If you are looking for a new fireplace for your home, you might be stuck on exactly what type and what brand you should get. Luckily, just like an interior designer can help inform you about good interior design decisions, we are here to help you with picking out the right fireplace. It really doesn’t matter if you are still in the planning stages of a new house with your architect, or you are looking to just spruce up your living room a little bit, there are fireplace types perfect for many different situations.
Within the article below, we are going to talk about exactly what kind of fireplace you should be aiming for, and we’re also going to discuss where you get your fireplace. For the most part, we are going to compare big retail stores like Lowe’s with fireplace specialists like MagikFlame. This guide will help you understand the major differences between these different types of companies, so that you can be sure you get a fireplace that is absolutely perfect for you.
What Questions Will Be Answered In The Article Below?
- Why Are Wood-Burning Fireplaces a Bad Choice For Your Living Space? – We first dive into the severe disadvantages that come with wood fireplaces and why you should avoid using them.
- Are Gas Fireplaces Like Ones That Are Ventless Still Bad As a Home Decor Choice? – Although some people think gas fireplaces are much better than wood, many aren’t aware of the problems even these fireplaces have.
- Why Is an Infrared Quartz Electric Fireplace a Much Better Decision Than a Wood or Gas Fireplace For Your New Home or a Home Remodel? – Here we’ll discuss everything great about electric fireplaces for your home and why you should use this kind of fireplace as your main room’s focal point.
- What Varieties of Electric Fireplaces Exist and Which Type Should You Consider Getting One of These Trending Fireplaces To Install In your Home? – There are quite a few different types of electric fireplaces. Here we will list them and share which you may want to look at.
- Can All Electric Fireplaces Be Plugged Into a Standard 120 Volt Outlet? – With all of these different fireplace types, you might be curious if all can plug into standard outlets. This section discusses this topic.
- What Kinds of Lowe Electric Fireplace Brands Are Available? – Here we cover many of the brands you may find at Lowe’s like Ameriwood Home, Duraflame, Pleasant Hearth, and more.
- What Is The Problem With Getting a Lowes Electric Fireplace Either From a Lowes.com or From a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store? – This vital section lists the issues you will likely face if you decide to look for your fireplace with Lowe’s.
- Are You Going To Have The Same Problems Getting an Electric Fireplace From Home Depot, Walmart, or Amazon That You Would When Getting a Lowes Electric Fireplace From a Lowe’s Store? – Here, we talk about the issues you may face with other big box stores and online retailers as well.
- How Does Getting a Fireplace From MagikFlame Compare To a Lowe Fireplace Shopping Experience? – This section directly compares your experience getting your fireplace with these different companies, as well as the quality of the product you will end up with.
- Do MagikFlame Electric Fireplaces Have a Flame Effect That Looks Like a Real Flame Compared To Cheap LED Flames That You Usually Find In a Generic LED Electric Fireplace? – This section goes into more detail about the features you can enjoy with your MagikFlame fireplace.
Why Are Wood-Burning Fireplaces a Bad Choice For Your Living Space?
Wood fireplaces have a long history, but many people may not know all there is to know about them. This means they may be unaware of the serious issues that wood fireplaces can cause. First, it is good to know what the most common wood fireplaces even are:
- Open Hearth – These wood fireplaces are the most common and traditional. They are a simple design for building fires in them.
- Enclosed – Because these are completely enclosed with glass doors on the front, these are a little more efficient and safe, but not by much.
- Enclosed Insert – These inserts allow you to turn an open hearth into an enclosed fireplace for your home.
- Wood Stove – You’d usually find these in a rural cabin or farmhouse. Wood is burned inside and it radiates heat while allowing the top for basic cooking.
- Fire Pit – These are usually outdoor fireplaces and are mostly used as a novelty when entertaining guests outside.
It really doesn’t matter which of the wood fireplaces you are in. All of them will have the following issues you need to worry about to some degree:
- Fire Safety – A lot of soot will build up inside of the chimney. If this isn’t cleaned out several times a year, it can cause a massive house fire.
- Harmful Emissions – Since you are burning wood, both smoke and carbon monoxide are emitted and will fill your home to some extent.
- Hassle To Use – Wood fireplaces are a big hassle. They require so much work to keep them maintained and working properly.
- Heat Loss Problem – Since the harmful emissions need to escape through the chimney, a lot of heat ends up going with it.
- Smell – There is no getting away from the fact that your home will have a strong smoky smell when using wood fireplaces.
- Stains – The smell of the smoke is bad, but so is the stains it produces on your walls, furniture, curtains, and carpets.
- TV Damage – While mounting a TV above a mantel looks good, with wood fireplaces, the smoke and heat that rises will break the TV.
- Wood Storage – Anyone with a wood fireplace needs a lot of storage space for all of the logs.
- Expensive To Build – Unless one came with your house, wood fireplaces are extremely expensive to build, and that is if they are even allowed to be built in your region.
Are Gas Fireplaces Like Ones That Are Ventless Still Bad As a Home Decor Choice?
Gas fireplaces are something that some people like to choose as an alternative to the dangers and hassle of a wood fireplace. While there are many different styles of gas fireplaces, they usually fall into these two basic categories:
- Direct Vented – These kinds of gas fireplaces produce enough carbon monoxide and other contaminants that ventilation is required for them.
- Ventless – These produce much less contaminants, therefore they technically don’t need ventilation systems in place.
Even though gas fireplaces certainly have some advantages over wood fireplaces and are a little less dangerous, they still suffer from several problems of their own. Here are the issues you need to make sure you are aware of if you were at all thinking about gas fireplaces as a heating solution:
- Flame Is Exposed – Anytime you have something burning with an open flame, that is a fire hazard for your home you need to be careful with.
- Carbon Monoxide – Gas fireplaces still produce carbon monoxide. Even ventless ones can produce more than you think.
- Ugly Flame Color – The flames of gas fireplaces have ugly colors. From bright neon blue to dull natural colors, it is always disappointing.
- Weak Flame – Gas fireplace flames are usually simple streams of fire with little to no proper flickering to them.
- Costly Installation – Although a smaller job than wood fireplaces, the installation is still costly due to a professional needed for proper gas line installation.
Why Is an Infrared Quartz Electric Fireplace a Much Better Decision Than a Wood or Gas Fireplace For Your New Home or a Home Remodel?
Electric fireplaces lack so many of the disadvantages that are presented by wood and gas fireplaces. On top of that, electric fireplaces have a long list of benefits that make them the obvious choice for a fireplace home heating solution. Here is why you should make sure your next fireplace is electric:
- No Added Fire Risk – Electric fireplaces don’t add the same fire hazard that wood and gas fireplaces typically do.
- No Harmful Emissions – Electric fireplaces are free of smoke and carbon monoxide, leaving you with much cleaner air to breathe.
- No Staining or Smells – Smoke isn’t there so walls won’t stain and there won’t be a smoky smell.
- Using it is Easy – Electric fireplaces couldn’t be simpler to use. Turn it on, set the temperature you like, and enjoy it.
- Easy Installing – The DIY installation is so easy with electric fireplaces because they are just placed where you want them to go and then plugged into a wall.
- Apartments and Condos
- Any Room – Electric fireplaces can be placed in any room of the house since you don’t need ventilation or anything like that.
- TV Safe – Enjoy mounting a TV above the mantel because it is completely safe with electric fireplaces.
- Heat Efficiency – Infrared heating is already efficient, but it is even more efficient since no heat will escape a chimney.
- Supplemental Zone Heating – With multiple fireplaces, you can heat extremely large homes in zones and keep the heating bill significantly low.
- Remote Control – Electric fireplaces come with a remote so that you can easily turn it on or change the thermostat without getting up.
- Fire Effect Ambiance – Luxury electric fireplaces produce high-quality holographic fire effects so that the true fireplace essence is captured.
What Varieties of Electric Fireplaces Exist and Which Type Should You Consider Getting One of These Trending Fireplaces To Install In your Home?
People have different home layouts, needs, and preferences. Luckily, electric fireplaces have quite a lot of different types for you to choose from, and this isn’t even counting specific brands and models. Which type you get is entirely up to you, but here is a list of the ones you should focus on, and which you might want to steer clear of:
- Flat Wall Mantel Package – These mantel packages are the ones that look the most traditional. They sit against a flat wall like an open hearth fireplace.
- Corner Fireplace – These fireplaces function just as well as the mantel packages, but they are built for a corner focus.
- Electric Fireplace TV Stand – These combine fireplaces and TV stands, but buy with caution since the limited space makes the fireplace less reliable.
- Corner TV Stand Fireplace – This is the same basic concept as the normal TV stand fireplaces, but for corner use.
- Wall-Mount Electric Fireplace – You can mount these onto a flat wall with special mounting brackets. You can also build these into a recessed wall so that it sits flush or with a slight lip to it.
- Electric Fireplace Insert – Use these inserts to convert wood or gas fireplaces to electric. These can also be used to build custom mantels.
- Freestanding Electric Fireplace Heaters – These portable heaters work terribly compared to standard electric fireplaces. Avoid these.
- Electric Stove – This variation looks like a wood stove, so it should only be used for homes with a rural design. It will look strange in most modern homes.
Can All Electric Fireplaces Be Plugged Into a Standard 120 Volt Outlet?
Many electric fireplaces can be plugged into standard volt electrical outlets within the US. However, there are some that do require a higher voltage, much like a washer or dryer, therefore an electrician will need to install the proper outlet for you. Luckily, these types of electric fireplaces are usually more limited to garages or outdoor areas rather than common indoor electric fireplaces.
What Kinds of Lowes Electric Fireplace Brands Are Available?
Lowe’s has many brands of fireplaces from completely unheard of generic brands to some brands that you may have heard of before. Some of the brands that Lowe’s has available are fireplaces like Dimplex, Allen + Roth, Ameriwood Home, Duraflame, Pleasant Hearth, and more. They have a wonderful selection of manufacturers.
It is important to keep in mind that not all brands are created equally and many of these brands vary in their heating performance, build quality, and fire effects. Also, because so many models within a brand look the same, it is important to double-check the item number and make sure you got the correct model that you wanted.
There are many styles that are available from complete fireplace mantels, simple fireplace logs, portable electric fireplace heaters, and more. They may come in white, cherry, walnut, espresso, or any number of variations.
What Is The Problem With Getting a Lowes Electric Fireplace Either From a Lowes.com or From a Lowe’s Home Improvement Store?
One of the main problems with stores like Lowe’s is that they aren’t experts at any specific thing related to fireplaces. They are trying to do too many general things as they have an enormous category selection rather than having the best brand of a particular type of product. This is especially true for electric fireplaces. There are many brands, many with extremely low quality and it really can be hard to tell them apart.
On top of this, Lowe’s staff aren’t dedicated fireplace experts. How many times has a contractor gone in to get a tool to a big store like this and been met with a teenager who couldn’t answer a single question about the product or work the tool is used for? It’s not their fault, but electric fireplaces are a specialty retail product.
Additionally, some fireplaces that are sold at Lowe’s (along with other retailers) have been recalled by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission due to extreme overheating and fire safety issues. Unfortunately, this is the risk when you purchase lower-quality generic electric fireplaces instead of buying from a trusted, specialized brand that puts quality and the customer first.
The reality is, if you chose to get a fireplace from Lowe’s, even if you got a good deal because it was on sale, you will likely spend more in the long run. Generic fireplaces use a lot more electricity than high-end brands. Your heating bill will be much higher if you use a cheaper fireplace. On top of this, these lower-end fireplaces tend to need repairs and replacements much sooner than long-lasting quality brands. Some people end up having to replace it quite quickly once they simply see how tacky and cheap the fire effects look in some of these lower-end brands.
Are You Going To Have The Same Problems Getting an Electric Fireplace From Home Depot, Walmart, or Amazon That You Would When Getting a Lowes Electric Fireplace From a Lowe’s Store?
Unfortunately, you really are going to have similar issues if you look for a fireplace at any of these other big box stores and giant online retailers. For example, Walmart is guilty of having some companies make identical, but lower-quality versions of products in several industries. This way, the wholesale price will be cheaper, and the store can offer steeper discounts while still improving their profit margins. What is really unfortunate is that the consumer rarely knows they are getting a lower-quality version of an identical product. This is why it is always best to find a reputable brand of fireplace and buy directly from the manufacturer if possible. You can be sure you are getting a high-quality fireplace this way.
How Does Getting a Fireplace From MagikFlame Compare To a Lowe Fireplace Shopping Experience?
To begin with, MagikFlame has never had a recall on any of the fireplace models. They are one of the leading brands of electric fireplaces due to their build quality, reliability of their fireplaces, and their incredibly realistic fire effects using Holoflame technology. On top of all of this, they are a company that specializes in electric fireplaces. They are experts when it comes to electric fireplaces and they know exactly what is needed for a high-end fireplace. They aren’t trying to do too many things like big box retailers are.
With MagikFlame, you can rest easy knowing that they can help you get the perfect fireplace for your home and can answer any questions that you may have. Once your MagikFlame electric fireplace is installed, you will see for yourself how amazing the realistic fireplace atmosphere is. Don’t be surprised if most of your guests can’t even tell that it is a faux fireplace.
Do MagikFlame Electric Fireplaces Have a Flame Effect That Looks Like a Real Flame Compared To Cheap LED Flames That You Usually Find In a Generic LED Electric Fireplace?
Due to their Holoflame technology, they are easily the most realistic electric fireplaces on the market. They have several beautiful mantel package models to choose from like the MagikFlame Smith model. You can even get an insert that has the exact same fireplace functionality but can be used to convert an existing fireplace into an electric one or build your own custom mantel around the insert. Realistic flames aren’t all that MagikFlame has to offer. With a MagikFlame fireplace, you get all of these fantastic features to enjoy:
- Ultrarealistic 3D Fire Effects – MagikFlame’s firebox has a log set inside of it that holographic 3D flames are realistically projected onto. There are 30 different flame styles that move and flicker like real flames.
- Crackling Log Sounds – To go along with the immersive flames, the fireplace also produces the sounds of crackling logs. By being able to hear all of the little snaps and crackles of wood that are burning, the ambiance and atmosphere are much more like a traditional wood-burning fireplace. In addition to the crackling log sounds, there are nature sounds that can be played as well for some extra relaxation.
- 5,200 BTU Heater – The heater inside of MagikFlame fireplaces is reliable and efficient. The powerful heater uses infrared heating coils that can quickly warm a home. After the home is warm, it will continue to keep it warm and it will do so while keeping electrical usage to the absolute minimum. A single MagikFlame fireplace can keep an apartment, condo, or house that is 1,000 square feet nice and warm. For larger houses, supplemental zone heating can be used with more fireplaces to still keep heating costs low.
- Smartphone App – Because homes are often full of too many remotes going to too many different devices, MagikFlame fireplaces instead have a convenient app that can be installed on your smartphone or tablet device. The app is simple and easy to use. It gives you the power to control every part of your fireplace from anywhere within your home.
