Ethanol Vs. Traditional Fireplace: Which Is Better for Your Home

One of the many considerations, when building a new home or moving to a new residence, is the fireplace. In temperate countries where the fireplace is an essential fixture in homes because of the long cold seasons, the fireplace is indeed a basic requirement for most homes.

A fireplace provides the source of heat during a cold spell. In some houses, the fireplace may be the main source of heat, while in bigger residences, it is only meant to supplement the amount of heat.

A fireplace is indeed necessary, so you should weigh which is better, an ethanol fireplace or a traditional one using firewood.

Location of Your Home

In the cities where houses are built close to each other, the traditional wood-burning fireplace may not be advisable. Because wood-burning produce smoke and scent which may be unpleasant to neighbors, a conventional fireplace may not be the best choice for houses in cities most especially when you live in an apartment or a condominium.

Ethanol fireplaces do not produce smoke or emit a scent that may annoy residents next door or within the neighborhood. In the suburbs, a traditional fireplace can be a beautiful landscape in a home without annoying the nearest neighbors.

In urban areas, availability of firewood may be scarce unlike in the suburbs while ethanol is always available in gas outlets.

Convenience

Smoke, soot, and ash are inevitable when burning wood. This makes ethanol fireplaces a better option for people on the go who do not have the benefit of time to clean after every use of the fireplace. Frequent use of a traditional fireplace may also cause cleaning more challenging because of discolorations accumulated on walls and ceilings over time.

With free-standing models, ethanol fireplaces can be movable from one area of a house to another, which makes them more convenient to have. There are also other models that can be hanged on walls or from the ceiling. In this case, installation is pretty easy when purchasing an ethanol fireplace.

Aesthetic Purposes

A homeowner who loves the designs of houses with chimneys will definitely go for a traditional fireplace. Besides, a wood-burning fireplace can create a classical and dreamy atmosphere for some people.

Ethanol fireplaces are more appropriate for modern designs of residences. With beautifully crafted models, ethanol fireplaces may not find it difficult to fit in in any home.

Amount of Heat

Traditionally, a fireplace is constructed mainly as a source of heat within a house. A wood-burning fireplace can warm a whole room or even adjacent places inside the house. An ethanol fireplace can only supplement other heating modalities during the coldest days of the year.

There are other important factors to consider when choosing the type of fireplace to install in your home, such as safety, budget, and environmental concerns. Every homeowner should assess which is best for his home.