Historically, fireplaces serve as the focus of each dwelling. I’ve lost count of the times I have been requested to take a look at smoking fireplaces, and looked up the chimney to see a properly constructed gather, and a good sized flue, which is abruptly lowered to less than ½ its area by an eight” or 9″ pot, which itself is often partially obscured by slates or whatever different bearers the fitter has used throughout development.
Dampers can be fitted at the top, or bottom of the flue, and there are professionals and cons for both styles, but often the geometry of the fireplace and chimney, and the relative difficulty of entry to the top of the chimney stack would be the deciding issue.
If your property’s fashion has nation really feel to it and you have a dark, brick fireplace, you might be able to keep the brick and do a easy whitewash to brighten it up. But for those who’re going for a modern look, wrapping it in tile could also be just what you could make it look sleek.
Mantels can often be ordered in your alternative of wood (suitable for portray, like Poplar or Birch,) or in the event you favor to see the pure beauty of wood grain, you will get many mantels in furnishings grade Maple, Cherry, Mahogany, Walnut, or Oak woods.
A earlier proprietor blocked off the entry from the kitchen and created an arched opening from the Living room to create a bar (drinks) space under the steps; which was fairly good, however after we moved in we added shelving on the again (for DVD storage) to match the color and design of the wood of the drinks bar.