Go for Electric Fireplaces.Who Wnts Wood Anymore?

Electric fireplaces used to be such clunky things when they first appeared on the market decades go. It seemed like the designers were so happy just to seetheir contraptions working that they just didn't have the energy to think about attractive design. These days though, they've had enough time to really think their designs through. Many of today's electric fireplaces look good enough that you might even find yourself preferring them over woodburning ones just for how cute they look.

But perhaps it isn't just attractiveness of design that makes people look to electric fireplaces first these days. It could perhaps also be howwoodburning fireplaces are just so completely bothersome to operate. Even if you have one in working order at home, it won't stay that way for long if you don't indulge it regularly, and get around to cleaning everything out.

If you don't clean everything out, you could have to deal with a lot more than just a fireplace that doesn't work. You could have to deal with a fireplace that puts out poisonous carbon monoxide. Even if the only thing that you're thinking of with electric fireplaces is how so convenient they are to install and to live with, they have a lot more going for them than just that.

People also love how little it costs to run these. Not that electricity is cheap. It's just that with a wood fireplace, there are so many things you need to take care of that the costs add up.

Go to the store looking for electric fireplaces, and the salesman will usually ask you choose from among three basic types: electric mantels, inserts and wall-mounted models.

Most people try to choose electric mantels wherever they can. These are made to mimic the look and feel of actual woodburning fireplaces as much is possible. The bill them with all the ornate carving all around so that the effect is quite convincing. They make many of these models but tops that you can place your flatscreen TV there are something.

Many homes have woodburning fireplaces that are no longer in working order. If you have such a fireplace, you might feel that it's kind of strange to have a full-fledged electric mantle elsewhere in the room. Everyone who comes in will right away notice how you have a nonworking fireplace and another fake fireplace that works off electricity. To keep that from happening, you can buy what they call an electric fireplace insert.

These fit right into your existing fireplace. The effect can be particularly convincing.