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How to Choose the Right Hearth for Your Timber Home

It’s easy to heat up your home’s design with the perfect fireplace. Use this guide to navigate through your options.

 

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 Photo: Roger Wade / See more of this home here.

 

1. Fireplace

A popular hearth option that now comes in affordable factory-built models

PROS: Traditional appeal; can be open on one to four sides

CONS: Typically requires professional installation; full-masonry fireplaces require a reinforced foundation to support their weight

 

2. Fireplace Insert

An insulated, closed-door system placed in an existing wood-burning fireplace opening

PROS: Increases the efficiency of older fireplaces; can function as a secondary home heater

CONS: Requires a working chimney; inserts typically must be removed for routine maintenance

 

3. Wood or Pellet Stove

A freestanding option that combines ambiance with ease of use

PROS: Wide range of sizes; very efficient heat source

CONS: Takes up space in the room; requires fireproof flooring material underneath

 

4. Masonry Heater

Uses stone mass to absorb the heat from small, hot fires, radiating warmth even after the fires are out

PROS: Among the cleanest and most efficient to operate

CONS: Expensive and heavy; requires a solid foundation

 

5. Electric

Available as fireplaces, inserts or stoves; provide the warmth of a traditional unit without the need for fuel and cleanup

PROS: Provides the ambiance of a fireplace; programmable heat; can be placed anywhere

CONS: Lower-end units look artificial and lack crackling sound and aroma of an actual fire

 


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