Criteria for choosing modern fireplaces

The fireplace in the house symbolizes prosperity and well-being, the very possibility of lighting a fire has been associated for centuries with security and confidence in the future. Modern fireplaces are presented in a wide variety, in the catalogs and portfolios of designers they are classified according to the possibilities of implementation, purpose, style.

Installation Options and Design Features

Depending on how the design is introduced into the interior, the following types of fireplaces are distinguished:

wall-mounted - they have significant dimensions, they are mounted against the wall (often they are installed in an already built and finished house). Due to their heavy weight, special requirements are imposed on the walls and floor of the room. Portals can be sheathed with stone, brick, tile;
corner - very interesting design solutions, here the chimney is built into one of the walls. The combustion chamber is strengthened with metal or concrete, for decoration use brick, plaster, natural stone;
suspended - made of light materials, they are equipped with a closed or open firebox;
built-in - they are laid at the stage of repair or construction of the house, some segments of the chimney and firebox are embedded in the wall.These are compact models that organically fit into small bedrooms, cabinets;
island - they are built in the center of the room on a special site, they are more decorative than functional.

The choice of a specific variety is based on operational requirements for the design and the availability of a free site.

Types of fireplaces according to their purpose

The traditional option is stone and brick structures made of natural and artificial materials. However, in addition to such structures placed in living rooms, some deviations from the classics should be included in the review:

fireplace stoves are very practical heating devices equipped with a pair of chimneys and a pair of fireboxes. They are in demand in the construction of cottages and garden houses, since, in addition to heating, they are adapted for cooking, work on wood briquettes, firewood;
barbecue fireplaces - conceived for leisure in nature, they do not connect with residential buildings, are built under a canopy. Often in the kit are a smokehouse, grill, sink, shelving, cutting table;
outdoor - serve as a landscape accent, outwardly resemble the usual hearths, in comparison with the latter, such fireplaces do not equip the damper. They are assembled from concrete blocks, marble, brick, stone.

Decorative - this is a separate group of devices, which include bio- and electric fireplaces, they all do not have a chimney, they are used to create a cozy atmosphere.

Classification by type of furnace, radiation, fuel

A fireplace in a fireplace can be:

open - in this case, at least on one side you can observe live fire, such structures require regular maintenance and special attention;
closed - in them the fire is located behind the fireplace door or heat-resistant glass.

In accordance with the features of thermal radiation, designs are divided into the following varieties:

one-sided heat source - a classic hearth with a firebox open in front;
with two-sided heat radiation - they are more time-consuming to implement, their efficiency is much lower than that of the previous version;
a three- and four-sided heat source - such models have mainly a decorative purpose.

As fuel are used:

firewood;
gas;
electricity;
bioethanol, ethyl alcohol - for bio fireplaces.

Expensive centers operating on pellets are displayed in a special group: they are made of cast iron or iron, glass or ceramic elements can be used as decorative additions. Individual models are connected to heating radiators.

Horizons of architectural performance

Designers offer many style solutions, but all of them can be classified into major groups according to architectural features:

classic fireplaces - the portal has a U-shaped shape, artificial and natural stone, wood, marble are common as decorations;
village centers - the contours of the portal resemble the letter “D”, a shelf is always present above the firebox, gypsum and porous stone are used for decoration;
Modernist - the portal is endowed with ideal geometry, most often, it is found in the form of a semicircle, rectangle, polygon.

A separate segment is made up of high-tech foci: they are built in a laconic appearance from the most modern materials resistant to fire. Given the fact that they do not have large heat dissipation, fireplaces have gained unprecedented popularity due to their futuristic design.