the fire’s heat is lost through the chimney. An open fire actually draws more heat out of a space than it could possibly return. Homeowners run a fire risk from airborne sparks landing on flammable surfaces, as well.
Want to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more pleasurable)? {Upgrade with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Menomonee Falls!
Fitting directly into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained appliance that directs heat directly into a room, rather than sending most through a chimney. The fire is visible through a glass panel. The ambiance stays – along with far more warmth!
Homeowners can select between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are available from Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Menomonee Falls.
A gas insert is custom-made for those who want instant, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally ignites at the flip of a switch. Available in a wide range of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and little work to operate and maintain.
A woodburning fireplace insert creates significantly more heat than gas. The work required is much greater, though. A fire has to be physically ignited, wood added, and air controls adjusted to moderate the blaze. Because it burns so thoroughly, a wood fireplace insert consumes much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap access to firewood in Menomonee Falls, a wood burning insert can be additional heating source for a home.
The choice between gas or woodburning is completely user preference. Many Menomonee Falls homeowners proactively add insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when designing homes.
The alternative situation for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection discovers cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will get around 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 highly-effective heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, seen through ceramic glass, and can be left unattended.
Smoke is exhausted 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 providing air to the firebox, and another for exhausting gases.
Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Menomonee Falls 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 allow homeowners to skip pricey chimney repairs that would otherwise be needed to ensure safe venting of fireplace gases.
Another benefit 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 ponder a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!