Refresh Your Home With Antique Fireplace Mantels - Choosing an Antique Mantlepiece

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The hunt for the perfect antique mantel for your home can be surprisingly fun, especially if you're at all adventurous. While it's possible (and a bit expensive) to shop around online for the perfect restored period antique fireplace mantle, you'll find many gems in the rough sitting in dusty, crowded salvage shops and yards. And while restoring and fitting fireplaces is a job often best left to professionals, restoring antique fireplace mantels can be done by an avid do-it-yourself handyman with a good deal of skill. Even if you do opt for a professional restoration job (and chances are good that you should), you can save a great deal of money - and get a great deal of satisfaction - from discovering a hidden beauty in the back of a salvage yard, unnoticed. Just think of the stories you can tell!

If you're considering going on a hunt for antique fireplace mantels for your home, take the following tips and advice to help you in your search.

1. (For wooden antique mantels) Check local safety ordinances to find out the required distance from firebox to wooden mantel. This may rule out taller antique fireplace mantels with overmantels and elaborate shelves if your ceiling is low.

2. Consider the period of your home. If you're determined to be historically accurate in a restoration, it will limit your choices of available mantels. On the other hand, mixing architectural details from differing periods can create visually stunning rooms - if it's done with a careful eye for detail and design.

3. Study the wood working and detail in your home for repeated motifs. In fact, do yourself one better - take photographs of details that are especially striking and take them with you on your hunt. Many of the carving details found in crown mouldings and door lintels were repeated in antique fireplace mantels. It's not unheard of to find a wooden or stone mantelpiece with carvings that exactly match your existing wood working. After all, there were only so many architectural designers working during any one period.

4. Take into account the overall dimensions of your room. You want the fireplace mantel to be a focal point, not an overpowering attention grabber.

5. Measure the entire width of your existing fireplace, but don't be strictly bound by it. Especially if you are choosing to hang a free standing mantel on the wall, you can get by with a mantelpiece that's considerably wider than your hearth. In fact, you can incorporate it into a striking design statement.

6. Dress in scruffy clothing. Salvage yards can be dusty places. You might also want to take along a torch to make it easier to study details up close.
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Choosing a Log Holder For Your Wood Burning Fireplace

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Having a fireplace is definitely a plus for people who live in colder temperatures. And, it can also be an aesthetic highlight in the homes of people who do not have colder temperatures but like the idea of having this addition to the home that induces warmth and family gatherings. There are many accessories that you can use with your fireplace to make it more efficient and friendly. Of course, the log holder is one such accessory, which adds to the appearance of the fireplace, giving the whole area a neater and cleaner look.

A fireplace log holder is used to store wood prior to it being placed in the fire. There are also fireplace carriers and baskets that serve a similar purpose to log holders. In many cases, the firewood holders, carriers and baskets are designed creatively to appeal to the aesthetic eye as well as the functional needs of consumers. Not to mention they safely store the wood until it is ready for use.

If you anticipate that you may be needing wood in a very short time from now, it is a very good idea to have firewood holders at home so you can have your supply of wood ready just when you need it. These holders come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and designs to conform to just about any fireplace you can think of. Bear in mind that some wood burning fireplaces actually require more wood than others, so you would need to get the type of holder that will provide enough wood for your particular fireplace.

Fireplace log holders also keep the wood safe from the ground, where they could potentially be exposed to becoming wet. And of course, once the logs become damp, they serve absolutely no purpose to the fire. The log basket also helps to keep insects and other pests away from the wood and protect it from rotting.

You can find a log carrier for firewood in various materials, including copper, wrought iron, leather and regular iron. It really just depends on what your needs are and what is attractive to you. And when you are not so interested in using your log holder for firewood, you can also simply use it to exhibit a bunch of long stemmed flowers. The firewood holder doubles quite well as a holder for flowers and can contribute to the overall attractiveness of the room in whichever way it is used.

Generally, you can get a log holder from $10 all the way up to $200, depending on the brand as well as the material and the size that you are looking for. And, one of the most popular brands available is Woodland Direct. The manufacturers have been able to create log holders in various designs to suit a wide range of clients.

A log holder is a perfect accompaniment to any fireplace because it allows and offers functionality as well as attractiveness. Consider investing in one if you have a wood-burning fireplace or if even you just want to give the impression or appearance of having one.

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Tips For Choosing Wood Fireplace Inserts

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If you have a wood burning fireplace and you want to save energy, you can install a wood fireplace insert. Wood fireplace inserts is energy-efficient because they trap the heat produced by the burning wood inside the fireplace. It is like burning wood behind closed doors. This is very convenient and at the same time does not waste energy and reduces your electric bill. And just like every home owner who pays several bills every month, being able to save money in any way you can and still being able to enjoy comforts inside your home is perfect living.

However, before you buy a wood fireplace insert, you should consider the following qualities for you to be able to choose the best and most appropriate one. Here are some tips.

o Measure all necessary sides and areas of the fireplace. It is important to know the exact measurement of the opening, the depth, and the width of the fireplace so that you will be able to choose a wood fireplace insert with the right size. An insert which is too high, low, small, or big will not be working to its maximum capacity. Moreover, if you bought a wood fireplace insert with slightly larger measurements than your fireplace, it might not be able to fit in and it will cause you trouble trying to fit it in or going back to the store where you bought it from to try to replace it with something smaller.

o Check if the wood fireplace insert has been approved by the Environmental Protection energy or EPA. Wood fireplace inserts which bear the certification of EPA is more energy-efficient and are relatively safer than those without EPA's approval. Also, as a responsible individual who has heard the news about different environmental problems and issues, you should make it a point not to create pollution as much as you can, even in the littlest way possible.

o Know your building or town's fire regulations or codes. This is very important not just for your safety but also for the other residents who are living in the same building or neighbourhood. If you are not sure of what you are supposed to do, you can hire a professional who installs wood fireplace inserts or other related devices. They should know what and what not to do. You should also have your chimney checked if it is still working properly or if it needs repair.

o You should also check the insert's available features. Does it have doors that self-cleans and fans or blowers? Does it have a remote control that lets you adjust fire or heat intensity? These are great features to look for when searching for wood fireplace inserts.

o The insert's appearance and design are also important things to consider. You can buy traditional inserts that are functional but not decorative, or you can buy a highly decorative and functional type. Colors and designs also vary. Just like choosing regular home furnishings, it is better to choose a fireplace insert that matches your home's theme and colors

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Three Points To Remember When Choosing Fireplace Screens

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It's not until you go out looking for a fireplace screen that you find out just how many options are available. There are big screens, small screens, brass, copper and iron screens. There are one piece screens, three piece screens and folding screens just to name a few. Regardless of the type of fireplace screen you choose there are five critical points to consider before choosing a brand or style of screen.

We all know just how dangerous fireplaces can be without proper supervision. If only takes an instant for a dangerous situation to occur if adequate precautions are not taken into account. There should always be a fire screen in place when a fire is in operation, irrespective of whether it is an open fire or a built in fireplace. While the risks may be slightly different there are also many similar situations that can turn nasty. Fireplace screens help prevent accidents.

Barriers
Screens act as barriers between the intense heat of the fire, and anyone or anything around it. Those with small children, the elderly and pets need to ensure that there is no chance that they can come into contact with an extremely hot fire.

It is easy to get too close to a fire without realizing the potential damage that it may be doing. It is critical that any screen you consider purchasing is capable of keeping occupants of the room a reasonable distance away form the heat source.

Size
When it comes to selecting a correctly size fireplace screen, consideration needs to be given to all areas around the heating area. This means including the area immediately in front of the fire as well as areas to the sides.

As a general rule, the screen should be at least 12 inches away from the heat source in all directions. This means when you are measuring the fireplace for a screen include 12 inches on both sides of the fireplace edge and 12 inches to the front. Generally the height of the screen should be a minimum of 5 inches higher than the fireplace.

Stability
When checking the sizing and design of fireplace screens make sure you carefully consider stability issues. There are some screens the while they can act as barriers, they are very easy to bend and manipulate. This can be the case particularly with bi-fold or multifold screens.

As they are designed to bend and fold they do not always hold the required shape when placed in front of a fire. Ensure that any screen can withstand unforeseen knocks and remain in place. It may be that a fastening mechanism is required to attach the screen to the fireplace surround.

Fireplace screens are an integral part of ensuring that your home not only looks good but remains as safe as possible. Homeowners should consider these a necessity, not an optional extra. There is no need to compromise safety in the pursuit of an attractive room. There are many fire screens to choose from that will look attractive in your home.

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