If you want wood-burning, you’ve got choices!

Gas fireplaces seem to get most of the limelight these days. Because while ‘old fashioned’ wood-burning fireplaces have an unmistakable romance and charm, they can also be quite inefficient, messy and expensive to maintain. But there’s good news for the romantic traditionalists – clean-burning, wood-burning fireplaces do exist. They’re surprisingly easy to maintain and their heat distribution is excellent.

A roaring Rumford

One of the best manufacturers of wood-burning fireplaces is Renaissance, makers of the exceptional Rumford™ 1000 – an award-winning design that features an innovative vertical firebox that simultaneously concentrates hot combustion gasses and radiates heat back through the firebox for a hotter fire.

In addition, its curved throat creates laminar airflow (air moving at the same speed and in the same direction, with no or minimal cross-over of air streams) into the flue and reduces air turbulence. The result? A powerful draft, attractive natural lighting and no circulating smoke.

And if you’re a fan of “bigger is better”, go for the Rumford 1500. It has all the features that make the Rumford 1000 award-winning but it’s 50% larger!

Used in conjunction with a premium insulated chimney system

In order to have a Renaissance fireplace, you must also have an RIS chimney system – a stainless steel system featuring a blanket of premium insulation made exclusively by Industrial Chimney Company (Saint-Jérôme, QC). Engineered to withstand chimney fires, RIS chimney systems are the only large-diameter chimney built to perform in Canadian winters and supported with a lifetime warranty. And because they are insulated, they keep cold air out and improve draft.

Traditional wood-burning fireplace pairs well with a modern look

Not all wood-burning fireplaces have to look like something out of a log cabin or a Frank Capra movie. If modern is your thing, consider the dramatic Renaissance 50” Linear Split Pane and the Linear 50. The Linear 50 Split Pane model allows for a much more flush finish, while the Linear 50 allows for open burning in an expansive contemporary fireplace.  It makes for a dramatic focal point with its clean, bright flame and shows us that a traditional crackling wood fire is equally at home with modern styling.

Elegant guillotine door system

All Renaissance fireplaces feature an understated, built-in glass door and screen with smooth, seamless functionality. This guillotine system is perfectly counterweighted, and can be adjusted to any level with the strength of one finger. The ceramic glass withstands immense heat and is virtually glare-free, due largely to the fact that the glass has a brownish hue, as opposed to the blue/green hue of tempered glass. And to top it off, when the door is closed, emissions are reduced to the levels found in an EPA-certified stove.

Easy installation, easy maintenance

Because Renaissance fireplaces are factory-assembled and require zero clearance to combustible framing material, they can be installed in a matter of days as opposed to the weeks required for brick and masonry fireplaces. If it’s the presence of soot that is keeping you on the fence, fear not. With emissions so low that there is no visible smoke within 2 minutes of lighting the fire, the days of sweeping regularly sweeping the hearth are behind us.  Plus, the Rumford door is designed to swing open (or forward depending on the model that suits you), allowing for convenient ease of cleaning.

Are you ready for a 21^st century wood-burning fireplace?

The modern advances that have been made with wood-burning fireplaces means that you can now have the charm of a traditional crackling flame without the fear of harmful emissions, inefficient heat distribution and constant maintenance. At Hubert’s we can guide you in the process of determining which wood-burning fireplace is best suited to your tastes and needs. Contact us today and we’ll help you bring a little crackling warmth to your home.