The Flame Game

There's nothing that says "home for the holidays" like a fire in a hearth. Yet fireplaces have been relatively rare in Florida homes since the advent of reliable central heat.

Generations of Florida children have hung their Christmas stockings on the backs of kitchen chairs and gone to bed worrying about how Santa was going to get in.

Now, thanks to advances in technology, it's never been easier or cheaper to install a fireplace in either a new or an existing home—although some of them, particularly those not requiring chimneys, wouldn't solve the Jolly Old Elf's access problem.

About $2,000 will buy a nice gas fireplace with realistic logs. An electric fireplace that looks more realistic than ever—and requires no installation—can cost even less, say experts.

Consumers are responding by buying fireplaces at record rates. In fact, fireplaces have become so affordable and easy to install that some homeowners are buying several.

"That's something that's changed in the past few years," says Chad Hendrickson, product manager for Heat & Glo, a brand of Hearth & Home Technologies, the largest fireplace manufacturer in the world. "People put them in bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, every room in the house."

Not to mention the back yard.

"Outside is really one of the biggest and fastest-growing markets," Hendrickson says. "Florida is great for that—outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, bonfires."

As you'd expect in Sunshine State, most fireplaces are installed more for ambiance than heat.

"It used to be more of a functional product, but now it's more of a lifestyle product," Hendrickson notes.

Manufacturers have responded by designing fireplace faces and cabinetry for every décor—from traditional to contemporary and everything in between.

Because there are gas fireplaces that require no vents to the outdoors and others, called direct vent, that require only small ones, traditional chimneys are optional, leaving designers free to create designs that would never be possible with traditional wood-burning fireplaces. Imagination is the only limiting factor.

"Right now, people are using an upscale look," says Janet Medlock, designer at Fireplace & Verandah in Orlando. "We're using brick and stone [for mantels and fireplace surrounds]. And this can be easily achieved with direct-vent fireplaces."

Manufacturers have also created elevated fireplaces for master suites, so the flames can be seen from bed. There are tiny, crèche-like fireplaces that emulate those found in European bed-and-breakfast inns. And there's a flashy new product called the Cyclone, which creates a tornado of fire in a glass tube.

"We did that one just to show people that there are new ways to think about fireplaces," Hendrickson says. "They can think of fire as art."

But the biggest advance for more traditional gas and electric fireplaces is that they more closely resemble their wood-burning counterparts.

Indeed, some hand-painted ceramic gas logs look so much like the real thing that it takes some effort to tell them apart. And some gas fireplace logs even sit on realistic beds of embers, glowing as though they're on fire.

"The direct-vent gas flames are beautiful," says Medlock. "And the glowing embers underneath look just like ashes."

But unlike wood-burning fireplaces, gas units can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch and require no storage of wood or emptying of ashes. Not surprisingly, the convenience factor has prompted many homeowners with traditional wood-burning fireplaces to convert them to gas.

"We install gas logs, and then you can just push a button on the remote and, viola, you have flames," Medlock says.

Adding to the appeal, installation often involves little more than connecting a gas line to the unit.

Although logic suggests that ventless fireplaces might rob homes of oxygen, such units come with sensors that turn off the flame if room oxygen levels fall. And there are codes that limit the size and type of room where they may be installed.

Other gas fireplaces require venting but, instead of a traditional chimney, vent tubes about the circumference of a salad plate can easily be snaked through walls or attics to the roof.

Electric fireplaces, of course, are the easiest units to install. Since they just need to be plugged into the wall, they can be bought and used the same day.

"Plus, electric fireplaces are now very realistic," says Medlock. "We put them in high-end homes, high-end condominiums, and they come in a variety of styles."

But perhaps the biggest advantage to an electric fireplace is that you can take it with you when you move, or move it from one part of the house to the other.

"They're like furniture," says Medlock.

Electric fireplaces are ideal for Florida, where the mercury seldom dips low enough to call for a very hot fire. When it's not particularly cold, an electric fireplace can be set on low. If you're still chilly, you can turn the dial to activate a blower that circulates the heat into the room.

"Our needs here are different," says Medlock. "Here, we want a fireplace for ambiance. There have been Christmases here when I've been barefoot."

So if your home doesn't have a fireplace—or if it could use an additional one—check out the array of hassle-free, high-tech options now available.

Fireplaces have gotten very cool lately.

HOT TIPS

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association suggests you ask yourself these questions before choosing a fireplace for your home:

• Where will your fireplace go? With today's venting options, a unit can be installed almost anywhere in the home—kitchen, home office, master bedroom, bathroom or even outdoors.

• Do you have an existing fireplace or stove? An inefficient or seldom-used unit can be made more efficient and easier to use with gas logs or fireplace inserts.

• Are you building new or remodeling? Think about fireplaces in the design stage. Do you want a fire for its aesthetic appeal or for its warmth? Some units are strictly for show while others combine beauty and utility.

• How much of your home do you want to heat? In Florida, choosing a unit that puts out too much heat might mean you won't use it as often—and when you do use it, you might have to turn on the air conditioner or open the windows.

• What fuels are easily accessible to you?

• Are you concerned about heating your house during a power outage? If so, remember to consider whether or not the unit requires electricity to get started.

• How much work do you want to do? Having a fire can be as simple as pushing a button or as engaging as chopping your own wood, building and tending a fire.

• How do you want your fireplace to look? There are many options available, from rustic to contemporary.

• How much do you want to spend? A fireplace can range from a few hundred dollars for converting an existing wood-burning unit to gas to several thousand dollars for a unit with all the bells and whistles.