Traditional fireplaces are always seen as these majestic things that everyone should own in their homes. It really says something about a property if it has a proper fireplace and a chimney. Sure, they do come with some plus points – I think it’s super handy to have a heat source in your home that doesn’t run on fuel or electricity.
Nonetheless, I’d argue that electric fireplaces are the better purchase and home investments. By all means, I’m not going to make a claim like that without backing it up. Here’s why an electric fireplace is the better option for your home:
Easier to maintain
Do you know how hard it is to maintain a traditional fireplace? Whether you use coal or wood, it generates smoke from the fire. Therefore, you have to clean the smoke from around the fireplace and in the chimney. It’s messy, messy work that’s a real pain to do – and you run the risk of staining your clothes and furniture with the soot.
Electric fireplaces don’t generate smoke and are easy to maintain. Actually, no maintenance is needed at all – other than dusting or cleaning the surface of the fireplace.
Much safer
Similarly, electric fireplaces run on electricity, which makes them considerably safer than other fireplace options. Why? Because they don’t produce real flames. Instead, there’s a flame effect that looks and sounds like a real flame, but it isn’t. Immediately, you negate the risk of burning yourself on the fire or setting anything alight.
When you think about it, a traditional fireplace does present some massive dangers. Basically, you have a live fire in your home. Yes, nothing bad should happen if you are safe, but there’s always the chance it could.
No smoke in your home
As mentioned earlier, an electric fireplace won’t generate any smoke at all. Now, traditional fireplaces will create smoke, though they are designed to move it out through a chimney. Still, it’s highly possible some smoke ends up in your living room and throughout your home.
Thus, you end up with smoke stains on furniture and your belongings. This won’t happen with an electric fireplace so you’ll never have to worry about calling in some contents and personal property restoration experts to reverse any smoke damage.
Easier to install
Finally, traditional fireplaces are way harder to install if you don’t already have space for them in your home. You’d need to knock down a significant chunk of a wall and build a chimney for the smoke to leave. It’s a massive job that costs so much money and comes with its fair share of hold-ups.
Contrastingly, electric fireplaces can be installed with ease. They can usually just be placed flush against a flat wall without the need for a chimney or any extensive building work.
Overall, a fireplace is a wonderful addition to your home to bring a sense of comfort and warmth. Traditional ones are more energy efficient, but electric ones tick every other box. They’re safer, easier to maintain, easier to install, and don’t generate any smoke or soot. So, perhaps you should opt for a more modern fireplace if you fancy a new renovation idea.