If you are looking to design a fireplace that is unique and hard to find anywhere else then you might be interested in an open fireplace design. These are considered to be very modern are very different when compared to even the stone and corner fireplace designs. The feature that separate them from every other design is the fact that it is open on three or all four sides.
There are two common design for open fireplaces. The first design is to situate it in the center of the room. They are built with a small base that sits waist high and on top of this base is where the fire will burn. The base will usually have no sides to it or one on the back.
The second open fireplace design is to situate the small fireplace directly onto the wall. These are considerably smaller and do not have any type of mantel or surround. Although it only has one opening it is rather small. These fireplaces may be wood burning, electric, or gel.
Concerns Of Open Fireplaces
Many people love to use this particular design because of the style it is able to add to the room. However, there are many people who have concerns with this and are afraid that it might pose more of a hazard to the home.
On the smaller open fireplaces that are built onto the wall there is a risk that sparks can fly out and start a fire or that the logs might roll out. There are screens and guards that can be installed onto the fireplace to help prevent this – but the sparks can still jump out and through these.
Another hazard is the amount of smoke that the wood burning types can generate in a home. This is a sign that the fireplace is not burning properly and will create pollution inside of the home.
In order for it to burn effeciently you need to have a well designed open fireplace with a chimney that is cleaned on a regular basis. The amount of wood they use is more then that of a traditional wood burning fireplace.