The Patio Expert Pages

Should you buy an electric fireplace for your home? It may be the most economical, energy efficient and ecologically viable heating option available, but not for you. You need to study how your house is built, the climate in your area, and the heating options locally available to you.

If an entire house needs heating, an electric fireplace is not as cost-efficient as other combustion systems. On the other hand, if heating is not a necessity, or if you only have to heat a single room, it's the perfect option.

Electric heating may also generate a larger carbon footprint, although you may not have found about it before. If your town has electric plants that use fossil fuels, these plants waste energy in the process of producing and transmitting electricity. An electric fireplace is ideal if it is only for a single room, or if you don't have room to install a real fireplace. It's also workable in situations where a centralized heating system is not required, and you're only using it for decoration.

For more decoration, you can add fireplace mantel surrounds to your fireplace. They also add to the illusion of using an actual coal-fired fireplace. The work needed to install or replace mantel surrounds is time consuming, but fairly easy.

Mantels can also be used as another set of shelves. In many cases, these faux fireplaces may already have with their own fireplace mantel surrounds. If you do need to change the surround, or just want to change the design, it may have to be custom fitted. This should be a cinch since it's easy to get customized surrounds over the internet.

You may decide to get stone fireplace mantels for a sturdier looking fireplace. If you mean to leave the fireplace in only one part of the room, this might be the best choice for you. It will also have a more imposing appearance as a result.