Parade of Homes | Fall 2018

Visit our SHOWROOM and see where bright ideas begin

The models in Prairie Fireplaces’ King Edward Street showroom (and the adjoining Hearth & Patio retail outlet) are clean, sealed units that meet rigorous Canadian safety standards. Some of the company’s bestsellers are built just a few blocks away by Winnipeg’s Kingsman Fireplaces. One of the big cosmetic changes to the latest fireplaces is in their dimensions. Many popular gas models are 40 or 48 inches wide, and widths can extend up to eight feet. Another dramatic change is in the media — often an array of coloured crystals — placed along the bottom to conceal the gas burners. When the fireplace is turned on, a line of colour dances above a glimmering surface. Venuto says it’s common today to position a fireplace directly below a flat-screen TV in a great room. He adds, though, that special steps may need to be taken to channel heat away from the set — otherwise you can cook your TV. Popular though gas may be, there’s still demand for the traditional look and aroma of a wood-burning fire. “A lot of the larger custom builders are putting in wood-burning fireplaces,” says Dwayne Bennett, president of Flame and Comfort. Wood fireplaces have also undergone major changes to make them cleaner, safer and more efficient. Most are designed to meet a new, stringent standard for emissions of particulate matter (PM) that goes into effect in California next year, notes Bennett. Many have glass doors that can be closed to seal them off from the room, along with independent ventilation to draw fresh air for combustion from outside. Others incorporate a “secondary burn,” which burns the particles in the smoke to ensure that less PM goes up the chimney. Cont’d on page 116

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