If a conventional fireplace adds a touch of warmth and charm to a room, a double-sided fireplace adds twice as much. If you really want your fireplace to be a focal point of your room, make it a double-sided one – the advantages speak for themselves. If you have the luxury of a particularly spacious home, a double-sided fireplace is the way to go. As Homyden.com notes, as well as acting as a beautiful focal point, a double-sided fireplace can help divide an expansive space, bringing a sense of coziness and style while allowing you to impose a different purpose on different areas of the room. Best of all, how you choose to place one is up to you: unlike one-sided fireplaces that impose natural limitations on where and how they can be positioned, double-sided fireplaces do no such thing. Whether you want to use one to divide a spacious livening room without breaking up the natural flow of light, or would rather add a sense of warmth and sophistication to a bedroom and connecting bathroom, the range of options is limitless.
Space Saver
As Wallfireplacepros.com comments, one of the great advantages of installing a double-sided fireplace over a conventional one is the amount of space you’ll save in the process. By building a fireplace into the wall between two rooms, you won’t be intruding into space that could otherwise be used for something else.
Blend the Indoor and Outdoor
A double-sided fireplace needn’t just light up the interior of your home. Choose the positioning of your fireplace wisely, and it can be used to great effect to blend an interior room with an outside seating area or patio. If you want to sit and enjoy nature without feeling chill, an indoor-outdoor combo double-sided fireplace might be just the way to do it.
Conversation Starter
Even if the rest of the room is on the bland side, a double-sided fireplace is unique and sophisticated enough to transform it. If you want a guaranteed conversation started, this is one way of doing it with style.
Even Distribution of Heat
As Modus Fireplaces notes, conventional fireplaces placed against a wall can heat up one spot very well, but their ability to scatter heat over an extended area is at best limited and at worst nonexistent. A double-sided fireplace, on the other hand, distributes heats evenly and offers a much larger area of coverage.
Customizable
Double-sided fireplaces come in an almost infinite number of varieties, giving you the chance to customize the style to match your home. A huge, rustic stone fireplace, an uber-modern, glass-sided fireplace… whether your home’s modern or traditional, there’s a two-sided fireplace to match.
Affordable
Given how striking they are, you might be inclined to think double-sided fireplaces will cost an arm and a leg. Not true. Think about it… a conventional fireplace can heat one room, max. A double-sided fireplace, on the other hand, can heat multiple rooms using the same chimney and flue, thereby effectively doubling up on value. A double-sided fireplace doesn’t just make sense from a style point of view, it makes good financial sense as well.
Things to Consider
They’re beautiful to look at, they do the job of two, and they might save you a ton of money in installation costs… if you’re been convinced enough of the merits of a double-sided fireplace to install one in your own home, you can look forward to elevating your interior to new heights of gorgeousness. But before you hand over your money, there are just a few additional things to think about:
Position
Think carefully about where you install your new fireplace. For most homes, the ideal station is in a wall between two rooms. Consider which rooms share a wall, and which will benefit most from the addition of some extra warmth. Maybe it’s the bathroom and the master bedroom, the dining room and the living room, or even the living room and the patio. Think about what will suit the rooms and your own needs best before making your final decision.
Fuel
Think carefully about what type of fuel you want your fireplace to use. Gas, wood, or electric are the most common types, each coming with their own unique pros and cons. A wood-burning fireplace is visually arresting and looks stunning in a rustically styled home. On the other hand, it generates the most smoke and dirt. Electric fireplaces are often the easiest to install, but can rack up the highest running costs. Gas tends to be the most popular type, having lower operating costs than electric and fewer maintenance issues than wood. However, before you can install a gas version, you’ll need to make sure your home is set up with the necessary wiring and vents, and engage the services of a qualified technician for the installation.
Maintenance
Unquestionably, a double-sided fireplace is a gorgeous addition to your house. But the work it involves doesn’t end at installation. To avoid any issues, regular maintenance will be required. If your fireplace is connected to a chimney, you’ll need to keep an eye out for any leakages. If you notice problems relating to moisture (water streams in the chimney or steam coming from the fireplace), it’s likely you’ve got a leaky chimney on your hands. Fortunately, the problem can be corrected easily enough by a chimney cap. Another ongoing maintenance issue to consider is cleaning. A build-up of soot in the chimney can lead to a litany of issues, from toxic odors and smoke clouds to chimney fires. Regular cleaning, along with leaving the dampener ajar, will usually be enough to keep the problems at bay.
Despite the considerations you need to make before investing in one, a double-sided fireplace makes a great addition to your home. If you want a striking focal point that’ll do wonders for the property value, it’s a no-brainer.
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