Dan's Papers - June 5, 2009

If you're looking to bring a cozy feel to your home, a stone fireplace is a great way to add both warmth and impact. The addition of a fireplace and stone mantle can anchor your room, and bring value to your home. Cultured Stone has the look and feel of stone, but at a lower cost and with less hassle. Made from molds of centuries-old stone, Cultured Stone has rich texture and color, and a realistic look of stone, while being lightweight and requiring no additional footing. Such a fireplace will add a look and feel of warmth year round; it would be wonderful both in a blizzard and on a chilly summer evening. There are a number of options in terms of fireplaces - there are gas, wood burning, and electric fireplaces to choose from, in addition to the traditional. Direct vent gas fireplaces deliver a homey, welcoming fire with only the flick of a switch. They prevent carbon monoxide and excess moisture from entering your home, maintaining indoor air quality, and are available with intermittent pilot ignition, which limits energy consumption while the unit is not in use. Alternatively, wood burning fireplaces or stoves, which burn wood fuel - a renewable resource considered by many to be carbon neutral because only the carbon that the tree absorbed while growing is released into the air while it burns. Then again, electric fireplaces and stoves have no combustion byproducts, and can also be moved from room to room to maximize the benefits of zone heating. They require no venting and are inexpensive.