Category: Advice | Published: 31 May, 2018

Which is best for you – a fire or a stove?

Have you been thinking about installing a stove or fire in your home? It can really bring your home together having a focal point in your living room or family space, along with assisting with heating over the colder months as well.

The difficulty comes when you need to decide whether you would prefer to have a fireplace or a stove. Both options have great advantages but it honestly depends on personal preference and what you would feel the best option for your household would be. To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together a short guide on why you may want to choose either a fireplace or a stove.

Choosing a Stove

A stove can be an excellent addition to an older house or even a new build, especially when installed by experts who complete a professional job in an agreed timescale. Below we’ve outlined the pros an cons of choosing a stove to be installed in your home or property:

Pros

• Traditional looking so will add to the rustic aesthetic of an older house with a cast iron or steel construction
• Easy to load and manual burning using wood or coal can be reasonably cheap
• Offset the cost of your heating by using a stove to produce heat in the living area of your house, saving you money in the long run
• Smoke will exit the property via a flue so there is little chance of getting any smokey smell lingering in the area it has been installed, especially when you just shut the door
• Provides a fantastic focal point to a room and a calming view of the flames is an ideal addition to your home’s ambience

Cons

• Often the more expensive choice, a stove is a permanent fixture that will cost a lot more than other options due to the quality of the construction and building work that will need to be undertaken
• As mentioned, building work in the form of a flue or chimney installation will need to be undertaken if this isn’t an existing feature of your home – this will take time and money
• You may also need planning permission from your local council depending on the area that you are living. Some councils operate smoke-free zones as well so it is best to make enquiries if you are thinking of installing a stove

Choosing a Fire

The addition of a fire in your home can often provide a stylish alternative to a fireplace or stove, and the installation is not restricted by complex building work either. Below we’ve highlighted the pros and cons of installing a fire in your home:

Pros

• A fire is often a versatile option for homeowners as there are many different stylish options that complement the design of a living room or other area of the house
• It is often a great accent piece and a perfect addition to modern interior design in new builds and refurbished houses
• There is a large selection of different fires including gas fires, electric fires, outset fires, flueless fires, hole in the wall fires and balanced flue fires to choose from, meaning there is bound to be a fire to suit your needs
• Due to the different types of fire, it means that you won’t always require a flue to be installed as well, cutting down on building complications and ensuring the installation will be hassle free
• Operating a gas or electric fire is as easy as switching it on at the wall, so you don’t have to load it with fuel which is necessary for a stove

Cons

• Whilst a fire is easier to install and is much less expensive than a stove, some may feel it lacks the authenticity of a stove or even a fireplace
• Since it runs on electricity or gas, the addition of a fire may add to your current bills rather than save money in the long run

If you would like any further information regarding the installation of a fireplace or a stove, get in touch with ELB fireplaces today.