Holiday Decor Ideas for Fireplaces

 During the holidays, people usually place decor on mantels and around the focal point of the house - the fireplace. Here are some inspiring ideas. Remember to keep stockings away from the front of the fireplace as they can be a fire hazard, and never burn a Christmas tree in the fireplace because they burn too hot and too fast and can cause a house fire. 

Fireplace not working? No problem - use candles for a welcoming atmosphere. 

Above and left: These faux fireplaces work great for focal points for your holiday decorations. 

Real fireplace - real fire - and nice decor without any stockings hanging down in front of the fireplace. We give this one an A+!

Whoops!  Looks nice, but do you see the problem? 

A stunning historical fireplace that is nicely done

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Marge Padgitt is the president of HearthMasters, Inc. and author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking. www.woodfiredpub.com or www.chimkc.com. Sign up for blog notices so you don't miss an article!

Everyone Needs a Wood Stove for Emergency Heating!

With the economy in shambles and the cost of everything going up, including oil, gas, and electricity, the one piece of advice I can give to people is this:

Everyone needs a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert in their home for emergency heating and NOW is the time to buy!

 

Wood-burning stove insert by Regency

•  Wood-burning stoves work without the use of electricity or fans (unlike gas furnaces or pellet stoves).

•  Wood stoves and inserts produce TWICE the amount of heat (BTU's) than gas stoves or inserts!

•  Fuel is readily available either by using your own trees on site or purchasing through a firewood dealer. Tip: Buy NOW.

•  No electricity is needed for a wood stove or insert to work! In case of emergency when the power is out you'll be able to stay in your home instead of going to stay with friends or family or going to a hotel.

•  With a freestanding stove you can cook on the top if needed.

Freestanding wood-burning stove by Hearthstone

Use a wood-burning stove during fall and winter as a supplemental heating source to save money and provide a more comfortable, even heat. Radiant heat from a wood stove or masonry heater has more health benefits than a gas furnace or electric baseboard heaters.

Good quality wood stoves aren't inexpensive - but they are worth the investment. A good stove will last many years. Note: beware of box store wood stoves that have no or limited warranty and may burn out after a few seasons. 

New EPA approved wood-burning stoves and inserts are 75%+ efficient which means that most of the heat is staying in your house rather than going up the flue as with a standard open fireplace. 

 

Bonus: Get a TAX CREDIT for an efficient wood stove or insert up to 26% in 2022 and that includes labor and all materials!

Call us if you are in the greater Kansas City area or another professional chimney sweep our hearth dealer to discuss upgrading your inefficient open fireplace to a high-efficiency wood-burning insert, or if no fireplace is available you can have a freestanding wood stove along with a Class A chimney or stainless steel chimney liner installed. Note: These appliances can ONLY be installed in MASONRY chimneys or with a CLASS A chimney.

A word about GAS: If you have a gas-burning insert or stove, it will likely work with no power available. They just produce HALF the amount of heat as a wood-burning appliance.

Note: Blowers on gas or wood-burning appliances will NOT work unless you have a generator. But they will still provide heat. 

 

Find a professional installer at www.nficertified.org or www.csia.org. 

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Marge Padgitt is a chimney industry veteran and author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking and the Chimney Pro's Resource Book. She is a speaker, talk show guest, and instructor. Visit www.chimkc.com or www.hearthmasters.net for more information.