Los Angeles Stone Fireplaces

Admittedly, the weather in southern California is generally pretty mild. The idea of coming in out of the snow and curling up next to the fireplace is a pretty foreign one for most L.A. residents (or, at least one that is reserved for vacations or holidays in other places). The fact of the matter is, however, that Los Angeles still has some cold weather every year, and while there might not be any snow on the ground, sitting by a crackling fire in your own home is still a pretty enjoyable experience.

Options for Stone Fireplaces in Los Angeles
There are several kinds of fireplaces that you can have installed in your home. A fireplace made of brick is always desirable, though the options available for a brick fireplace generally boil down to size, style, and color differences. Stone fireplaces, on the other hand, come in several different varieties, and each will give you a few options for dimension and appearance.

Mortared field stone fireplaces have a rugged, rustic look. This option fits especially well in situations where the overall feeling of the room is more classic than contemporary. Working with fieldstone is not as easy as it might sound and requires a lot of skill and experience to do it right. This means that you'll have to hire a mason to do the work, which, in turn, means that the finished product, though it might be expensive, will be a one-of-a-kind piece that will last a lifetime.

Bricks and finished stone fireplaces are a little easier to construct. As the individual stones and bricks are of uniform size and shape, the job is a bit simpler than working with rough stone, though hiring an experienced mason to do the work is still a good idea. This kind of fireplace can look good in many different settings and situations.

Often made of granite or limestone, cut-stone fireplaces look best in elegant and luxurious settings. They can be made to your exact specifications and can be installed by a general contractor, though the work of cutting the stone is more of an art than it is a construction job. Formed stone fireplaces are made to look like cut stone fireplaces, but are made of a different material and by a different process. They are less expensive than cut stone fireplaces, and are installed in much the same manner.

Los Angeles Stone Fireplace Drawbacks
The biggest and only drawback of installing a stone fireplace in Los Angeles is that you won't have a six-month long winter in which to use it. Certainly, one could make a fire every day of the year, but most would say that sitting near it loses a bit of its inherent charm when the weather outside is 78 degrees and clear.

Prices of Los Angeles Stone Fireplaces
$3,000 is the national average cost of installing a brick or stone fireplace. Los Angeles residents can expect prices in their area to run a bit higher. The national average price for installing a pre-fabricated fireplace is under $1,000, but that doesn't include the cost of the unit, itself.