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Years ago, fireplaces were more functional than decorative. Perhaps the fireplace was used to heat the home, provide light during the evening hours, or perhaps used to heat food. Traditionally, these fireplaces were placed near a wall and surrounded with brick.
Today, fireplaces are utilized more for decoration compared to logical reasons. Actually, many homes that have a functioning fireplace don't even burn wood. Modern homes have fireplaces which have been fitted with gas logs to be able to burn quietly and cleanly.
Taking out the brick that surrounds your fireplace is definitely an expensive and time consuming process. Today, it is possible to retrofit your fireplace with pre-manufactured surround pieces. This makes the process much faster and is more affordable.
Modern Fireplace Surrounds
Marble and granite are the two most widely used selections for modern fireplace surrounds. Because of this, there are many different types of designs from which to choose. You might wish to purchase a surround with Roman flair, or maybe you desire a unit which has French Provincial overtones.
Keep in mind that the greater ornate the surround, the higher the cost. While pre-fabricated surrounds are less costly than other options, a surround piece can still cost thousands of dollars depending upon how ornate the decorations are. Surrounds work best with fireplaces that have been framed right into a wall. Fireplaces that sit on the floor rather than on the hearth will also work well with a surround.
Other Options If you have a traditionally built fireplace, or if your fireplace is situated on the hearth, you may want to make use of a hand laid stone design. Although this is a little bit more work, you'll have a large variety of options and can tailor your design to accent your fireplace.
Stones could be set in a pattern or using stones that all look exactly the same. You may also want to place decorative stones within the pattern. For those who have a wooden mantel or hearth, you will love the feel of stone and wood together.
Some homeowners would rather use granite when designing a fireplace surround. Others such as the look of smooth, rounded stones. Rough stones aren't used just as much today as they once were. Having said that, using rough stone to finish the surround of a cabin fireplace would look very attractive.
You Can Create A Unique Look If you want to create a look that is completely to you, you might want to completely understand the process before you begin. Pick the style and color from the surround before beginning and ensure that you simply firmly like what you have selected. Nothing's more unpleasant than returning to re-do what's already been done.
Talk to a contractor or designer prior to starting the process to make certain that your opinions are actually feasible. A great contractor or designer may think of products that you haven't even considered. For instance, how the light will have on a certain area of the fireplace, or you want to surround the entire wall near the fireplace having a similar material.
Oftentimes, designers and contractors have portfolios of the work. Ask to determine the portfolio before any work is done. This way, you can aquire a realistic concept of how your surround will look once it's finished.
