Now is the time to purchase and efficient wood burning product! Why, you ask?

The available tax credit makes the option of buying an efficient wood burning product an affordable project.  Plus, you will be helping small businesses that are taking a huge hit by the economy.  Most small businesses can’t get credit now because their financials show the hit from the economy over the last two years (yes, it has been that long).  While getting credit is essential to small businesses, the major concern is lagging sales.  So, please save yourself some money and move to a greener energy option by going to an efficient, EPA approved wood stove, fireplace, or insert. 

You can get a 30% Tax Credit (up to $1500.00) on the cost of having an efficient wood burning appliance installed in your home (must be a primary residence; cannot be new construction or rental property for the tax credit).  The credit is determined by the cost of installing an efficient wood burner, not just the cost of the appliance itself.  This is a HUGE savings! 

So, you are thinking about purchasing a wood stove or fireplace and you realize that if you do; you will feel so good about yourself.  Because you were smart and saved money, because you helped a local small business survive for another day, and now you are socially conscious because you are heating your home in a “GREEENER” way!  Plus, now you can come home after a hard day and revert back to your primal instincts and play with fire, or just relax while watching the beautiful, efficient flames; while knowing your heating bill will not break the bank this year or next.

If you already have an open style fireplace, you can heat efficiently too by choosing a good quality wood insert.  There is an efficient wood appliance out there for everyone, every style, every size.

Don’t hesitate to call your local Specialty Hearth Retailer and find out how you can start saving money!

Regency HZ54 Large Gas Fireplace

I was just talking about the contemporary options for replacing gas logs, but there are other options available for the person in new construction or a remodel situation.  The fireplaces I am talking about are Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces designed with a contemporary flare.  These fireplaces offer higher efficiencies while still venting the unit to the outside.  All direct vent fireplaces do have sealed glass on the front of the unit, as this is part of what allows the unit to be vented and still efficient (stated in very general terms). 

Town & Country Wide Screen 54

Many fireplace manufacturers have started to make fireplaces with a more contemporary feel.  We have found two manufacturers that we are very pleased with.  If you are looking to achieve a contemporary feel with your fireplace then I recommend checking out the Regency Contemporary Line of products or the Town & Country Line of products.  Both of these options offer great quality products by people who have been in the business of making fireplaces for decades.  The other nice thing about these fireplaces is that you can customize the fireplace, by choosing trim color, interior panel color, burner style etc…  (This can be great when you know what you want, and it can be overwhelming when you don’t know what you want, but either way it is great to look at all the options).  Both of the manufacturers I mention do offer some kind of “Design a Fireplace” option on their websites so you can look at your choices on line in a very user friendly way.

The Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces are a more expensive option than the gas log replacements I mentioned in an earlier post, but if you don’t have a fireplace then this is the way to go for looks and efficient gas heat (Natural gas or Propane). 

As a side note, if you want an ethanol burning fireplace then you should look at the Ecosmart Fires.  They are very cool and easy to adapt to just about any setting.  They are on the cutting edge! While their products tend to be pricey they are the only gas product that does qualify for the 30% (up to $1500) Tax Credit and this helps offset their cost tremendously.  The picture I have chosen for the Ecosmart fire is one of their outdoor products.  They have many, many indoor options; but I really like the tower and wanted to show it.

Ecosmart Tower - Outdoor Ethanol Collection

Hello -

Our store has had many requests for a wood stove that sells for $500.00 or less.  While I understand that everyone is looking for a deal in this economy, I just don’t have them.  I have been concerned about this!  I have been researching the big box chain stores that I continually hear is offering a wood stove for $300-$500.00.  Our Fireplace and Wood stove Guru has always stated that when you put fire in your home, saftey must come first.  That being said he has always stayed away from the “Cheap” wood stove.  I started doing some research to see if there really was cause to not offer a “cheap” wood stove.  What I found out was very interesting.  Many of the “cheap” wood stoves were not UL Listed (meaning that they did not pass the rigerous saftey standards required or never even attempted to do so).  I also learned that most (if not all) insurance companies will not cover a fireplace or stove product that is not UL listed!  How terrible to have a house fire, and then to find out that it won’t be covered under your insurance policy!!  So, while I agree that one shouldn’t spend more than they have to one a wood stove or fireplace; safety is a requirement and knowing that your insurance company approves the wood stove you are installing is also a huge relief!  Please don’t be swept away by the price tag alone.  Speak to an industry professional and understand what you are paying for.  If having a stove that is efficient, and EPA approved isn’t important to you then knowing that it is UL listed should be!

I was just reading my “Hearth & Home Magazine” (www.hearthandhome.com) and there was a great article by Dr. James E. Houck In the Zone The Three E’s; Energy, Economy and Environment.  This article talks about how using room heaters or Zone Heaters can help reduce the cost of heating by allowing home owners to turn down their central system and focus on heating the rooms they are in.  This makes so much since to me!  Many homes have 5 or more rooms, yet we seem to spend most of our time in just a few of those.  “Zone heaters, sometimes referred to as room heaters, can offer energy and money savigs if used to augment centralized heating systems.  Households can turn down the thermostat and turn on the room heater when and where it is needed.”  “Inefficient heat delivery and the heating of empty rooms means wasted energy, wated money and wnwarranted greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions.”  The other part of the article that impacted me was Dr. Houck’s discussion of Radiant Energy.  “At rest, humans are comfortable at an air temperature of about 70 degrees F.  When we sit in the sun we feel warm even if the air temperature is less than 70 degrees F due to radiant energy.  Zone heaters can have the same effect; they can provide warmth without the need of heatig the iterior of the home to a comfortable temperature.  If all else is equal, radiant heat from a zone heater can be far more efficient than covection heat from a centralized hot-air furnace.”  Again, this makes sense!  I know that my electric bill has been much larger this year than last.  I have become obsessed with turning off appliances etc.. and then watching my meter spin in the hopes of keeping the electric bill in check.  I can only imagine how much worse it would be if I didn’t have my Direct Vent Gas Fireplace in the living room.  Not only is it capable of heating more than one room but it feels nice to have the family sitting by the fire.  So by zone heating it makes sense that I am saving energy, saving money, and doing this by creating a warm ambiance in my home all at the same time.  Talk about a win-win situation.  Zone heaters can be free standing stoves, fireplace inserts, and masonry heaters.  These heaters can be fueled by cordwood, gas, oil, coal, corn and pellets.  OK…  So there are lots of options for a zone heater and one will fit your needs and style.  In fact the options are so numerous that you have to be careful that you choose something that fits your needs.  Factors to consider; size of the room or rooms you want to heat, aesthetics, efficiency, installation (how do we vent it and what makes the most sense for our situation), quality (yes, you can buy a product that will last 20-30 years), up keep (physically speaking can I lift a 40lb bag of pellets, do I have a source of wood, do I want to manually light my unit or is a remote a better option etc..), and finally budget. 

I wanted to pass along the information on zone heating from this article, as it conveyed the idea better than most articles I have read on the subject. 

(About the author: Dr. James E. Houck is president of OMNI Environmental Service.  www.omni-environmental.com)

Hello to all -

My name is Kathryn Pardo and I am new to blogging but I look forward to this new adventure.  I think this will be a great way to update past, current and future customers of tips, tricks, and must have information on fireplaces, stoves, mantels etc.  There are many new innovations in the hearth industry and lots of ways to save on energy and heating bills.  I look forward to passing along information that can positively affect many out there.  More to come.