Whichever way you look at it, wood exudes an aura that just can't be replicated by other materials like metal or even stone. This is the reason wood fireplace designs are a top choice among homeowners and home developers. Perhaps its raw beauty is due to the fact that it is a product of nature-it's like having a piece of nature inside your home. But don't take this material lightly. Wood is not used furniture and construction for their aesthetic values alone. Because as much as they are elegant, they are also strong and durable. These are high-performance materials which can be designed to perfection.
Realizing these unique characteristics, manufacturers come up with wood fireplace designs that will surely be a centerpiece to every home. Wood is a good insulation both from heat and cold, making it a perfect material on which to build a fireplace from. And because of its light weight, handling, transport and installation of wood furniture is much easier. So don't be surprised to see a lot of stand alone fireplaces made out of wood.
The good thing about these stand alone models is that they are portable. You can take the unit just about anywhere anytime you want. You can put it from one corner to another or move it from one room to the next. Most of these fireplace designs are made of high-grade wood like pine, oak and mahogany. The best part is that you do not need a chimney for these units because most of them have flames that are clean-burning. You don't have to use logs for fuel as there are alcohol gels that keep the flames lit. There is no smoke, no fumes-just warmth and homey feeling.
You may see oak logs (that are actually made from a ceramic material) at the steel firebox but this is just an aesthetic addition to the set if only to mimic the scene of a burning wood from a regular fireplace. It is actually the gel canisters that do the flame trick. Environmentalist groups even promote these kinds of products because they do not cause pollution nor do they contribute to global warming.
Most of these units needed to be assembled first before you can use them. But because it doesn't burn gas or wood, there's no need for installation and you can assemble them by using just a screwdriver.
Wood blends well with your home's interior. After all, a part of your house is made from this ever reliable material. So when you put a stand alone fireplace in your living room, some people might actually think that it has always been a part of it. Depending on the wood fireplace design or the model, you may even achieve that in-wall fireplace look-deceiving anyone who dares take a closer peek.
Wood provides a classic appeal to any modern design. And builders use the wood's versatility to merge the contemporary with the conventional style.
