Many homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey feature a fireplace, but sometimes homeowners debate which is a better addition to their living room, dining room, or family room—a real or fake fireplace. Proponents of fake fireplaces point to how clean and easy to maintain they are, and these are certainly pluses. However, the benefits of a real fireplace are also significant, and when you know how to maintain it and what kind of wood to burn in it, maintenance and cleanliness issues don’t need to hold anyone back from owning and enjoying the warmth of an authentic fireplace.
Here are just a few of our favorite reasons to own a real fireplace:
- Aesthetics
There is no comparison between the beauty of a real fireplace as opposed to a fake one. Each time you light a fire in a real fireplace, your experience is unique—the pieces of wood you choose, the way the fire burns, the aroma of the particular firewood you are using—all of these things combine to create an experience that involves more than just your sense of sight. - Warmth
Burning real firewood produces real warmth. How much your family utilizes your fireplace for heating depends on your needs and preferences—for some, it’s simply a cozy addition to a cool evening, while others use their fireplace to supplement their home’s heating and even cut down on their heating bills.While there is obviously a bit more effort involved in keeping a fireplace clean if it has been used to burn a real fire, the amount of smoke and build up can be largely controlled by choosing the right kind of wood. That black, sooty build up is called creosote, and a lot more of it is produced when you burn green or soft wood. Opting instead for seasoned or hardwood will greatly reduce the amount of sooty build up you experience.
- Cooking
One thing you definitely can’t do with a fake fireplace is use it to cook food. From s’mores to soups and everything in between real fireplaces can be used as functional cooking spaces the whole family can enjoy. In a previous article, we discussed the types of wood that are best suited for burning in a fireplace when you are cooking, but in general you will want to use hardwoods with a pleasant aroma like hickory or oak. - Added value for your home
A real fireplace brings a charm, beauty, and functionality to your home that can’t be matched by a fake fireplace. If you are looking to sell your home, the benefits of a real fireplace can be a draw for prospective buyers, and highlighted as one of your home’s most appealing features in open houses and walk throughs.
To get the most enjoyment out of your real fireplace with the least amount of work and clean up, give the experts at JerseyFirewood™ a call. They’ll answer all your firewood questions and help you choose the wood that will work best for your fireplace so you and your family can benefit from its beauty, warmth, and practicality.
