Enjoy The Romance Of A Fireplace

A peek into human history will reveal that even in the pre-historic period, people were using a fireplace to keep their caves warmer during chill weather conditions. But, as civilization grew, there were many innovations and the types that are being used now are classier and easier models. It is true that we get many benefits from fireplaces. Every person aims to get a specific benefit but the common thread that binds all these people is the love of fire. Let us look at some of the points about fireplaces and how to have them:

- You can not find a person who does not agree with the fact that a fireplace provides a perfect romantic setting, coziness and comfort to one and all. Especially during winter, when chilly weather conditions prevail, you can throw your blanket away and still feel the warmth provided by the fireplace.

- Before the modern days heating was invented, it was the traditional or classic fireplace that was being used. Even now, you can find such traditional arrangements and chimneys in many of the homes. Wood is burned in them for producing heat and warmth to the people living in these houses. But, only if ventilation via the chimney is quite efficient, you can have optimum benefit from this type. The chimney should also be cleaned periodically. Some people make it a point to clean these chimneys once or twice a year.

What Exactly is Radiant Heat?

What exactly is radiant heat? 

Here are a few good examples of radiant heat. Have you ever gone barefoot along the beach on a sunny day and felt the warm sand under your feet or picked up a warm cup of coffee? That is radiant heat.

Radiant heat is a transfer of energy that searches out colder objects to warm. Instead of rising like warm air, radiant heat starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source. Objects absorb radiant heat until they are the same temperature as the heat source.

Like sunshine, radiant energy is efficiently distributed at light speed, converting to heat when it encounters people and objects in the room.

Radiant heating doesn’t warm air. Like the sun, it warms objects in its direct path. The heated objects, like people or walls can also give off radiant heat to cooler materials. Conventional fireplaces, for example, give off radiant heat, while central "forced-air" furnaces use convection heating.

Do you know which fireplaces are best for their heating efficiency? Did you know you can maximize your radiant heating capabilities whether you have a manufactured, masonry, wood burning , gas or electric fireplace? Learn more here Brick Anew

Is Your Fireplace Ready for a Summer Makeover?

By Guest Writer, Pam (Home Décor Diva)

I recently had an embarrassing experience that almost forced me to toss the crown of Family Decorating Diva. But there’s still time to fix it and regain my title, especially now that summer’s here and the kids are off at day camp for a few blessed weeks. Let me tell you, in my household, these summer months are about the only time things slow down for even a minute. This makes it the perfect time for some serious deep-cleaning—and, on a more fun note, a great opportunity for those needed upgrades to our home’s décor. Call it Operation Summer Spruce-Up. I always look forward to breaking out the seasonal-themed dishes decorated with watermelons and investing in a new welcome mat to replace the ratty one that’s seen winter’s wear and tear—and this year? It’s time for a fresh coat of fireplace paint.

There’s a story behind this...

I don’t know about you, but in my house, the winter months mean one thing: a packed schedule of family get-togethers. Much as I enjoy these warm times together, enough is enough if you know what I mean. At our New Year’s Brunch, my mother-in-law walked through my living room and made this comment, “Pam? This room is sort of, well, blah, don’t you think?”

As much as I hate to admit it: Folks, she was right. (I’d never tell Her this, but thank goodness Someone isn’t internet-savvy!) I looked over at the fireplace. Without the holiday candles and trimmings that we’d just taken down, it looked bare and boring—and worse, the coarse brown brick just looked dated and flat-out crummy.

Never fear! The summer months are the perfect time to fix that. With no mothers-in-law looking, it’s the ideal time to refurbish the old fireplace with a fresh coat of paint and some unique decorative touches. I’m thinking a raffia swag of seashells over the mantel, accented with some beachy accessories and photos from our Florida trip a few years back. (Wishful thinking!)

As for that awful brick, sure, I could go crazy and insist we demolish the whole fireplace and install a new one, but I don’t want to see the Mister throw his back out with a sledge hammer, and the kids would be running around in a cloud of dust for weeks. Frankly, I’m not interested. After doing some thoughtful research, I’ve found an easier, more budget-friendly alternative: a coat of tasteful fireplace paint from Brick-Anew. I’m thinking Twilight Taupe right now, and from where I stand, it looks like this might just be the one of the easier steps in Operation Summer Spruce-up. I’ll letcha know.

Video - Portland Williamette

John Boire with Portland Williamette showed us a fireplace mantel coordinated with all surrounding accessories--from the glass door to the picture frames to gas valve covers. We interviewed John at the 2008 Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Expo.

Be sure to check out the Portland Williamette website.


Related Links:

2008 Hearth, Patio, and BBQ Expo
Videos from the 2008 tradeshow in Atlanta--Fireplace Decorating was there!

Rustic Fireplace Mantels for Modern Homes
This article explores the popular trend of rough-hewn or primitive hardwood mantels for both modern and traditional fireplaces.

Fireplace Mantels
A wide selection of fireplace mantels including unfinished mantels you can stain, seal, or paint yourself.

Video - Pilgrim Hearth

At the 2008 Hearth, Patio & BBQ Expo, Fireplace Decorating caught up with the President and CEO of Pilgrim Hearth, Gene Russell. He told us about some of Pilgrim Hearth's newest products including their award-winning fireplace screens.

Be sure to check out the Pilgrim Hearth website, and stay tuned for more videos from the Hearth, Patio & BBQ Expo in Atlanta.


Related Links:

2008 Hearth, Patio, and BBQ Expo
Videos from the 2008 tradeshow in Atlanta--Fireplace Decorating was there!

Choosing a Fireplace Screen
A fireplace screen can be a stylish and beautiful addition to your hearth. This article shows you what to look for when selecting a fireplace screen.

Fireplace Screens
A great selection of fireplace screens.

Videos - 2008 Hearth, Patio, and BBQ Expo

The 2008 Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Expo was just in Atlanta this past weekend, and Fireplace Decorating was there! We interviewed many of the exhibitors and learned about some of the exciting new trends in fireplace products and ideas for decorating/remodeling.

Check out these videos from the show:

Pilgrim Hearth

Pearl Mantels

Mantels of Yesteryear

Twin Star Home

Hargrove Hearth

Thermo-rite

By the Fire

Portland Williamette


Related Links:

Fireplaces and Modern Design
An article about modern design options for fireplace remodeling and decoration.

Fireplace Makeover
Decorating tips for making over an ugly fireplace.

Return on Investment
Getting the best return on investment for your home improvement.

Get Your Fireplace Ready before the Holiday Rush

Many people avoid thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas before November. But if your entire family is coming to visit, you can save yourself some stress by preparing your home—and your hearth—ahead of time.

The holidays are about family, and the best place to gather your family together is around a cozy fire. A remodeled fireplace is a natural backdrop for photos. Be sure to get the stockings in the picture!

Here are some remodeling and decorating ideas for your fireplace that you can get done before the last-minute holiday rush:

• Replace your mantel. A monumental undertaking? Something only a contractor could do? Actually, if you’re handy with tools, you can order a custom-crafted hardwood mantel on the internet, have it delivered, and install it yourself. You can get a factory finish to match your décor, or you can finish the wood yourself.
• Replace your fireplace accessories. New fireplace accessories such as screens, hearth rugs, and tools make a world of difference. Don’t let filthy, sooty screens or tools detract from the appearance of your fireplace. You can choose from many different designs to find out that goes perfectly with your living area.
• Replace your gas logs. Think about upgrading to designer ceramic and concrete log sets for your gas fireplace.
• Paint over ugly brick. Painting fireplace brick is a popular and inexpensive alternative to replacing or rebuilding a fireplace. This is a great do-it-yourself project that can give you startling results for a very small investment of time and money.
• Hang Christmas cards. Instead of lining up cards on your mantel, try hanging Christmas cards from garlands or tinsel draped below or across the front of your mantelpiece.
• Use stocking hangars. Don’t want to hammer nails in your hardwood mantel or drill holes in your fireplace brick? Try these handy fireplace brick clips that attach to bricks without damaging them, allowing you to hang stockings right on the fireplace.
• Digital photo frames. You can choose from a wide variety of digital picture frames to put on the mantel. Load the memory with digital photos of past holidays. Many frames allow you to create a slideshow of pictures—that’s like having your photo album displayed all the time on your mantel.

If you have an ugly or neglected fireplace that you are tired of seeing every year in your Christmas pictures and videos, give yourself an early Christmas present and remodel it before the holidays. Santa will thank you.

Faux Finishes for Fireplace Brick

Faux finishes are all the rage these days. You can’t pick up a home improvement magazine or watch a decorating show on cable without running across some version of faux finishing. Much of what you see will proclaim that you can “do it yourself,” while the opposite camp will tell you that you need a professional to do it right—or they might even offer extensive, expensive training so that you can call yourself a professional faux finisher.

The term has been applied so broadly and to so many areas of decorating, it’s easy to become confused. What exactly does faux finishing mean, and how can you do it to fireplace brick?


It’s a Fake!

Faux finishing literally means fake finishing, and it’s a process for visually simulating the look and texture of a material using paint. The technique has been around for centuries, but recently its popularity has surged.

What materials can you simulate? Anything really. That is why faux finishing can be applied to almost any decorating situation. With the proper paints, brushes, and techniques, you can create a very believable finish that looks like marble, wood, stucco, plaster, or brick.


Do You Need Professional Faux Finishing for Your Fireplace?

If you are unhappy with the look of your brick fireplace, you can hire a professional faux-finisher to update your fireplace to make the décor of your living area by painting the existing brick to “mimic” the look of real brick. This can give you some great results, but there are a couple drawbacks to this approach:

• Is your professional really a pro? Since faux-finishing has become popular quite rapidly, many people have jumped on the bandwagon to call themselves “professional” faux-finishers. Since there is no universally accepted accreditation for this, always ask for references and look at samples of previous work before hiring a finisher.

• Is your professional worth the cost? Because most faux finishing is labor-intensive and faux-finishers consider themselves artisans rather than housepainters, they often charge exorbitant rates. According to the article "How to Update Your Fireplace" by Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Vierria (reprinted on the HGTV website), Sacramento faux finishers Brigette and David Logsdon charge $800 to $1,200 for a typical faux-finish job on a fireplace.
  

Do It Yourself

Before you shell out big bucks to hire a professional faux finisher, why not try your hand at it? Order a fireplace paint kit to get all the paint and supplies you need to remodel your ugly brick fireplace and give it a “real brick” faux finish that fits your living area. The kit even comes with video instructions that take you through the entire process step by step—you can do the whole thing in a single weekend. And best of all, the entire kit costs only $200. What have you got to lose?