On a cold winter night there’s nothing like cuddling up in front of a fire with a loved one. The warmth from fireplaces are welcome on chilly days, and the scent of the burning wood adds a cozy ambiance to a home. Fireplaces make great gathering spots and many families enjoy lounging around the fireplace in the evenings to talk or watch television together.

Fireplaces are also attractive and add character to a home. A beautiful fireplace can be the focal point of a room, or the homeowner might choose to downplay the fireplace. Fireplaces designs should complement the style of the room. A fireplace covered in floral designs will look out of place in a room decorated in a sleek, modern style. Thought should also be given to the size of the fireplace, since a large fireplace will overpower a small room and a tiny fireplace will get lost in a cavernous room. There are many different fireplaces designs and styles to choose from to accentuate a room and express the homeowner’s personality,

and we’ll discuss a few popular options.

Brick fireplaces

Bricks are a traditional choice for fireplaces designs. Beautiful, functional and easy to replace, bricks add a homey, old-fashioned feel to a room. Aging brick fireplaces can be spruced up with a coat of paint. While any bricks can be used for the surround, only firebricks should be used in the firebox.

Marble and Granite

Granite and marble are popular materials used in today’s fireplaces designs. Granite fireplaces are handsome, durable and easy to clean. There are a number of different colors of granite fireplace designs to coordinate with a room’s décor. Marble fireplaces are elegant and lovely and can add a sophisticated touch to a home. Some marble fireplaces are elaborately carved with beautiful designs.

Tile

Tiled fireplaces designs can add a splash of fun and color to the fireplace. The tiles can cover the surround of the fireplace and can be chosen in a variety of designs. For a romantic room filled with lace you might choose tiles featuring pretty floral patterns, while tiles with brightly colored geometric shapes might better suit a contemporary style room. Tile can also be used to cover the brick and give a new look to an older mantel that is past its prime.

Kiva style fireplace

For a southwestern style home, try Kiva fireplaces designs. Kiva fireplaces are curved and beehive shaped with openings at the top and bottom for the flue and the fire. Traditional Kiva fireplaces designs were created using adobe bricks, but today’s models frequently use cinder blocks.

Outdoor fireplace

Many homeowners are installing outdoor fireplaces designs. Outdoor fireplaces can turn an ordinary deck or patio into something special. With patio furniture such as comfortable chairs and a dining table and chairs, the patio becomes an additional living space, ideal for entertaining friends and family. The outdoor fireplace can make the space a great place to spend time on cool summer nights, chilly spring and fall days and even in the winter.

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One of the best ways to prevent home fires is to install smoke detectors at every floor of the home and also fire alarms. But, installing the smoke detectors alone would not serve the purpose. Some people think that “once installed forever installed” after installing smoke detectors. But, the fact is many a time the smoke detectors don’t work and do not detect smoke due to mere negligence on behalf of the house owner.

Kidde #21006378 AC/DC Smoke Detector
Price: $17.39
This smoke detector has a Quick Connect wiring system that makes it simple to install the unit and easy upgrade to a new detector when the time comes. The Multi-Station Interconnect System allows you to easily connect multiple detectors together.

The smoke detectors batteries should be tested and checked on a regular basis and in fact the smoke detector should also be tested in whole. Make it a point to replace the battery every year. Do not smoke at home. It is one of the biggest causes of home fires.
Kidde #440376 Premium Plus Smoke Detector
Price: $16.8
Smoke detector has safety light that makes it ideal for a hallway to lead you out of the house. As a reminder, smoke detectors should be installed on every floor in your home in a central location. Safety light Hush button Test button 5-year warranty.

The next big cause is electrical short circuit. Use properly rated wires for house wiring and so does other components. Also when plugging in electrical gadgets check the voltage rating to avoid shot circuits. Also, keep cords at a distance from rugs and carpet. Disconnect any appliance when done using. Replace old appliances or fix them before they become an electrical fire hazard. Also, use circuit breakers in the house wiring and also for plugging outlets to prevent fires due to overloading.

According to the estimates of USFA, the number of fires that took place in the United States was 1.5 million. The estimated loss in dollars stood at staggering 9.8 billion dollars. More horrific figures reveal loss of death of about 3,900 approximately and about 18,000 injuries the same year.

The USFA also said that during the same year the fatalities due to fires surpassed fatalities due to all sources combined. And the USFA also adds that even this number could be small in actuality as many small fires are not reported. The statistics also reveals that more than eighty three percent of all fatalities and eighty percent of the total injuries due to fires took place in homes.

Following certain basic fire safety guidelines could greatly reduce the chances of fires and protect the homes and people from this disaster from striking.

In recent years a lot of fires have been experienced due to electrical heaters to supplement home heating. Care should be taken to keep portable heaters at a distance from combustible materials to prevent fires. Also, go for heaters that have auto shutoff in case of overloading or overheating.
Holmes Home Base Tower Tower/Low Profile Heater
Price: $79.99
1500W space heater with Auto Safety Shutoff. 12.8 x 9.2 x 26.3 in.

Fire places are also one of the biggest fire hazards in houses with fireplaces. Use screens to prevent fire spark from flying off to the outside of the fireplace.

Light up your hearth with this Sunshine Cast Solid Brass Fireplace Screen. This beautiful three panel screen is composed of a cast solid brass frame and mesh screen. The cheerful brass design with flowing arched crests are perfect for the Sun King himself. This screen is 31.5 inches tall and 42 inches wide.

Keep combustible material at a distance from the fireplace to prevent them from catching fire. Also, do not overload the fireplace with excessive wood, which may cause sudden outburst of fire within few seconds and unexpectedly.

Clean the chimneys periodically to help smoke escape freely into the air and also to clean bird nests which can catch fire.

Have an escape plan ready for the home. It is a good idea to be also prepared for a fire. Practicing an escape from time to time also increases response during the times of actual fire. Have a plan for every room in the house.

Educating everyone in the home, especially children would make evacuation plan easier in the event of an emergency. Children are especially fascinated about fires and like to create fires, about a hundred thousand fires a year are started by children while playing.

People have a negligent attitude towards fire safety especially during the holidays. They relax every rule just for fun and end up paying huge price for that. Care should be taken even while selecting a Christmas tree, see that it’s not too big so as to make it difficult to manage and which can catch fire easily. Decorations which are non-flammable in nature should be used to decorate homes.