Gas Fireplaces:
Adding Warmth To Your Home

By Kathryn Whittaker

No matter where you live, in a townhouse, a lakeside cottage, an urban loft, or a vintage Victorian mansion, there is always a place for a gas fireplace. Convenient and easy to use, gas fireplaces today offer an abundance of design ideas to suit both your lifestyle and the style of your home.

According to the recent statistics, a fireplace is one of the most commonly anticipated features in a modern home. Freestanding gas fireplaces deliver radiant heat to any room in your house – from kitchen to dining room and even bedroom, - or outdoors, warming your patio or a backyard. Classic terracotta finish or modern and minimalist brushed steel can give a whole new look to any of your rooms.

Modern fireplaces offer a variety of choices when in comes to fuelling. They may be wood burning, gas- or propane-fuelled, as well as liquid fuelled. The choice is totally up to you. Do you plan to chop wood, or you opt for a convenience of a gas? The kind of fuel you choose is a crucial factor in deciding what kind of fireplace to buy. Consider availability and cost, heat efficiency and your local air pollution standards. There are special regulations that concern the design, verification and labeling of gas fireplaces or imported into the North America.

Gas fireplaces are very energy efficient and can even be used to heat a whole house. With a prefabricated duct system heat travels from one room to another, however, not many households allow for this unless installed during construction. Gas fireplaces, being very easy to use, can be even turned on with a remote control or by the Internet in the new smart home! Thermostats allow for an easy heat adjustment, and with many programmable features you can also change the flame length and intensity.

Gas fireplaces are fuelled by propane or natural gas. Propane can be stored in a reservoir on your property, however, it can be more expensive in the rural areas compared to the wood. But with this type of fireplaces, you don’t need a lot of logs to chop and store. In general, gas fireplaces require significantly less maintenance.

The firebox of the gas fireplace is lined with a refractory material that looks like bricks or stones. Instead of blue unappealing flame that most of us expect from the gas, the fireplaces emit completely natural-looking flames that spout from invisible holes in prefabricated ceramic logs. Often these logs form a realistic pile on the bottom of the firebox. Some people prefer the inserts that look like a coal in Victorian-styled fireplaces.

Gas fireplaces are becoming a more and more popular alternative to conventional built-in fireplaces. Gas fireplaces can be as individual as you are. They can be framed in wood, finished in stucco, stone, or tile, thus fitting into most landscapes and home design solutions. Gas fireplace can become a focal point of your backyard or patio, and as any room in your home, an outdoor space must bear the same design concept as indoors. That is why when choosing a fireplace you should think about the environment in which it will be placed and how it will fit with the existing decor. But no matter which technology or functionality you choose, it is largely a design and materials that give your new appliance it’s distinctive style and make a design statement.

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Copyright 2005

About The Author: Kathryn writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information about Fireplaces please visit http://www.fireplace-ideas.com and for additional fireplace and mantle articles please visit the following page: Fireplace Ideas.

Coleman 3-Room 8-Person Tent - 13x13'

Who needs a camper when you've got a Coleman tent? This spacious 3-room tent is perfect for families and sleeps up to 8. Room dividers turn unit into 3 rooms for privacy and organization. Main dome features 2 oversized doors meeting at a right angle, turning this room into a screened-in porch. Smaller sleeping domes attach to the other 2 walls. Ceiling vents provide air circulation throughout entire tent. Rainfly includes coverage of windows and doors. Also features carrying bag, 2 storage pockets, water-repellent thread, webbing and zippers, inverted seams with inside stitching, leakproof welded floor seam, polyurethane-coated fabric, shock-corded fiberglass poles, pole sleeves and frame clips. Sleeps 8. Blue and gray. 27 lbs. No. 9261C133D. Imported. 13'Lx13'Wx72" center height.

Wenger WG31209 Massif II 4-Room Radical Dome Tent

* Measures 18 by 18 by 7.6 feet (W x D x H)
* 4-room dome tent with 172 square feet of floor space
* Polyester taffeta construction with 600mm coating for rain and wind resistance
* 1 main room and 3 satellite rooms; each include a Dutch "D" door for easy exit
* Includes mesh utility pockets, mud mat, and roll-top folding table
4-room radical dome tent made of polyester taffeta tent body and rip-stop design. Rainfly features double pass polyurethane coating. Polyethylene rip-stop floor.

Coleman 8185B559 Taos 25 Degree Mummy Sleeping Bag

The Coleman 8185B559 Taos 25-Degree Tall Sleeping Bag is a comfortable three-season mummy-style sleeping bag. At 32-inches by 82-inches, the tall-size Taos fits most body types up to six-feet-two-inches long. With 38 ounces of Hollofil-808 insulation, this moderate-temperature sleeping bag keeps you warm in temperatures down to 25-degrees Fahrenheit. Features include a nylon cover with a nylon liner, and a stuff sack.

All Coleman sleeping bags are designed with ComfortSmart technology to keep you comfortable. The Taos' ComfortSmart features include: ZipPlow which plows fabric away from the zipper to prevent snags, Fiberlock which prevents insulation from shifting and increases durability, Thermlock which reduces heat loss through the zipper thereby keeping you warmer, and Zipper Glide tailoring which allows smooth zipper operation around the corner. This Coleman sleeping bag is designed to provide the most comfortable overnight stay in cold weather.

K-Cliffs Harvest 7000 Cubic Inch Internal Frame Hiking Backpack

* 12"x15.5"x12" Lower compartment or sleeping bag compartment.
* 2 Zippered Side Compartments (9"x 5"x 4").
* Two waist level water bottle holders.
* Thoracic strap between shoulder straps.
* 10"x 10"x 5" Pocket in top cover.

7000 CUBIC INCHES OF PACK SPACE. Dimensions of Main and Lower Compartments - 39"x12"x15.5". The main compartment is top loading with a flap and top compartment that clip down over it. This includes three draw straps in front which allow for expansion. Lower area is accessible by an outside U-Zipper or by the main compartment from the top. Long-Distance padded shoulder and waist straps. Multiple adjustments on shoulder straps and waist straps allow you to choose a good fit for your back. Also - Shoulder straps can be disconnected at the center of the pack and moved up and down for proper adjustment. Total of 6 adjustments of 1.3" each. Air Flow Back pads for the maximum in comfort. Rear Gigantic ZIPPER acts to compress pack loads for greater stability and comfort. Side, Top, Middle and Bottom Compression straps for the most secure loading. Plenty of extra straps, bungee shock cord and loops for ice ax, walking stick, climbing gear or what have you. Already a popular pack in Asia, new to the US. Two Internal Frame Stays and flexible back panel for one of the most stable and comfortable frame and support systems available. All Stitching is folded and rolled for greatest durability (double stitched at critical points all around the pack ). Complete Rain Cover located in pocket on lower compartment. 100% Okbuybuy GUARANTEE.