Chimneys and fires are an intrinsic characteristic of English architecture, their existence dating back to medieval times. They were the sole means of heating your home prior to the Victorian's invention of gas central heating; but in the days of rising temperatures, double glazing and thermostats, have fires become redundant?
As fireplace specialists, we see first-hand the value of a fire in a home. A quick online search confirms that having a working fire in your house can see up to a 5% increase on its value according to estate agents and property experts.
The term 'fire' is in itself incredibly broad and could cover anything from a contemporary style electric powered media wall, to a countryside inspired rustic wood burning stove, or a high-efficiency gas fire. We passionately believe there is a fire for every home.
With the fire & stove market being hotter than it has ever been thanks to a rise in interest in interior design, with more people taking to social media to post aesthetic pictures of their decor, the range of choice available to you when it comes to selecting your new fireplace is extensive. Finding a fire for your home that reflects your style and makes a statement is an almost effortless task with the right professional guidance. Many businesses such as hotels now use expansive gas and electric fires and fireplaces to convey a level of luxury and opulence, whilst gastro-pubs and restaurants make use of a stove's cosy qualities to make their atmosphere warm and inviting.
A new fire achieves more than commanding the attention and adoration of the room. Zonal heating is the smart way to heat your space and a fire is an easy way to achieve that, and save money on your heating bill. Independent surveys state that most of us prefer our bedrooms and kitchen on the cooler side and our lounge and snug on the warmer end of the scale. Whilst thermostats do their best to regulate; if its poorly located, some rooms on the colder areas of the home can struggle to get up to temperature. TRV valves are one way to prevent unnecessarily heating unused rooms, but only work to a certain extent.
To put our zonal heating dilemma into the real world, allow me to draw from personal experience. I for one, live in a purpose-built 80's style flat with no chimney. During the Winter months the internal temperature on average never drops below 15C, which I will bump up to 18C - 19C on my thermostat using my central heating. However there is no conceivable way I can get comfortable sat on the sofa and watch the latest season of Selling Sunset without the room being a tropical 23C, perhaps to invoke a feeling of being 'there' while the scantily-clad cast sell beach front property in LA. Too warm for some, too cold for others, just right for me says I. Enter: my electric fire. A perfect fit for my smaller space, it solves my desire to top up the heat in my lounge without having to touch any of the other rooms. Plus when the weather warms up and I can no longer justify firing up the radiators, I can pop my fire on occasionally on the fresher Spring & Autumnal evenings.
My parents live in a 1930's style property and thanks to its South-facing garden, the back of the house is thoroughly sun-baked throughout the day. However the frosty North-facing living room plummets to toe-frosting temperatures, not helped by the original single glazed stained-glass windows my mum couldn't bear to replace. One Winter on the lead-up to Christmas, our power decided it was going on strike and our boiler staged a silent protest, in which it responded to no amount of light tinkering, heavy-handed groping or sharply spoken expletives. Plunged into dark and desperate times in candle light and thermal knickers, an angel in the shape of a Stovax woodburner with its flaming halo, illuminated our evenings and de-frosted our blackened toe-cicles.
A fire is a tool for so many jobs; from upgrading your home's style, to conserving energy bills and providing emergency heating during power-cuts and naughty boiler strops. They're conversation pieces, atmosphere elevators and Father Christmas chutes. Their worth has never been more apparent in today's world, where energy bills are rising, and the cost of living has us enjoying and valuing the comfort of our own homes .
If you 're interested in adding a fire to your room, or upgrading an existing one, we'd love to help you make the best choice for your home. Our showroom offers plenty on display and we welcome all enquiries!