Wood Stove Insert

If you love the look and feel of a real fire but don't have a large fireplace or room to have one installed, you may want to consider a wood stove insert. This is like those free-standing stoves you see but they are installed flush into the wall so you need less room to accommodate them. They may be safer for many homes since you don't have to worry about the heat surrounding free-standing stoves and they may produce fewer embers than other fireplaces.

A good wood stove insert is also a great choice for smaller rooms since you may not have room for free-standing models and because they're less obtrusive. They are available in a wide range of styles and colors and finishes, so you know you'll find something that fits your current décor. Typically a wood stove insert has a direct venting system so that you don't need to vent it through your chimney; as long as there is an outside wall in the room, you can have the stove installed easily.

How do you choose a good wood stove insert for your home or business? One thing is to take real measurements of the area in which you're consider the stove, and remember that you need room for the surround. This is what protects your walls from the heat of the flames. Be sure you do an actual footprint measurement in your own wall to ensure you have enough room. You also need a certain amount of tiled floor space in the front of your wood stove insert, so measure that area as well. This will tell you the approximate size of your stove you can purchase.

Choosing a style is not something to be done quickly. You want your wood stove insert to fit the style of your home overall and to be neutral enough so that it will seem like a work of art no matter how you change your décor. If you have a Craftsman style home, this might mean warm slate tones. If your home is mid-century modern, something sleek and grey may be a better choice. In many cases you can get a design or imprint on the surround of your wood stove insert to give it added visual interest, but be careful of something too obvious or too overt as this may very well overpower a room.

In some cases you may be able to have a wood stove insert put right into your fireplace; this means less maintenance and care for your fire. It can also be safer since you have much of the fireplace covered by the surround and open only a part of it if necessary. Those with children may appreciate the choice of a wood stove insert for their fireplace. It also typically means less maintenance since soot does not build up in the insert the way it does a fireplace. This means less cleaning and maintenance overall.