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Everything to Know About Seasoned Firewood

seasoned firewood

Are you looking to use seasoned firewood for your fireplace this Fall or Winter? Seasoned wood is made by storing away and drying out wood for a whole season before use. Wood can take 1 to 2 years to become adequately seasoned! It can reduce the moisture in the wood to make it burn better. If you use wood with a lot of moisture, your stove or fireplace will not be fuel-efficient. 

How Can You Tell if Firewood is Seasoned?

Here are some ways to tell if your firewood is seasoned correctly for use:

Color of the Wood

There are a few ways to tell if you have seasoned firewood to use for your fireplace or woodstove. The first way to be able to tell is by looking at the color. When wood ages, it fades in color. Seasoned wood will get paler over time, which is what you want. The lighter the wood is, the longer it’s been seasoned. 

Size of the Wood

The bigger the wood, the longer it will take to season. If you want larger pieces of seasoned wood, make sure they have been in the process of seasoning for a while. Otherwise, opting for smaller pieces may be your better option.

Why is it Important to use Seasoned Wood?

If you want to get the most heat out of your fireplace and increase your fireplace’s efficiency, seasoned wood is the best choice. It will also keep your fireplace or stove in use for a lot longer. Wood with high moisture can damage your unit, so seasoned firewood is the best choice to keep your fireplace running. 

Seasoning Your Own Firewood

Here are some tips for seasoning your own firewood:

Plan Out a Good Amount of Time

If you want seasoned firewood for next Fall and Winter, start planning now. Being able to have it season for this long will give you better results!

Cut The Wood Correctly 

You may want to opt for smaller pieces of wood, especially if this is your first time seasoning on your own. Cut larger pieces in half, so you still have the same amount of wood, but it will get the results you are looking for faster. 

Storing the Wood

Pick a spot that is dry and where the wood won’t be affected by the outdoor elements. This could be your garage or shed or another place where they can be stacked correctly. 

Contact New England Hearth & Home

If you are looking for more fireplace tips or are interested in our fireplace services, contact us today! New England Hearth & Home is happy to provide you with the best fireplaces in MA! Give us a call or fill out our contact form to get in touch.

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Benefits of Adding Awnings to Your Home

awning

Awnings are coverings you can add to your home to go over windows or doors. Are they worth it for your home? They are great for added style and protection from the elements. Check out some reasons why you should consider this investment:

Avoiding Water Damage

Awnings can protect your home’s exterior. This includes doors, windows, window sills, and more. Especially with windows, awnings can stop rain from leaking into the windows.

Save on the AC Bill

Having awnings installed over windows can greatly decrease your home’s energy costs during the summer and warm months. The air conditioning won’t have to be on as much. Window awnings give enough shade to your windows to stop a great heat from seeping through the windows. Also consider ventilated awnings/ They are ideal because they block heat from being trapped around the outside of your windows.

Preserve interior furnishings

Having awnings installed over your windows can keep your furniture’s coloring lasting longer. They provide shade so direct sunlight won’t be hitting your couches or carpets.  

Protect the environment

Having awnings can help you protect the environment. You’ll be saving energy and saving money each month. Utilizing less energy can help you be a part in helping global warming because you’ll use less greenhouse gases.

Increasing your home’s value

Exterior awnings can help increase your home’s value in three ways. This includes strengthening your curb appeal. Having awnings can make a homebuyer interested. Another is more outdoor living space because an awning installed over a patio or deck can make it more usable as the summer heat and sun sets in. The last is energy efficiency. Homebuyers will usually place a higher price on homes with superior energy efficiency. Since window and door awnings enable you to use less energy, buyers will notice your house as being more marketable than one that doesn’t provide the same kind of energy efficiency.

Talk to an expert

Before choosing a suitable awning for your home, consider your professional choices because of the array of features and styles. An awning professional can help you choose the right awning that fits your budget and demands. With so many varying styles out there, it’s good to get an opinion from a professional when choosing the one that best fits your house’s architectural style.

Contact New England Hearth & Home

Along with fireplaces and other hearth options,  we are proud to offer awnings. Contact New England Hearth & Home so we can help you choose the right awnings for you and your needs! Give us a call at 781-562-0071 or fill out our contact form for more information.

 

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Planning for an Outdoor Fireplace

outdoor fireplace

Looking for a way to add some flair to your backyard? Outdoor fireplaces can provide warmth and can be an inviting area where guests can gather and relax! It can also be a focal point of your yard and make a statement. Spring or winter, a fireplace is great for all season. Lighting a fire in the summer is great for cooler nights. If you are considering an outdoor fireplace or fire pit, it’s essential to know the facts to figure out the one you’d want.

Outdoor Fireplace vs. Fire Pit

There are many opportunities to enjoy and use a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Outdoor fireplaces can take up a lot of space, which is excellent for a big area to work with. They can be custom-built, portable, and prefabricated. Custom-built ones are a more expensive option and designed from the ground up. A portable fireplace is ideal for people who like to change around the setup of their yard or move around a lot. Prefabricated fireplace kits are an option for people who like certain designs and want to build around that design at a cheaper cost. An outdoor fire pit is a more casual option, and are fairly less of a price to construct. However, since it’s open, smoke with have more areas to drift around, and using it for cooking may be harder to do.

What is the purpose of building an outdoor fireplace?

Outdoor fireplaces are a great gathering spot for backyard barbecues, cookouts, and more. You can add comfortable seating around it, including outdoor couches and lounging chairs. You can also enhance the landscaping around the fireplace area by adding potted plants or new flowers. This is an excellent opportunity to make your yard visually appealing and create a new space.

Are there safety concerns when planning for an outdoor fireplace?

Just like having a fireplace indoors, thinking about fireplace safety is normal. Try to keep water nearby, whether it’s a hose or even from a pool. Never install an outdoor fireplace on bare wood. That’s asking for trouble! Don’t burn plastics, trash, or treated in your outdoor fireplace. Even though you are outside, they still release toxic gases that are dangerous to breathe in. Have the fireplace installed at least 100 feet away from the home and any other surrounding structures. Be sure there no bushes, hanging tree limbs, or branches nearby. 

Contact Us for Outdoor Fireplace Services

New England Hearth & Home can install a fireplace for you anywhere in your home – or outside! Whether you want to make your pool area more inviting or set one up around your outdoor kitchen, we can make it happen! Give us a call or fill out our contact form to get in touch.

 

 

 

 

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5 Step Guide for Choosing a Fireplace

wood burning fireplace

If you’re shopping for a new fireplace, there’s most likely a specific reason that sparked your search. Whether it be for style purposes to update the room, for additional heat, upgraded efficiency, etc., the reason for the fireplace will have an impact on which fireplace will best suit your needs. Think about your “why” and start there. Use the following steps to help make the next few decisions. 

Type of Fireplace

Next, understanding what type of fireplace to get is key. Will you need a fireplace insert, stove, or new built in fireplace? If you have an existing hearth, you’ll be looking to purchase a fireplace insert to place inside. Inserts are a great option, providing several benefits including improved indoor air quality, a potential decrease in your heating bill, and an upgraded appearance in your room. If you’re building a new home or installing a fireplace where there isn’t already one built in, you’ll be looking for a new fireplace. With direct vent technology, it makes it easy to install a fireplace in almost any room. There are also many styles available to suit your  taste: modern, contemporary, traditional, or classic. Or, it you prefer a stand-up style fireplace, you’ll want to limit your search to stoves. These are available in wood, gas or pellet, and can be customized to fit your style. A stove provides powerful heat and typically have great efficiency.

Fuel

Choosing which type of fuel you’ll burn in your fireplace is the next step. You can pick between gas, wood, electric or pellet, depending on which style you selected. Natural gas is a good choice if you want an easy, low maintenance fireplace that can be adjusted with the push of a button on your remote control. It is also the cleanest burning fossil fuel. However, if you prefer the traditional crackling sound of a fireplace to cozy up to, wood is also a great choice since it is a renewable resource. It will just require a bit more manual work. Pellets give the best of both worlds if you want the convenience of a gas fireplace, but want a renewable fuel. Pellets are small pieces that produce heat and flame when burned. Lastly, electric is a good option if you want the aesthetic benefits of a fireplace, but are not necessarily looking for high heat efficiency. These can be a particularly good option in warmer climate homes.

Measurements

You’ll now need to think about the room in which you’re installing it, and what sort of space you have to work with. If you’re going with an insert, you’ll need to know the size of the opening in your existing masonry. Or if you’re installing a new fireplace, you’ll want to take measurements of the room and wall space you have to work with.

Where to Buy From

When purchasing a fireplace, it’s always best to purchase from an authorized fireplace dealer. While it may seem convenient to buy from a local “big box” store, there’s a good possibility that the quality will be compromised. Buying from used product websites is also risky, as safety is crucial when it comes to your fireplace, and you never know what you’ll get from one of those sites. By visiting your local authorized dealer, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with a fireplace expert and get recommendations on which fireplaces will best suit your needs.

Contact New England Hearth & Home

If you’re starting your search for a new fireplace, whether it be for an existing structure or new installation, contact the experts here at New England Hearth & Home or stop by our showroom. Our team can point you in the right direction and assist you from the initial purchase, to installation and future maintenance.