Fireplaces are truly an amazing experience. Sitting beside the fire and enjoying the crackling sound of the wood, is something most people love to do. Fireplace refers to a structure, which is used for containing fire primarily for the purpose of ambiance. In the ancient times it was also used for the purpose of cooking as well. The fire is lit in a firepit or firebox, and a flue or chimney directs the combustion gases, as well as particulate exhausts to the open air. Fireplaces have a very long and illustrious history. In the ancient times, firepits were dug in ground inside a dwelling. The smoke and combustion gases used to escape through the holes of the roof.

Early fireplaces were generally constructed from masonry, stone or brick. They also included a masonry type chimney, some with tile liners. Those early fireplaces were very in efficient and today most fireplaces are factory built metal units. Factory built zero clearance fireplaces offer a dramatic increase in efficiency compared to the early fireplaces.

In addition to wood burning fireplaces, gas fireplaces have become very popular. Now there are also Bio Fuel Fireplaces. One of the best features of bio fuel fireplaces is that wood or gas is not required as fuel. Yet they give a feel, which resembles that of a traditional wood burning fireplace. Moreover, you do not need to install a chimney for the fireplace because these fireplaces do not emit any smoke or harmful gases. The most common fuel used is gel biofuel. You are not left with any residue, ash or soot to clean up. Also these fireplaces require little or no maintenance. So you save money in terms of maintenance costs as well.

Liquid biofuel, commonly used in bio fuel fireplaces, burns without any smoke or ash. An average can of biofuel will burn for approximately two to three hours. It produces an average heat of 3,000 BTU/hour.

Bio Fuel fireplaces have become quite popular in the recent times. Owing to its increasing popularity, such fireplaces are today available in a variety of designs, colors and styles, one which will surely match the ambience of your room. They are usually portable and can be easily carried from one place to another - both indoors and outdoors. Bio Fuel fireplaces are also available in wall mounted fireplaces.

See our line of Bio Fuel Fireplaces

Here are some tips that may be helpful as you get ready for the upcoming winter season.

The first order of business is to make sure your chimney is clean. This process should be done every year regardless of use of your fireplace. Not using it could result in birds or animals having nested in the chimney and blocking the flow. Also one needs to make sure that all creosote has been removed from the chimney. Creosote is a deposit left by burning uncured wood and is a very highly flammable substance that can destroy your chimney and/or home if ignited.

Buying you wood a year in advance is a good idea. Stacking so that you can cover the top but leaving the sides open is recommenced as this allows the air to flow through the stack further drying the wood. High moisture content in wood will not only make your fireplace inefficient, it will promote the build up of creosote in your chimney

Whenever possible, try to burn hard woods. Hard woods are more dense and will provide more heat and efficiency than burning similar soft woods. Oak, hickory, elm, maple and apple are all good hardwoods. The BTU's in a same size log of hard wood and softwood will be considerably greater because the hardwood is heavier.

Some folks like to store their firewood inside. This is generally not recommended as there could be insects nest in the wood. Storing your wood outside until ready for use is recommended.

Starting your fire can be a challenge but doesn't have to be. While some fireplaces have a grate for placing the wood on, those fireplace are not generally the most efficient. Of course the grate will allow you put put paper or starting materials under the wood and will provide a flow of air coming up from the bottom of the wood - all good stuff. However, using a great is not as efficient as burning the wood right on the floor of the fireplace. Starting your fireplace in the absence of a metal grate is easy. Just place the wood in a criss cross manner so as to allow air to flow in and around the stack. Is is imperative that you heat the chimney so that it draws. Large pieces of crumpled up newspaper makes are great starter as it will be very quickly and produce immediate heat. Using smaller pieces of kindling for the initial burn is critical. If you add larger pieces to quickly, they will start to smolder and product that thick blue smoke that is creosote laden. Leaving the door slightly ajar until you get a good fire going will help considerably.

Always remember to open the fireplace damper before attempting to start a fire. In some homes that have an outside chimney which is generally cold, you can open the damper a short while before starting the fire to start heating the chimney with room air.

Doors or a screen is highly recommended for any fireplace. Some wood will generate sparks that can fly into the room. It is always advisable to have a non combustible surface protection in front of the fireplace.

There are many types and styles of fireplaces, some efficient and some not so much. If your fireplace is totally used for ambience, it probably doesn't;t matter to you if it is efficient or not. However if you have an older masonry fireplace, you may want to consider an insert. Insert will definitely make your inefficient fireplace efficient.

Like anything else built into the structure of a home, a fireplace can become dull-looking and outdated over time, particularly when it's in a room with modern decor.

There are lots of ways to bring new life to a fireplace that has become an eyesore or you're just plain bored with. And now is a good time to do it.

"For homeowners who may have missed out on updating their fireplace in the fall, late winter is a great time to take advantage of sales on overstocked hearth accessories before the warmer seasons arrive," says Jess Baldwin, vice president of marketing, merchandising and product development for Monessen Hearth Systems, a hearth-products supplier that also sells Majestic and Vermont Castings brands.

Options can mean investing several hundred to several thousand dollars in the project. For instance:

Inserts: Inserts are the priciest way to rejuvenate a fireplace, but they're also the most energy efficient, particularly when converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas.

"Homeowners looking to update their fireplace and add a cozy ambience to their home can do so with the installation of a fireplace insert -- which can fit in a pre-existing fireplace," Baldwin says. "Besides the aesthetic appeal, fireplace inserts can result in increased heat output, reduced emissions and improved efficiency."

Some people love the crackle and ambience of wood. Hauling wood and cleaning up ashes -- that's all part of the wood-burner experience. But for others, not so much, and that's where inserts come in.

"A lot of people don't want to burn wood anymore," says John Malarney of Patio, Deck & Hearth Shop in Newbury.

Says Matt Patterson of Country Stove Patio & Spa in North Royalton, "We've sold a lot of gas inserts and vent-free gas logs lately."

An insert is a fireproof box that's surrounded by steel or cast iron and fronted by insulated glass, creating a closed combustion system that helps trap heat. You can continue using natural wood with some inserts, and the wood will burn more efficiently because of the heat containment. But most inserts are for gas.

Some inserts are equipped with a blower that forces hot air into the room through front vents, making the fireplace more efficient, Malarney adds.

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Some folks are obsessive about the choice of firewood. First chore is finding it, then cutting, splitting and stacking are all part of the fun. Doing all the aforementioned properly will result in a clean burning, safe system that will be very efficient,

In Norway, firewood is a national obsession. In fact, one of the most popular TV shows, “National Firewood Night,” was a 12-hour program about firewood. No joke, 12 hours. It’s not hard to understand when you consider that 1.2 million Norwegian homes have fireplaces, wood stoves or both. The TV show was based upon Mytting’s best-selling book.

Diet and fitness books may be among the top-selling books in North America. In Norway, the subject of firewood may usurp it. Mytting’s book was a runaway success, spending more than a year on Norway’s best-seller list. Sales have surpassed 150,000 copies.

Norwegians hold strong opinions about firewood. Mytting told a reporter that, “You can tell a lot about a person from his firewood stack.” And no aspect of the subject is considered trivial. The 12-hour TV program generated debate about stacking, and 50 per cent of the viewers were upset because the bark was facing up, while the rest balked because it was facing down.

When it comes to the subject of firewood, Mytting is considered the last word, and the ideal source to pass on tips for achieving perfect burning. Here are five tips from Mytting:

Air control

To get maximum heat, it’s best to keep the flu control wide open so the wood burns hot and the flames are intense. This will also reduce pollution, because gas particles are combusted and produce heat instead. Once your home is warm, control the temperature by the amount of wood used, not by regulating the flu control.

Minimal amount of smoke from chimney

Contrary to popular belief, smoke is not exhaust, but high energy gases that weren't’t burned. Check the smoke coming out of the chimney. Dense black smoke means that combustion isn't’t ideal because the fire isn't’t hot enough. If wood burns optimally, only odor-free smoke is released from the chimney.

Keep wood stove clean

Clean your stove and flue pipe once a year. It’s also important to clean your stove often if you accumulate a lot of soot.

Different types of wood yield different heat levels

Hardwood provides more heat than softwoods. Softwoods are ideal for starting a fire, and provide a cleaner burn. But once the fire is started, add hardwood to intensify heat, and provide continuous burning. The amount of wood needed is contingent upon the size of the stove’s firebox and the length and breadth of the wood you’re burning.

Healthy overnight heating

Most wood stoves burn two to three hours on one wood load. At night, it’s common practice to close the air supply so that coals smolder and provide continuous heat. But slow smoldering coals are a source of pollution. And over several hours, the heat diminishes.

A more efficient and healthier burning method is to load the wood stove with large logs before you go to bed, but keep the flu wide open. When the fire dies out, sufficient heat will be generated, and the insulation in your home will keep the heat in. In the morning, the stove will still be warm, and easily started.

When you're looking for a fireplace, you're looking for not only quality, but beauty as well and with a Napoleon fireplace, you can have both. Our strict standards of construction and steadfast dedication to long lasting display have put us in the top of the fireplace industry. From fireplaces that offer a two-hundred seventy degree view, to our in wall mounting, linear models and, of course, the good old fashion country fireplace look, we offer a wide selection that is sure to appeal to anyone's taste.

Check out our Napoleon Fireplaces

Previously published at highschimney.com

What's the difference between Fireplaces and Fireplace Inserts?

There is a lot of confusion about these terms. After all, a "fireplace" ought to be any place you can have a fire, right? Yep, but there is a difference anyway and today I'll lay it out for everyone.

When folks talk about a "fireplace" they generally mean an open fireplace. This usually means an opening in the wall with a flue above it so you can have a fire. The key here is that it's open. To confuse the matter more, a lot of fireplaces have glass doors on the front. You might point out that it's not open anymore, and you'd be right, but it's still "a fireplace."

Fireplaces can be either masonry fireplaces or factory-built fireplaces (also called prefabricated or "prefabs.) A masonry fireplace is almost always built of bricks. There are some specialty types that are more exotic and use refractory materials, but 99.9% of them are made with bricks.

A factory-built fireplace is a metal box with refractory bricks inside manufactured to be framed into a house, without masonry. Sometimes they are gas fireplaces, but they are often for burning wood. These are perfectly safe when installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The Heatalator

There's also sort of "an in-between" situation, commonly called the Heatalator. Heatalator is a brand name which is applied to products which are generally like it. Just as all tissues aren't Kleenex brand, it's pretty common to just ask for a Kleenex and everybody understands. The same is true with Heatalator. It's a metal firebox which is built into a masonry structure. Even though it was built in a factory, this is still considered a masonry fireplace. This is because of clearance and heat transfer requirements etc. Too much information? Suffice to say Heatalators are also fireplaces.

Fireplace Inserts

So what's a fireplace insert ? In a word, it's a stove. Either gas or wood, it's a stove which is inserted into an open fireplace. Fireplace inserts are almost exclusively installed into masonry fireplaces, though there are a few very special models which are listed to be installed into prefabricated fireplaces, such as the Regency Alltera CI1250.

A fireplace insert must always be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and listings or you'll put your house in serious jeopardy. Following these two bits of advice will go a long way toward keeping you and your family warm and safe at the same time!

• Insist that your stove have a properly-sized liner all the way from the top of the stove out of the top of the existing chimney. Click here for more information about chimney liners.
• Insist on knowing that any insert you buy is listed for installation into your fireplace.