Want to add a little warmth?
With many of us staying home during Covid, there has been a huge jump in sales of fireplaces, outdoor heaters, fire pits, and barbecues.
With new engineering, it is now so much easier to add a fireplace to an existing room such as your kitchen, master bedroom, or even your master bath! If you go electric, all you’ll need is a power source since no chimney or flu are required! It is the same with outdoor heaters. They can be natural gas, propane, or electric and can be mounted almost anywhere (with some fire code restrictions) and mobile heaters are available too. Fire pits are easy to install also – just put it where you want it and turn it on.
An insider tip from the Carey Group – our go-to person for all things warm is Jason Moore, the owner of Forden’s Fireplaces in San Luis Obispo. We have been using Forden’s (founded in 1939) since 1979 for all of our projects. They have a great showroom, offer better pricing than anyone we know of (sometimes up to 25% less), and they give great customer service. Not only will they come to your home to help you plan what you need (no obligation,) but they sell, install and service the products as well. This is one of those “drive a little, save a lot” situations.
Forden’s store demand statistics:
70% – Gas fireplaces – Still the bestseller, less maintenance and similar ambiance to wood-burning fireplaces
15% – Wood-burning fireplaces – Authentic in smell and sound, these require more maintenance but throw more heat.
10% – Electric fireplaces – No gas required, sealed glass front, aesthetically not as realistic.
5% – Pellet fireplaces – Perfect for homes with propane or heating homes in cold climates (pellets are made of recycled construction products and easier to handle than a cord of wood).
Gas fireplaces and gas log starters are still allowed in the County, but they are now banned in the City of Santa Barbara on new construction and large remodels, as they create more greenhouse gas emissions than other methods. The ongoing debate of eliminating gas fireplaces is complex. Many question whether the infrastructure needed is in place to support all-electric at this time. Another argument is that the way we currently source electricity creates greenhouse gas emissions (i.e. burning coal), so until we are able to rely solely on solar and wind turbines, some believe eliminating gas fireplaces wouldn’t have the desired impact. For gas fireplace brands, Jason recommends Fireplace Extraordinaire and Heat & Glo.
All-electric fireplaces are more affordable, easier to install and don’t have to be vented, and have features like color changing with a click of a button. They aren’t as natural-looking as other types of fire systems but as demand rises, they will no doubt continue getting better.
Wood-burning fireplaces in new construction need to have emissions below or at the level allowed by EPA guidelines. They do require a sealed gasket door. After much research, our firm has been buying Heat & Glo’s Rutherford wood-burning fireplaces. These are cost-effective and one of the few pre-made fireboxes where no metal trim shows when installed so it looks more like a true brick firebox. This fireplace can also take gas logs and has an oversized opening.
For fire pits, Jason says he prefers Warming Trends, American Fyre Design, and Kindred brands. Hearth Product Controls is another company for custom fire pits parts or they can provide an unfinished pit that you can customize with stone, metal, or tile.
For outside heaters, Jason recommends Infratech’s 40” unit and Bromic Heaters.
Design-wise in all our new homes, we now plan for outside fire pits, barbecues, outdoor heaters, and fireplaces in the living room, master bedroom, and family room. My goal is to get a fireplace into all new kitchens too! Outdoor TV preplanning or a movie wall are included now as well, but we’ll save that for another article.
Stay Warm!
Trudi
