If you’re looking to make your homeFireplace cozy and warm with a design feature that is the focal point of any room, you should consider buying a home with a fireplace.  There’s something therapeutic about watching the flickering of flames on a cool winter’s evening or while you’re entertaining guests.  It’s important that when you are home-shopping that you are educated about the types of fireplaces so that you can choose a home with the one that will work best for you and your family.

All fireplaces are not created equally and knowing the difference is important especially as it relates to the amount of maintenance and upkeep that you’ll have to perform.  Let’s look at the most popular types of fireplaces and a few facts about each one.

•    Wood burning-There’s something to be said for the crackling of a fire and the smell that permeates through your home with a wood burning fireplace.  For this type, a chimney is required so that smoke is vented properly out of your home; usually this type of fireplace is constructed from brick or stone and it’s called a masonry fireplace.

•    Gas burning-This type of fireplace will burn natural gas or propane so you must have a fuel source nearby.  They are either vented or vent-free and have ceramic logs that look real and have a flame that is close to the real flame that you see with a wood burning fireplace.  With this type, you flip a switch and your fire begins.  You won’t have to purchase wood, clean up the ashes or keep the fire fed but you won’t have that wood-burning smell.

•    Electric fireplaces-This type is inexpensive and is easily installed.  It requires no chimney or venting and is just plugged into an electrical outlet; it too, is turned on with a switch.  This type is quickly added to your existing home wherever there is space.

•    Outdoor fire pits-This type of fireplace has grown in popularity with homeowners in recent years.  It’s used in outdoor living spaces, is usually a wood burning type, and your friends and family simply sit around the fire; this is like an extra room added onto your home without the expense.  This is an excellent way to entertain in the evening hours.

Some common terms that you should know if you’re interested in a fireplace are as follows:

•    Hearth: This is the fireproof material in front of the fireplace on the floor or on a raised platform and is usually 12-18 inches wide.  It has to meet building codes for safety.

•    Facing: This is the fireproof material on the walls of the fireplace that is usually made of brick, tile, stone, or metal.  It too must always meet building codes.

•    Mantelpiece:  It frames the acing and can be very attractive.  It can be a shelf structure over the fireplace and helps to complete the interior design of your room.

•    Chimney: It draws the smoke up and out of your home.  The damper inside controls the airflow and helps your fire to burn properly.

•    Firebox: The area of your fireplace where the fire burns.

Buying a home with a fireplace or adding a fire pit to your back yard can give you an excellent place to entertain family and friends.