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Hi: ° Lo:° 7 day
Hi: ° Lo:° 7 day
There’s nothing quite as cosy as curling up in front of a real log fire with a good book and a cup of tea to while away the evening, and no matter how toasty the central heating might be, it’s just not the same thing. However if you really miss the look and feel of an open fire, then there are some other alternatives.
One option is to replace your solid fuel or log burning fire with a gas fire in the fireplace instead. Gas fires have come a long way in the last ten years or so and now many of them look so realistic you can hardly tell the difference at first glance. Gas fires are much cleaner and easier to take care of than sold fuel fires that leave ash and a bit of a mess the next day, and you won’t have any soot build up in your chimney either. And if you finish the look off with a fire surround, you’ll have the next best thing to your open log fire.
When it comes to choosing your fireplace, remember to consider the rest of the decor in your house and go for something that will complement the overall look. Wooden fire surrounds suit pretty much every style and are also a good deal cheaper than marble or stone fire surrounds. If you take a look at the range of wooden fire surrounds from direct-fireplaces.com you’ll see that wood can look just as good in a newer home with contemporary decor as it does in older, period houses. A good rule of thumb is to choose a lighter coloured wood if your house is decorated in neutral shades like white, cream and stone and to opt for a darker wood like oak or walnut if you favour lots of rich colours and patterns.
Wooden fires surrounds are easy to install and take care of as well. They should be installed by an expert to make sure everything fits properly, and treated with a wood preserve so that they’ll stay looking as good as new for as long as possible. Then just make sure to give them a wipe down with a damp cloth when you’re doing the housework to get rid of any dust that might build up throughout the week.
