User:UlrikeGarrick304
Years ago, fireplaces were more functional than decorative. Perhaps the fireplace was used to heat the home, provide light throughout the evening hours, or even used to heat food. Traditionally, these fireplaces were placed near a wall and surrounded with brick.
Today, fireplaces are used more for decoration than for practical reasons. In fact, many homes that have a functioning fireplace don't even burn wood. Modern homes have fireplaces which have been fitted with gas logs in order to burn quietly and cleanly.
Taking out the brick that surrounds your fireplace can be an expensive and time intensive process. Today, it is possible to retrofit your fireplace with pre-manufactured surround pieces. This will make the procedure much faster and is less expensive.
Modern Fireplace Surrounds
Marble and granite are the two most widely used selections for modern fireplace surrounds. Because of this, there are various types of designs from which to choose. You might wish to purchase a surround with Roman flair, or maybe you want a unit which has French Provincial overtones.
Keep in mind that the greater ornate the surround, the higher the cost. While pre-fabricated surrounds are less costly than other options, a surround piece can still cost several thousand dollars based upon how ornate the decorations are. Surrounds work best with fireplaces that have been framed right into a wall. Fireplaces that sit on the floor rather than on the hearth will also fully trust a surround.
Other Options For those who have a traditionally built fireplace, or if your fireplace can be found on the hearth, you may need to make use of a hand laid stone design. Even though this is a bit more work, you will have a large variety of options and can tailor your design with discretion on your fireplace.
Stones can be set in a design or using stones that look the same. You may even want to place decorative stones within the pattern. For those who have a wooden mantel or hearth, you'll love the look of stone and wood together.
Some homeowners prefer to use granite when designing a fireplace surround. Others like the look of smooth, rounded stones. Rough stones aren't used just as much today as they were in the past. Having said that, using rough stone to complete the surround of a cabin fireplace would look very attractive.
You may create A Unique Look If you want to produce a look that's entirely unique to you, you might want to completely understand the process before you begin. Pick the color and style from the surround before you begin and make sure that you firmly like that which you have selected. Nothing's more unpleasant than returning to re-do what has recently been done.
Talk to a contractor or designer prior to starting the process to make certain that your opinions are in fact feasible. A great contractor or designer may think of products that you haven't even considered. For example, how the light will play on a certain area of the fireplace, or you wish to surround the whole wall close to the fireplace with a similar material.
In many cases, designers and contractors have portfolios of their work. Ask to determine the portfolio before any work is done. This way, you can get a realistic concept of how your surround will look once it is finished.
