GINO’S HOMES — File Photo
Sealed fireplaces don’t interact with the air inside the home. That provides advantages both for safety and energy efficiency. In the past, with dryers and stove fans venting air outside an airtight home, it was possible for the inside of the home to have lower air pressure than the outside. When that “negative air pressure” occurs, smoke from a fire can escape into the home instead of going up the chimney. Sealed units with their own fresh-air intakes avoid any risk of gases getting into the house — and they don’t allow heat to escape when they’re not in use. As any Manitoban who has paid a heating bill can attest, keeping all the warmth inside is a good thing. “Fireplaces definitely add a comforting heat,” notes Bennett. “Winnipeg is the ideal location for that.”
and en suite, with the flames visible on both sides. And Bennett says some gas models incorporate LED lights inside to make them really pop. Even in apartment-style condos, where burning gas or wood isn’t possible, many homeowners enjoy the sensation of a fireplace. Electric models, many of which use lights and special graphics to create the appearance of fire, look far more realistic today than the fake logs of decades past. Often, they’re combined with a baseboard heater to provide real warmth to go with the illusion. As much as fireplaces have evolved in the style department, even more important are the changes you can’t see.
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