Stone Fireplaces are a Great Idea in Dallas, TX

Many people imagine a stone fireplace in a home where there's six, nine, twelve inches of snow outside. The truth is a stone fireplace makes as much sense in Dallas and other warmer climates as anywhere else. In these warmer climates, fireplaces can actually be a viable alternative heating source. In Dallas, older homes may not have central heating at all. A stone fireplace may be used in conjunction with baseboard heaters or other individual units to provide comfortable home heating. While stone fireplaces aren't cheap, installing a central heating system can be almost twice as expensive and doesn't enhance your home décor like a fireplace.

Homeowners building a new home may not want to spend a ton of money on a top-of-the-line heating system, but they don't want to sacrifice comfort, either. In newer homes, you can install individual heating units with a stone fireplace or a heat pump may work and a fireplace will help take off some of the workload of your pump.

Stone Fireplace Surrounds
It doesn't matter if you live fifteen minutes from Dallas or fifteen minutes from the equator: With the right fireplace surround, stone fireplaces are a beautiful addition to any home. Don't get caught up in choosing between wood or gas-burning fireplaces, masonry or ventless fireplace designs that minimize your fireplace surrounds. As interesting as a burning flame is, chances are your fireplace surround will generate more attention from house guests.

Whether you're installing a fireplace for function, decoration, or both, take your time examining the options for your fireplace surround. Concrete, stone, and brick offer distinct looks, and you'll want to choose the look that's right for your home décor. It's guaranteed that your fireplace a decorative focal point in whatever room it's installed. There are no set rules, but concrete is usually best for homes with contemporary decorating themes, stone fits traditional home decorating, and brick works best for a rustic feel. If you're not sure, you might want to consult an interior decorator.

Outdoor Stone Fireplaces in Dallas, TX
Another way to improve your Dallas home is with an outdoor stone fireplace. Outdoor stone fireplaces are, as you might imagine, about a lot more than providing a consistent source of heat. They are a place for outdoor entertainment and gathering. Fires are hypnotizing. They can also lengthen the outdoor entertaining season at your home. Many people imagine Dallas to be hotter than it actually is. Sure, the average highs in the summer are in the mid-90s, but by October it's not unusual for the temperatures to dip well into the 50s. Chances are you'll by using your outdoor fireplace some time during this month, consistently through the winter months, and into March and even April. Plus, November through April is also the driest season in Dallas, allowing for plenty of time and opportunities to enjoy your backyard oasis if you have a modest heat source back there. Even during summer nights, a stone fireplace can provide extra and pleasing outdoor lighting and a makeshift cooking area. If nothing else, you can have all the s'mores you can eat.

You might think that's great but wonder if you can't get all these things from a simple fire pit. It's true that a fire pit does offer many of the same advantages, but it also has disadvantages that installing an outdoor fireplace eliminates. First, outdoor fireplaces are self-contained, meaning you no longer have to worry about smoldering ash and wind setting your home or landscape ablaze. Plus, an outdoor fireplace has a drafting system that reduces smoke irritation. At least, half the area around a fire pit is often intolerable to sit or stand around due to smoke drafts.

The Time and Cost of Installing a Stone Fireplace
The national average for installing a stone fireplace is just over $3,000 and takes a little less than two weeks to complete. Stone fireplaces in Dallas, though, are generally significantly cheaper and take less time to complete. This probably has more to do with scale and need more than any inherent difference with masonry contractors. Simply put, homeowners who use a fireplace in consistently sub-freezing temperatures have different concerns and fireplaces design choices. The lack of extreme freeze and thaw cycles may require less strenuous building standards for the fireplace itself. We've had homeowners spend less than $1,500 on their stone fireplace and report complete satisfaction with their contractor and stone fireplace project.

In Dallas, the length of time it usually takes to have a stone fireplace installed ranges from 3 days to 2 weeks. Again, installing a stone fireplace in Dallas usually involves less complicated circumstances and considerations than in most places. A large part of a two-week project may simply be nothing more than waiting for the contractor to find time in his or her schedule. Rarely does a stone fireplace installation require extensive planning for spending time away from your home while the contractors work. This doesn't mean you won't be inconvenienced. Most home improvement projects involve some measure of flexibility on the part of both the contractor and homeowner. Open communication between you and your contractor should make your project run smoothly.

Safe Use of Your Stone Fireplace: Dallas Fire Department
The Dallas Fire Department lists these fire safety tips for using a fireplace:

• Have chimneys cleaned and inspected annually by a professional.


• Clear the area around the hearth of debris, flammables and decorative materials.


• Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces and leave glass doors open while burning a fire.

Other safety tips:

• Only burn hardwoods such as oak, maple, or ash in fireplaces. If synthetic logs are used, burn only one log at a time. Due to their construction, these logs produce a hotter fire than most firewood.


• Always cool the ashes before taking them out of the fireplace. Place the ashes in a metal container and allow them to sit for several days or wet down thoroughly before putting them into a trash container or dumpster.
• Use a spark arrestor, which is a metal screen that covers the top of the chimney and prevents sparks from escaping. (It also will prevent birds from building nests in the chimney.)