Building a New Home? Don’t Settle for a Builder Grade Fireplace.

There are many things to oversee when you’re having a new home built. One of the things you definitely should make sure is done right is the fireplace. Your construction crew can build a fireplace, but likely they’ll use what’s known as “builder grade” materials – not the worst materials on earth, but certainly not the quality you expect and deserve.

In addition to being made with lower-quality materials, most fireplaces in newly built homes aren’t constructed by an experienced fireplace contractor or stone mason. Builder grade fireplaces look good, but their lifespans generally are shorter and their performance often is iffy at best.

How to get around builder grade fireplace materials

To get a fireplace you can truly enjoy for years and years in your new home, consider these two strategies.

Hire a pro: A professional fireplace builder will work with top-quality materials and construct your new fireplace in a way that best meets your heating and aesthetic needs. The workmanship will be outstanding, and every element, from the brickwork in the hearth to the chimney structure, will be properly crafted for safety and top performance.

Install a factory-built unit: Rather than having your home construction crew build a fireplace, contact an experienced local team of certified fireplace installers and have them set you up with a powerful zero-clearance fireplace. Because a traditional chimney isn’t necessary, ZC fireplaces can be installed virtually anywhere in your new home and bring many benefits:

• Heat-efficiency ratings of 75% and higher (compared with 10% to 20% common with traditional open masonry fireplaces)
• A wide range of gorgeous designs, finishes and colors to choose from
• Ultra-insulated and safe to be placed in close proximity to walls and other home building materials
• No chimney needs to be constructed
• Install in the main room, kitchen, bedrooms, den or other rooms

If you already have a poorly performing low-end fireplace and need more heat, here is a solution

The information above was geared toward people who are in the process of having a new home built and want to avoid a cheap, builder grade fireplace. But what if you already own your home and aren’t satisfied with the overall performance of your masonry fireplace – whether it’s builder grade or not?

If you haven’t lived in your home for long and have yet to have your chimney and fireplace cleaned and inspected, this is step one. Certified chimney sweeps and inspectors can make sure your fireplace and chimney are clean, safe and operating at peak efficiency.

If that “peak efficiency” isn’t acceptable – as is often the case with low-heat masonry fireplaces – consider adding a sizzling fireplace insert.

Inserts come factory-made and ready to be added to your existing firebox. Highly insulted and ultra-safe, fireplace inserts are serious heat producers with heat-efficiency ratings often topping 80%.

Not only that, inserts are available in many exquisite designs ranging from conservative and traditional to sleek and contemporary. With a new fireplace insert, you’ll sacrifice nothing in the looks department, and you’ll get far more heat than you’re currently getting with your masonry fireplace.

As you can see, there’s no reason you should have to live with an inferior fireplace or one that can’t perform up to your expectations. Whether you’re building a new home or desiring to upgrade an existing fireplace, solutions are available that you should take advantage of.

Black Moose Chimney of Antrim, NH, provides expert installation of top-quality zero-clearance fireplaces and fireplace inserts for our customers who want the very best. Call us with questions or to schedule a meeting at (603) 525-7905.