In years past, fireplaces had been much more functional than decorative. Perhaps the fireplace was utilized to heat the home, offer light during the night time hours, or perhaps used to heat food. Traditionally, these types of fireplaces were placed near a wall and surrounded with brick.

Today, fireplaces are used much more for decoration than for practical reasons. Actually, quite a few homes that possess a functioning fireplace do not actually burn wood. Modern houses have fireplaces which have already been fitted with gas logs in order to burn quietly and cleanly.

Removing the brick which surrounds the fireplace can end up being an expensive in addition to time consuming process. Today, you'll be able to retrofit your current fireplace with pre-manufactured surround pieces. This makes the process much faster and it is less expensive.

Modern Fireplace Surrounds

Marble and also granite are usually the 2 most popular selections for modern fireplace surrounds. Due to this, there are generally a variety of types of designs to choose from. You could desire to obtain a surround along with Roman flair, or maybe you require a unit that has French Provincial overtones.

Take into account that the more elaborate the surround, the higher the cost. Even though pre-fabricated surrounds tend to be less expensive than some other options, a surround piece may still cost thousands of dollars dependant on exactly how ornate the decorations are.

Surrounds work most effectively along with fireplaces which have already been framed within a wall. Fireplaces that sit directly on the floor instead of on a hearth may additionally work well along with a surround.

Other Options

In the event that you have a traditionally developed fireplace, or if perhaps your fireplace will be located on a hearth, you might have to utilize a hand laid stone design. Even though this is a bit more work, you'll have a huge variety of choices and could tailor your style and design to accent your fireplace.

Stones may end up being set in a pattern or even using stones that all look exactly the same. You may also desire to put decorative stones inside the pattern. In the event that you have a wooden mantel or even hearth, you'll love the appearance of stone and wood together.

Several homeowners prefer to make use of granite when making a fireplace surround. Others like the look of smooth, rounded stones. Rough stones usually are not used as much these days as they were in the past. With that said, utilizing rough stone to complete the surround of a cabin fireplace might appear incredibly appealing.

You Can Develop A Unique Look

In the event that you want to create a look that is entirely unique to you, you may want to fully understand the process before you start. Pick the color and style of the surround before you begin and make certain that you firmly like precisely what you've selected. Absolutely nothing is worse than going back to re-do what has already been carried out.

Speak with a contractor or perhaps designer before starting the procedure to make sure that your ideas are in fact feasible. A fantastic contractor as well as designer might think of things that you have not actually considered. For instance, how the light will play upon a certain part of the fireplace, or if you want to surround the whole wall near the fireplace along with a similar material.

In many cases, designers and also contractors possess portfolios of their work. Ask to see the portfolio before any work is actually completed. By doing this, you can get a reasonable idea of how your surround will certainly appear when it is finished.