The Pros and Cons of Having a Fireplace
Fireplaces are decorative elements that make a space feel pleasant and warm. Besides actually heating up a room, they simply look great in a home. You can install a fireplace in your living room or even some bedrooms to make them more inviting. But before you do any of that, we want to go over the pros and cons of having a fireplace.
The pros and cons of having a fireplace
The pros
They heat up the space
Fireplaces are a powerful heat source. If you have one in your living room, the heat will quickly make its way to the rest of the house. It’s also a very practical heating alternative for cold winter days.
Save energy and money
A fireplace can help you save tons of money if it’s your main heat source. You won’t be spending money on electricity, and you could even use it to heat up food. It’s also great to have a fireplace if the power ever goes out, because it can provide warmth and light.
Wood is cheap
Wood, the main thing you need for your fireplace, is also cheap and easy to store. If you live in the forest or country, you can just pick up a few thick pieces and that will be enough.
If you don’t live somewhere where you can gather wood, you can always buy it at a store.
The peace of a fire
You can get lost staring at a fire for hours. It makes any space warm and relaxing: the perfect environment for some time with family and friends. Invite people to circle around the fireplace, disconnect from technology, and have long, warm conversations.
Fireplaces are decorative
Fireplaces are beautiful, picturesque, and make great decorations. This obviously depends somewhat on your home’s style, but fireplaces give a nice, rustic touch to any space.
The cons
Fire can be dangerous
Now that we’ve covered the pros, it’s time to move onto the cons of a fireplace. Firstly, it may be pretty, but a fireplace is dangerous too–you’re essentially playing with fire.
Keep all your furniture away from it. Especially if you have a small space, having furniture close by could be very dangerous. It’s also not safe for houses with lots of wood, because one unlucky spark could be all it takes. You need to be very careful when starting the fire in your fireplace.
They’re expensive to install
If your house is already built, installing a fireplace can be very hard, and very expensive. Think about your priorities and your budget before you do anything.
Space for wood storage
You’ll need to have a lot of space to store wood. And if you don’t have much space, it’s not helpful to have it stored far away. You want it close by. One option is to put some fruit crates beside the fireplace and store the wood in them.
Wood can also leave lots of dust, bark, and dirt in the house. You’ll need a closed space to store it in, otherwise, your living room will constantly be dirty. But you don’t want to store it outside, because it could get wet from the rain or humidity. You can’t start a fire with damp wood.
Constant deep cleaning
You’ll have to clean your fireplace every time you use it. Obviously, that can get tedious. It’s not just the floor of the fireplace that gets dirty, either. You’ll also need to hire professionals to clean the soot from the chimney every so often, which can be very expensive and inconvenient.
You can’t install a fireplace in a small space
It’s not a good idea to install a fireplace in a small, poorly-ventilated room. Think hard about what kind of space you have and get a professional consultation before you make any decisions.
So, as you can see, there are lots of pros and cons to having a fireplace. If you’re looking to buy or rent a property with a fireplace, make sure you really consider both sides. It could seem great at first, but it’s not easy to maintain a fireplace.
If you’re going to install one in your house, try to use it with friends and family as much as you can. Take advantage of the energy savings and get some peace from listening to the fire crackle and watching it flicker.