Especially here in Minnesota, where winter is particularly cold, having a fireplace to keep you warm and toasty is definitely a luxury. Fireplaces have been around for centuries and are still widely used today — and for good reason! There is nothing quite like curling up in front of a fire with your loved ones during a cold, winter night. Plus, fireplaces offer a warm, glow that can truly add to the overall aesthetics of your home.
Fireplace installation in St. Paul, MN can definitely be a worthwhile investment, especially if you’re getting quite sick of turning your heater way up in the winter. Of course, with so many options on the market today, it can be hard to select the right fireplace for your home. Fortunately, with the help of the right technicians, you’ll be able to install the fireplace that best meets your needs. But, in the meantime, we have provided a list highlighting some popular fireplace options. Keep reading below to learn more.
Now that we are in the midst of the winter season, it is a good time to think about any fireplace repairs that have to be made. We still have a couple more months of cold weather ahead of us before we can enjoy some warmth, so any repairs that need to be made now, should. Of course, when it comes to your fireplace, safety is a priority, so it is best to contact a professional right away if you notice any signs of an issue.
It’s February in Minnesota, which means winter isn’t letting up anytime soon. With the extreme weather we’ve been having in the Midwest lately, it’s no secret that our fireplaces have been used quite a bit. Of course, during this time of year, we expect our fireplaces to be efficient and effective, so what happens when cold air starts to seep through your chimney and directly into your home?
Yes, your wood stove’s chimney does need to be cleaned. Many homeowners assume that their wood stoves do not need chimney cleaning since they produce so little ash and combustion byproducts. However, any type of wood burning you do, whether it be in a traditional fireplace or a wood stove, will result in the need for chimney cleaning. Similar to a traditional fireplace, your wood stove has a firebox and a chimney. Over time, all chimneys collect a material called creosote, which is a byproduct of burning materials and it is highly flammable.
In the age of not only combustion boilers and furnaces but also modern technology like heat pumps and ductless mini splits, there are undoubtedly those individuals that look upon the old-fashioned fireplace/chimney combo as being a relic from the past. Those of us fortunate enough to have a well-designed and properly maintained fireplace/chimney setup, however, know different. Not only is the heat generated comforting, but the ambiance is incredibly relaxing.
The fireplace is not the most complex home heating system that homeowners today may choose to use. That does not necessarily mean that it is of a simple design, however, nor does it mean that you will never run into problems with your fireplace. It may lack the fancy mechanics of, say, a cutting-edge ductless mini split heat pump. However, there is still plenty of trouble that may develop with a fireplace. And those problems can result in dangerous conditions.
You often know when a furnace needs repair because it will not produce the right amount of heat. You know when it’s time to fix your car, as it may struggle to start up, or you could have trouble breaking. But when it comes to your home’s chimney, it can be a lot more difficult to tell. When it malfunctions, is it because it needs repair or because you’ve skipped a step while lighting the fire? And how will you know when the masonry is in dire need of some renovation?
There’s nothing like the crackle of a fire on a cold night, something you may be dreaming of right now as summer temperatures leave you sweating. So when you’re looking into buying a new fireplace, you may picture that traditional look and feel: a wood fireplace that burns logs and sends smoke out through the chimney.