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Make Your Fireplace More Use-able With Gas Logs

When you bought your home, you probably treasured the open-hearth fireplace. You may have even searched for a home with a fireplace. And why wouldn’t you? Fireplaces add warmth, comfort and ambiance to a home. In addition, they add an element of design to any room and serve as a gathering point for families and friends.The Benefits Of Using Gas Logs - Chimney Care Company - Cincinnati OH

The reality of a wood-burning fireplace, however, is that they often sit unused. Consequently, this means wood-burning fireplaces take a lot of work. Wood must be chopped or purchased, stacked and stored, and hauled into the house. A fire must be built and can be tricky to get burning efficiently. If you would like to make your fireplace more use-able and increase its value in your home, there is a solution: Install gas logs.

Benefits of Gas Logs

The primary benefit of gas logs is convenience. You don’t have to worry about stacking, storing or hauling wood to fuel your fires. In addition, you don’t have to build or tend your fire. Different logs light in different ways. In most cases, you push a button or flip a switch that either ignites the fire or a pilot light. Gas-fueled fires also are cleaner than wood fires. While wood fires can compromise your indoor air quality and fill your neighborhood air with fine particles, gas fires burn much cleaner. They won’t fill your home or your neighborhood with soot.

Types of Gas Logs

Angie’s List suggests two primary styles of gas logs: vented and vent free.

Vented gas logs require a chimney. If you’re installing vented gas logs in an existing wood-burning fireplace, so that might mean that your chimney will have to be relined to accommodate the new fuel type. Vented gas logs produce a yellow flame that more closely mirrors a wood-burning fire.

Vent-free gas logs burn much hotter, burning away most of the byproducts of the fire. As a result, they don’t require a chimney. The hotter fire typically produces a blue flame. In an existing wood-burning fireplace, vent-free gas logs can be installed and burn with the damper closed. Vent-free gas logs also can be installed into a firebox in nearly any room of your home. That makes vent-free gas logs a great option for installing a fireplace in a room that can’t accommodate a vent or a chimney.

Styles of Gas Logs

Another major benefit of gas logs is they come in a variety of styles to suit your home’s decor. There are traditionally designed gas logs that closely mirror the look of real wood logs. They come in different sizes and wood types with different colors and textures. For a more modern look, you can forego logs all together and outfit your fireplace with stones, rocks or multicolored glass stones.

If you are ready to increase the usability of your fireplace, call The Chimney Care Co. today! We can talk to you about your different gas log options to make your fireplace more attractive and easier to use.

By Jeff Keefer | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Not All Gas Logs Are the Same

Gas logs have so many benefits that it is hard to know where to start. Installation is simple, and their presence easily adds ambiance to a room. It takes mere seconds to start a fire, and requires much less maintenance than a conventional wood fireplace. The benefits of having gas logs in your fireplace is obvious, but many don’t know all the various options that are available for those looking to change or upgrade from their current situation.Not All Gas Logs Are the Same - Cincinnati, OH - Chimney Care Co

Vented Gas Logs:

When selecting a gas log set, consider where they will be located. Do you have a fireplace that you want to upgrade or do you want a fire that doesn’t require ventilation? This will be the main factor in determining if you need vented or vent-free gas logs. Vented gas logs act like a wood fire, just without the ash, the smoke, and the hassle. It still emits some fumes, so a fireplace that has a functioning, well-maintained chimney attached is a must. Just like a wood-burning fire, the damper of the chimney must remain open while the gas fire is on.

Vent-Free Gas Logs:

When you want to add a heat source and instant coziness to a room, a set of vent-free gas logs in an approved vent-free firebox that channels the heat directly into the room, but still protects you and your home. It doesn’t require a chimney, but keep in mind that gas lines will still need to be run into the firebox.

Other options:

Technology has spoiled us in the last few years, providing us with a variety of options for the logs and the firebox itself. Depending on the decor and feel of the room, the clay, cement, or ceramic logs can be made to resemble a variety of different woods, and can even be shaped to look like both split and whole logs, complete with knots and bark. You also have the option to choose the type and height of flame that is produced, as well as the pattern in which it burns. The flames can be produced by a manual or electronic ignition, and lit with a match or even a remote control. To even further add options, glowing embers can be activated and gravel or sand can be added underneath to complete the look. Gas logs have none of the fuss of building an actual fire, but all of the little details that add to the ambiance.

Gas logs can easily take the place of a wood-burning fireplace with their ease of use and convenience, but it is still important to keep your chimney and fireplace swept and inspected. You may be warm and cozy inside, but your chimney is still out in the elements. Give us a call today to schedule your appointment for a sweeping and to look into your options for changing to a gas log set before the winter months hit us.

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Chimney Care Company | 413 Wards Corner Road, Loveland, Ohio 45140