At this time of year, fireplaces are the focal point of many family gatherings, romantic interludes and relaxing spaces. Still, the typical open fireplace is not the most efficient or environmentally sensitive heating source.

To help you choose the most eco-friendly fireplace options, fireplace regulators and industry representatives have some ideas. Fireplace inserts are built into the existing hearth or stoves are free-standing. These tend to produce less pollution than standard fireplaces.

For starters, decide whether you are interested in a fireplace primarily for heating throughout the winter or for decorative purposes with a few fires a year.

The traditional open wood-burning fireplace is not a heating device like is used to be.

A decorative fireplace with gas logs and glass fireplace captures the look and feel of a fire with gas logs that look just like real wood and have the appearance of a wood burning fire. While relatively inexpensive, they don’t tend to provide as much warmth as a fireplace insert or free-standing stove.

For more serious heat consider fireplace inserts or stoves that use wood or gas. These generally have a higher price tag and require more maintenance, but you get more heat, more versatility and lots of decorative options.

Here are a few options when seeking an eco-friendly fireplace or appliance for aesthetics rather than efficiency:

Gas logs: Gas logs can be retrofitted in an existing fireplace as an alternative to wood.

Although gas logs burn fossil fuels, either natural gas or LP, they still have low emissions.

Gas logs can be vented or vent-free. Vented logs, which operate with an open chimney flue or damper, simulate a wood-burning flame. Vent-free logs won’t give you the roaring fire effect, but provide a little more heat and may have a thermostat to maintain room temperature.

Pellet stoves: Resembling rabbit food, these pellets are 3/8 of an inch to 1 inch.

The pellets are made from compressed sawdust, wood chips, bark, agricultural waste and other organic materials.

They are much more convenient to operate and have much higher combustion and heating efficiency than ordinary wood stoves or fireplaces. As a result, pellet stoves produce very little air pollution and are considered the cleanest of the solid fuel-burning residential heating appliances.

Gas stoves and gas inserts: Like with gas logs, these stoves are designed to burn either natural gas or LP. However, gas stoves are self-contained units, while gas logs are meant to be used in an existing fireplace.

Gas stoves emit very little pollution, require little maintenance and can be installed almost anywhere in the home. Today’s gas stoves can be vented through an existing chimney or direct vented through the wall behind the stove.

Gas stoves are among the cleanest and cheapest fuel options. Although they still burn fossil fuels, they produce lower emissions than wood or other alternatives.

Wood-burning stoves and inserts: Most firewood grows locally, is abundant, inexpensive and comes from harvesting dead trees. Unlike with fossil fuels, no net carbon is released into the environment when wood is burned because the same gases are given off when the tree decomposes.

Wood stoves are capable of heating an entire house, as long as it’s well constructed with enough insulation. The drawback to burning wood is you have to empty the ashes more often and to split, stock, dry and season the wood.

For more information on the right option for your home and your lifestyle, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

mnn.com

For great gifts for your home, your parents, your spouse, or for great stocking stuffers come to The Fireplace Shop and Grill Center at West Sport on Black Friday. If you are looking for something unique and useful look no further than West Sport in Sudbury.

From hearth supplies and accessories, to grill accessories, to gas grills, kettle grills, and other fun tools for the important people in your life. If you want a gift for your home, we have the perfect selection of glass fireplace doors and wood burning fireplace inserts, gas inserts and everything in between. Best of all, everything is on sale on Black Friday.

West Sport in Sudbury is your neighborhood fireplace and outdoor grill shop. We have holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for you on Black Friday to help you get your holiday shopping done. While you are out shopping this weekend, shop local. With what we have to offer this Black Friday, you can get gifts and stocking stuffers all right here.

Come on in for grilling utensils, steamers, hard wood charcoal, and fireplace tool sets and screens. Or make a purchase for your home for you and your family for the holidays, we also offer layaway.

Help support local business this holiday season. Contact Us for more information.

If you are in the market for a new stove or new fireplace insert, you need to talk to your local retailer, West Sport in Sudbury, a locally owned and operated small business.

On Black Friday we are running Specials on wood stoves, wood burning fireplace inserts, electric fireplaces that are perfect for condos and apartments and on all kinds of stocking stuffers and gifts for men.

Black Friday, and any time you are doing holiday shopping, is a great time to head to your small, locally owned businesses. West Sport Fireplace and Grill Shop has the wood burning fireplace insert you need to add to your holiday celebrations. We also have the gift ideas and stocking stuffers you need. We also offer lay away for the holidays.

Come check out all of our Black Friday Deals. Shopping locally for a wood burning stove or fireplace insert eliminates stress, too. Your hearth dealer will become your stove, insert or fireplace service provider and trusted advisor.

When you go holiday shopping, shop local. Shopping locally promotes our community small businesses and keep money in our local economy. Contact West Sport for more information.

Fireplaces have traditionally served as a natural focal point in a home, supplying warmth and comfort.

Typically used for heat, a fireplace can also function as a conversation piece outlined by tile, stone or brick.

Today, fireplaces rank among the top three features desired by new home buyers, while half of all U.S. households have at least one fireplace or freestanding stove, states the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Additionally, 59% of those home owners consider the fireplace to be a major design feature of their home, and 73 percent of wood-burning fireplace owners say they use them to enhance the home’s atmosphere.

Many contractors around Boston said a gas fireplace is a standard feature in their company’s house plans.

Typically stone, tile surround, or a white basic mantle, is used, but customers can also customize the fireplace.

Many homeowners are turning to manufactured or stone veneer to create the same look at a fraction of the cost or gas fireplaces that come with a mantel.

The most energy efficient fireplace on the market is a direct-vent gas fireplace that has glass doors.

Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) reports a fireplace remains the most popular choice and adds significant value to a home.

Most fireplaces are no longer made of traditional brick and mortar, but are engineered and pre-built by manufacturers.

More than seventy-five percent of all fireplaces installed each year are factory-built and shipped to the home or retailer.

With today’s venting options, HPBA said fireplaces, stoves, inserts and other hearth appliances can be installed almost anywhere in the home.

Many stoves, fireplaces and inserts are engineered to burn fuels derived from renewable and sustainable sources such as wood, pellets, corn, and other alternatives.

Because people typically use less than 40 percent of their home, warming the rooms with a fireplace, stove or insert also enables optimal energy efficiency by turning down their central thermostat.

For more information on fireplaces and fireplace inserts for your home, new construction project or home remodeling project, contact West Sport in Sudbury.<

Herald Standard

If you have an open wood fireplace that you use more for ambiance than heat, you can make it more efficient and more beautiful without spending buckets money.  By adding glass fireplace doors to a tradition open masonry fireplace you will increase the efficiency of your entire home. No more throwing heating dollars up the chimney. But, in addition to efficiency, fireplace doors make your fireplace much more attractive and changes the look and feel of the entire room.

You don’t need a new wood or gas fireplace insert to make your fireplace more efficient and more attractive. Even if you don’t use your fireplace daily, you should still make it more efficient. Open fireplaces draw the heat from inside your home out through the chimney. If you use your fireplace sporadically for ambiance, add glass doors.

If you want to use your fireplace more often, but just don’t like dealing with stacking and hauling wood, add gas logs to your open fireplace. With the push of a button, you can have a fire to relax to after a long day at work. Gas logs are hand crafted and hand painted to look like real wood. And a gas fireplace is as realistic as a real wood fire.

Adding custom glass fireplace doors and gas logs to your open fireplace can make any winter day or night more enjoyable and more comfortable. For more information, contact West Sport. Sale on glass fireplace doors and gas logs now through November.

If you've got an inefficient fireplace, you might as well be burning dollar bills. Any heat generated is offset by the warmth of your house being sucked up the chimney and outside.

An open-masonry fireplace might be only 15 percent efficient. But if there is no fire and the damper is left open, it can have negative efficiency as warm air escapes.

The quest for efficiency starts with the type of fireplace you have. Or want. Gas and electric fireplaces are the most efficient, wood-burners are the least. Open-faced, traditional wood-burning fireplaces are very inefficient.

Go into a fireplace shop and look at all the difference fireplaces.

When you do renovations, wood-burning fireplaces generally don't click design-wise. A redesigned room doesn't have the bang with an open fireplace that looks and feels outdated because it burns wood. You get a better return for your dollar with gas.

So let’s talk about efficiency.

If you already have a fireplace, there are things you can do to improve efficiency. First, make sure your chimney is clean and safe. After that, it's mostly about the features.

Glass Fireplace Doors

Without doors, your fireplace will suck the heat out of your home and send it up the chimney. There's an endless variety of designs for fireplace doors with tempered or ceramic glass. An advantage of the latter is it lets some heat radiate back into the room. Doors also add another level of safety, especially if there are kids around. Fireplace Doors on sale all through October at West Sport in Sudbury.

Damper

The throat damper is made of cast iron and sits near the bottom of the chimney and regulates air flow. It can warp or rust over time, compromising the seal and becoming less effective. The top mount damper sits atop the chimney and is preferred by some experts. Either way, keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not in use.

Fireplace Grates

Steel grates have a tendency to warp and wear out. A heavy-duty cast iron fireplace grate is recommended. Another possibility is one with a blower on the bottom that sends heat back into the room. This makes them 10 times more efficient.

Fireback

A metal plate lining the back of the fireplace, a fireback only protects the masonry and radiates heat back into the room when the fire dies down.

Fireplace Inserts

Fireplace Inserts are enclosed cast iron boxes that use gas, pellets, or wood, and are retrofitted into existing fireplaces. They are very efficient, and can reduce a home heating bill between 20 and 40 percent.

For more information on making your fireplace more attractive and efficient, contact West Sport. Everything we discussed in this blog will be on sale on Saturday, October 24 at our Grill and Fireplace Sidewalk Sale in Sudbury.

Chicago Tribune

Cold weather is fast approaching. It's that time of the year when the fire not only provides warmth to a room but offers a cozy backdrop for sharing special moments. Though the fireplace is the centerpiece of a room, it is an element that homeowners don't often consider when designing their space. Here are some simple tips for bringing your fireplace to the foreground and getting more enjoyment from it this winter.

Expose the Inner Beauty – The inside of a fireplace is a showcase and should be harmoniously designed to work with your decor style. Gas logs are a wonderful option for convenience and cost-effectiveness. Real Fyre gas logs, known for their quality and beauty, offer more than 40 different styles of logs so it's easy to find one that works with your decor. For a more modern feel, try Glass or Gems – available in a variety of chic colors. Whatever your preference, gas fireplace logs or glass, these products look just as beautiful when the fireplace is off as they do when it's on.

Be Bold - If you have a fireplace that extends into the room, think of it as a different piece of architecture. Consider wrapping the exposed sides in a textured wallpaper, such as a grass cloth for an earthy Zen feel, or a shiny sparkly wall paper for a more modern, urban feel.  Since you do not need a large amount of material, you might consider splurging a on a pricier product. For a more low cost approach, pick up an accent color from your rug or favorite pillow to simply paint the wall above the mantle and then paint the mantle itself in a complementary accent color for a graphic bold approach.

Expand Your Seating – If the room allows for it, create a separate sitting area in front of the fireplace. Find a decorative screen, and create a small sitting area with a pair of small fireside chairs, or tufted ottomans and a small accent rug.  The upholstered ottomans or poufs are great for extra overflow seating when the house is full of holiday visitors and visually bring the fireplace into the room for all to enjoy.

Enjoy it Year-Round - Sometimes we only think of the fireplace when the weather turns chilly. But it is important to remember that the fireplace is in your room all year round, so make sure the dominant colors and textures in the room work from season to season. This way, you can interchange your accessories, your fireplace logs or glass, and even artwork seasonally, and enjoy the warmth of a hearth 365 days a year.

For more information on gas logs and glass fireplace doors, on sale now, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

Article Source: prnewswire.com

Now is the time to replace your drafty, inefficient masonry fireplace with a gorgeous and efficient Napoleon Gas Fireplace Insert. Gas fireplace inserts by Napoleon will complement your gorgeous home by adding class, beauty and ambiance. They are also the perfect solution to improve your home heating efficiency for a warmer cozier home. You can choose from traditional or contemporary designs that complement your home décor. So regardless of your style, you can find a gas fireplace inserts to fit your home. And right now, the Napoleon X3 and X4 Gas inserts are on sale at West Sport in Sudbury.

Napoleon X4 Gas Fireplace Insert-

The impressive Napoleon X4 Gas Fireplace Insert entertains a new level of fire and comfort. With  Napoleon’s modulating dual burner system offers a stunning triple flame pattern, and allows the option of independently operating the front burner for when max BTU’s are not necessary. With up to 40,000 BTU’s, an impressive 563 sq. in. glass viewing area and a multitude of designer accessories, it’s a perfect choice for larger rooms where a passion for luxury is evident.

Napoleon X3 Gas Fireplace Insert-

Good things come in small packages! The Napoleon Infrared  X3 Gas Inserts also offer a modulating dual burner system with a stunning triple flame pattern. Napoleon’s Infrared X3 is a deluxe, direct vent infrared gas insert which offers many standard features including a thermostatic remote and an exclusive NIGHT LIGHT that radiates a warm glow throughout the room, even when the fireplace is off. This gas fireplace inserts is the perfect solution for replacing an inefficient masonry or prefabricated fireplace.

For more information on the best gas insert for your home, contact West Sport in Sudbury. And, right now with the Napoleon X3 and X4 get a free chimney liner system.

Amantii electric fireplaces are a great solution for impossible fireplace installation challenges. They offer immediate gratification, you can have a roaring fire instantly with easy same-day installation. Our electric fireplaces are great for bedrooms, kitchens, apartments, condos, or renovations as well as in situations where running gas lines is not possible or is too costly.

Amantii electric fireplaces are:

• Easy to install – can be installed quickly and simply, usually in the same day.
• Flexibility – Can be installed in challenging areas compared to gas and wood fireplaces
• Cost savings – Perfect solution for situations where running a gas line would be difficult or expensive
• Design options – can be wall mounted or built-in – with a wide variety of design options

Consumers are looking for an easier option to gas or wood burning fireplaces. They are also looking for the ambiance a fire provides in spaces were fireplaces are not permitted or cannot be installed.

Amantii electric fireplaces are high quality and well-designed. They provide an artistic element above and beyond the basic functions of fire display and heat. Amantii units offer maximum flexibility without venting or trying to run gas lines throughout the house, which is a tremendous cost savings to consumers.

Come and view our variety of electric fireplaces at West Sport in Sudbury, MA.

Pellet fueled fire pits are a great way to enjoy these chilly evenings. Now you can relax outdoors with family and friends with an easy-to-enjoy pellet fire pit. This Flame Genie fire pit burns wood pellets for fuel, so you no longer have to waste time hunting up firewood. Because it burns wood pellets, there is far less smoke, so you are no longer moving your seat to find that smoke-free spot. And, once you're done, simply dump out the ashes and put it away. You no longer have to sit and wait for logs to burn out, or worry about flame ups when the fire pit is unattended. For more information on pellet burning fire pits, contact West Sport in Sudbury.