Advantages of Gas Fireplaces Over Wood Fires

Coming home from work or a day out can be made decidedly uncomfortable if your house is cold when you arrive. There's nothing like walking in from the outdoor chill and feeling that warm welcome of a roaring log fire. Well actually, that's not true. There's actually something better than that. Gas fireplaces provide all the beautiful, heat-generating benefits without all of the inconveniences of wood fires. In fact, today many people are actually converting their wood burning fireplaces into gas fireplaces because of all the advantages they offer.

The fuel is easier to come by
No more firewood trucks delivering loads of wood that leave mess behind. No more fire hazard from having combustible materials piled up and waiting to be set alight accidentally. With gas fireplaces, you simply tap into the city gas supply and pay your bills as required. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

They're cleaner
Natural gas fireplaces run cleaner than wood ones. They don't pollute the air with dirty smoke and soot, which can become a problem in a neighborhood where everyone's chimneys are spewing forth at an incessant rate. They're also easier where cleaning is involved because there's no ash, no black residue and no wood chips to clear out on a regular basis.

Easy to install
If you've made the decision to convert your wood burning fireplaces to gas, inserts are all that's required, and you'll need a licensed gas fitter to do the work for you. The professional tradesman will vent it to the outside and in no time at all, you'll be able to simply hit a switch and have a wonderful flame flare up before your eyes. If you prefer a freestanding unit, these are even easier to install and vent free models are available.

Modern touches
There are always attractive new products coming onto the market and gas fireplaces can also be customized to suit your individual décor. You can choose the look of the exterior and you can also decide on the kind of simulated logs you get to watch. Some feature birch, others pine or oak and their appearance is so realistic, you'd be forgiven for thinking they came from a forest the week before! Manufacturers constantly make improvements to the materials used and nowadays the ceramic logs retain the heat better than ever before, creating a radiant heat that extends further than in earlier models. There are plenty of beautiful designs around, including corner fireboxes that allow a unique viewing perspective, particularly in an L-shaped room, which may have otherwise been difficult to heat. Gas stoves are a different style of fireplace that lend a traditional look to a room. Keep a pot of water bubbling away on top to maintain air humidity.

Easier to use
Gas fireplaces are so much easier to use than wood fires. You don't have to struggle to build up the fire to sustainable flames, you don't have to keep it running or add more logs as they burn down and you can more easily control the level of heat emitted. With a remote control, you can even avoid leaving the comfort of your bed or sofa. They're also safer because you only need to flick a switch to turn them off, instead of waiting for the flames to die down or extinguishing them when you go out.

Energy efficiency
When you choose gas fireplaces over other alternatives such as central heating or even wood fires, you save money on lower heating bills and you also do not contribute to the chopping down of trees that have taken years or even decades to grow.

For effective warmth, ease of use, hygienic operation and good looks, you can't go past gas fireplaces for a range of advantages that can't be beaten by wood fires.