One of the nicest home accessories for people leaving in the northern hemisphere or in a place that has cold temperatures for several months out of the year is having a home that has a fireplace. However, like many people sometimes having something in your home too long becomes boring and you people desire a way to change the look or improve the look of the home. Unfortunately, fireplaces are not like flooring or walls where they are easy to either paint or replace with new flooring to get the new look and feel while refreshing the home.
The ability to modify a fireplace consists of changing three things that do not cost an arm and leg. One change that can be made is either replacing or modify the fireplace mantel; the next change may consist of updating your fireplace doors and screens. Making some of these changes can drastically improve the look of your fireplace while adding value to your home.
The fireplace mantel can either be replaced or can be sanded down and stained to provide an updated look. This assumes your fireplace mantel is wood and can actually be sanded down. You could also opt to entirely remove the mantel altogether and replace it with mantel shelf that just sits directly above the fireplace is primarily used to set candles on the mantel or can be used to hang stockings during Christmas and is considered the traditional fireplace mantel and is typically raw in shape and form.
However, you can also elect to get a little fancier and replace the entire mantel with Alexandra mantel which consists of typically encasing the whole fireplace on both sides while still producing the flat surface above the fireplace where you could still put candles or other decorations. However, this type of mantel is typically used with fireplace inserts or a vent less fireplace.
Replacing fireplace doors is fairly easy and the second most expensive aspect of updating the fireplace looks. These doors are available in several types of styles and can be purchased to fit most sizes from 37" in width to 29 inches in height and the doors can be purchased in brass, silver or jet black and often doors that will be airtight to protect your home from the fire after you turn in for the night while the fire burns itself out.
Fireplace screens are the least expensive replacement piece when updating a fireplace and are typically the easiest piece to replace. Depending on your desire and your current style of screen you either buy a fireplace screen that sits on the hearth of the fireplace and will still protect sparks from exiting beyond the hearth onto the carpet. You can purchase three fold screens that will surround the fireplace and offer several types of colors and styles or you can purchase a brass or bronze screen for fairly cheap that attaches behind your fireplace doors and offers the best protection to preventing sparks from entering the living area where the fireplace is located.
Updating the look and feel of a fireplace is fairly simple and can be as expensive as two thousand dollars as cheap as two hundred dollars depending on your budget. You can typically find most replacements to fit your size in several stores like home depot or Lowes or order replacements online at a reasonable price. Finally, replacing the mantel can be the most expensive with fireplace doors being the second most expensive with fireplace being the least expensive.
By:Disnis Seeley
