Fireplace Mega Deals

Why you should consider a versatile stand-alone Dimplex or Manor electric stove.

When entering a living room with a free standing electric stove instantly a cosy warm ambiance is created. During winter months many of us long to arrive home, sit down comfortably in front of a fire and relax.

Radiators are great for generating a desired ambient temperature. However have you ever seen anybody drawing their chair closer to sit in front of a radiator. It would surely be similar to watching paint dry.

It is fire that has satisfied man’s desire. Dancing flames provide a unique visual experience. This can be simply provided even without heat from an electric stove. Just the flame effect glow of the electric stove gives a sense of warmth. Thanks to the latest design improvements the fire effect is very realistic.

The running costs of the fire effect only are minimal for electric stoves. When the heater is required a low and high setting is generally available. Heat is provided by means of a fan heater which convects heat into the room. Electrical heating is 100% efficient, meaning there is no loss of heat from the room. Unlike other forms of fuel that need to be burnt and require a flue or chimney. A selected room temperature can also be maintained by the thermostatic control setting.

Dimplex electric stoves offer a range of accessories. Slate effect hearth slabs on which to stand the stove upon to add realism and avoid the need for a fire surround. Easy fit stove pipes and alternative fuel beds.

A major advantage of the freestanding fire or stove is the ease of installation, requiring only a domestic electrical socket. With no regulations or restrictions these are ideal for any room in the house including conservatories. Some Manor electric stoves have a fan only operation for use on those hot summer days. Also the low maintenance required together with the fact that an electric stove will last considerably longer when compared to a gas boiler.

The latest generation of Opti-Myst flame and smoke effects from Dimplex have to be seen to be believed for the ultimate solid fuel burning realism effect.

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s unwise to pay too little.

When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all.

When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits saving a little and getting a lot. It can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it’s well to add something for the risk you run.

And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.

QUALITY……….

There is hardly anything in the world today that some man can’t make just a little worse and sell just a little cheaper, and the people who buy on price alone are this man’s lawful prey.

Fireplace Mega Deals information articles regarding the general preparation and the fitting of the hearth are two articles covering these important steps, intended to be read in conjunction with the following. Therefore this information assumes that you have reached the stage once the fireplace hearth has been fitted.

Now the foundation is in place you can build the body of a marble or granite fireplace having a wooden surround (as in a fireplace package).  So, what’s next?  Well, if it is to be an inset fire there will be a small drop directly behind the hearth that will need filling and levelling to the same level of the hearth. Some of the mortar mix that is left over from bedding the hearth will do this. Roughly level out the mortar with a trowel and then have a length of smooth straight wood (similar to a spirit level) available. Be careful don’t use anything that could leave scratches on the surface of marble. Place the straight edge against the hearth and into the opening and then in small forwards and backward movements, slowly move from one side to the other across the mortar area. This will then leave a level continuation of the hearth providing a floor for the fire to sit on

Fine, you are now ready to fit the back panel section.

Measure the width of the panel and mark the centre on the top edge. This will line up with the fireplace centre line on the wall. With a trowel cover the back of the panel with ‘blobs’ of tile adhesive (not the whole of the surface).  It should resemble the look of snow balls that have been thrown and stuck to it, with gaps in between each one of approx 75mm. Depth of the blobs will be approx 10-15mm at the deepest point. Now stand the back panel on the hearth and gently push the back panel against the wall so that the centre lines up with the centre line. You should feel the adhesive spread slightly and begin to grip. The panel should now be sat further off the wall than its final resting position, measuring approx 30-35mm from the wall.

Here’s the secret to achieving a perfectly flush fit with the back panel against the surround. This is achieved by using the surround itself when lifted onto the hearth to push back the panel into position. When all the back edges of the surround touch the wall and will not move any further back, this is exactly where the back panel needs to finally sit. It’s better if two persons are available to do this to check all back edges are back against the wall at the same time. Take the surround off the hearth now and fill the gap around the whole perimeter of the panel with tile adhesive and smooth off. The same needs to be done around the cut-out in the back panel. Wipe off any excess that is on the surface and  ”hey presto” it’s time for a brew!

Question: Hey!  Go on then , … “ What if I want an inset fire and only have a flat wall or a shallow pre-cast flue”?

O.K.  …  The majority of wooden surrounds will have a 25mm rebate which allows for the 20mm thickness of the back panel to be accommodated within the surround. In addition a removable rebate section (known as an adjustable rebate) that can be unscrewed to allow for a rebate of 75mm if required. The 25mm rebate would be used for a fireplace installation against a chimney breast where the depth required for an inset fire would be sufficient, or against a flat wall for an outset/ freestanding fire. In the case of an inset fire with a depth of let’s say 170mm and intended for fitting into a pre-cast flue (with a restricted depth e.g. 100mm) the larger 75mm rebate would be required. Thus, allowing for a deeper fire to be used by bringing the back panel to the front of the surround rebate. The fire depth then is partly sat within the fireplace not just the flue.

Question: “On Yeah!” .. “I did that and now the back panel is so far away from the wall it can’t be supported”

Well spotted. So you can now see that the method of installing the body of the fireplace will depend on the intended fire/flue depth. Everyone knows you can’t hide a 10ft pole in a 6ft hole. So, the back panel will need a frame for it to be fitted against.

When a frame is required for the back panel you will need some lengths of approx 50mm x 50-80mm rough sawn timber for this. The marble or granite back panel is normally 20mm thick and you need to fill the 75mm rebate.  Caution; The plastered wall you are fitting against will almost certainly not be perfectly flat across the whole fireplace area. In my experience the best walls come somewhere close, others have a bow, dip or worse.  These fluctuations have to be taken into account if the surround is to fit as tightly as possible to the wall when the job is completed.  To compensate you therefore need to leave space for a flexible bed of tile adhesive.

To simplify this then, there is the thickness of the back panel 20mm plus a timber frame let’s say 50mm giving a total of 70mm. This provides for a 5mm tolerance gap within the 75mm rebate. On a problem uneven wall, a plaster skim is possibly required to improve the surface as no fireplace material bends to fit the wall.

The frame dimensions are the same as that of the back panel and containing as many support pieces to support the panel and importantly the fire cut-out. This will be dependent on the width of timber used (if 50mm wide, more struts than if 80mm wide). The frame is measured against the centre line then fixed to the wall with 75mm screws. The tile adhesive is then applied to the whole of the timber rather than to the back panel. If a gas fire is to be fitted, it is necessary to clad the timber along all three surfaces of the cut-out with a non combustible fire board. Caution;  Remember to allow for the thickness of this board when constructing the frame so that the fire opening size is maintained .

All measurements given are as a general guide and should be checked for relevancy.

This article assumes that you have read the relevant ‘General Preparation’ item and have all the pre requisite steps in mind before proceeding to fit your fireplace. The following relates to a standard hearth size:  (1372mm x 380mm with a riser [not solid, but having a void beneath] and an overall hearth height of approx 55-70mm). This is referred to generally as a ‘boxed’ hearth which is the most common for a modern fireplace. The procedure will be the same for smaller or larger hearths, but the quantity of mortar will need to be adjusted accordingly.

O.K. then, firstly you need to have the means of mixing approx 3 buckets of mortar in which to lay a standard 54×15 inch hearth. The mixture should be 4-5 parts soft sand (building sand) to 1 part portland cement. Continue Reading »

Every circumstance you may encounter cannot be addressed here but in general terms the following would apply to installation of a marble or limestone fireplace including fireplace packages (hearth, back panel & surround). As with most projects the finished result depends almost entirely on the preparation.  Mistakes made at this early stage when installing a marble fireplace can be costly to rectify or even at best impossible to hide.

Imagine your fireplace installed, you rest in front to admire your efforts and then you realise the fire sits slightly to one side, or say, the hearth is not centred or maybe not quite level.  It’s only maybe a centimetre or so (although I have seen much worse) – you then ask yourself  … will anybody notice. You just have and you will know something is not quite right possibly every single time you enter that room. My experience tells me that this seems acceptable to some, “bang it in – jobs a good un”.  If you would like to do a job to be proud of, you may like to read on and get some information which will perhaps avoid some of the costly pitfalls. Continue Reading »

Modern gas fires are not only available in a wide range of individual styles but also in a wide range of formats and installation options. For example, options include inset (traditional or contemporary), outset, and hole-in-the-wall.  Flueless, power flue, and balanced flue gas fire technology means that today’s gas fires are flexible, safe, effective, cost efficient, and not to mention aesthetically pleasing ways to heat homes.  Choosing the gas fire that works best for your particular circumstances and requirements requires a little background information about each main type of gas fire and its heating system. Continue Reading »

The evolution of electric fires has brought an ever wider array of benefits to home owners, landlords, and housing professionals. At a time when utilities are relatively expensive, ways of lowering energy bills whilst not compromising on warmth, safety and convenience are attractive prospects. Continue Reading »

In many modern homes the main heat source of the living room is often in a very prominent position e.g. directly facing the sofa.  Quite part from concerns about having an effective but economical heat source which is controllable and safe, just as overall interior design theme of the living room, so are the aesthetics of the fire / fireplace. Although the living room is the most obvious area, there may be other rooms in the home which have fireplaces which aren’t being used, or have even been covered up over the years.  Depending on the look you want to achieve, and the budget you have available, there are many potential ways to update your fireplace(s). Continue Reading »

In modern homes some kind of central heating system is now accepted as a normal necessity.  In older houses e.g. houses from the 1800s it’s likely that the downstairs rooms and the upstairs bedrooms relied on an open fireplace for heating prior to the introduction of their current modern central heating system.  This in itself gives some idea of the heating power of an open fire / solid fuel fireplace – one open fire is only designed to heat one room, not the entire house.  Many older homes have had downstairs walls removed to make a more open plan space, and this too has created another modern challenge for heating the home.  Finding a heating method that is highly effective, efficient, trouble free, and aesthetically pleasing  is an important requirement in UK homes during the winter months Continue Reading »

In terms of the history of fires, electric fires are a relatively new way of heating the home having only been in large scale domestic uses since the last part of the 20^th century.  Modern models of electric fires however are sophisticated in terms of their aesthetics, overall design and energy efficiency, and yet are simpler than ever to operate and control.  Electric fires therefore have a number of key benefits that it’s difficult for any other home heating method to beat including:

Ease and speed of installation

Modern electric fires leave the manufacturers more or less ready to begin operating.  They simply need to be set up in the required position in the room e.g. in the exiting fireplace area as an insert, wall mounted, or as part of a total electric fire suite.  The main thing they really need therefore is to be near an electric power source / plug socket which all homes already have. The way they work doesn’t require set sizes of gaps or spaces to be left free around where they are set up, so they are therefore regarded as ‘zero clearance’.  Installation of modern electric fires can take less than an hour. Continue Reading »