Hole In The Wall Fires - A Simple Guide

Just over a decade ago a hole-in-the-wall gas fire was almost impossible to find, with most fires stilll following a traditional period design, while looking brilliant and doing a great job at replicating the look of a real fire, will give out very little heat into the room and uses a very large amount of gas.
Oh how the world has changed, we're less than a month into 2012, the Olympic year, and there 99 products on Fireplace Megastore alone under Hole In The Wall Gas Fires, Class 1 and 2. That doesn't include any Balanced flue or Catalytic Flueless fires that further add to the available options.
An incredible number of UK manufacturer's have created designs, as well as European manufacturers such as Drugasar, have introduced or imported an amazing array of gas fires. You can still get the traditional basket style, some of which have been improved to offer a better heat output..

The most basic open-fronted hole-in-the-wall design is open-fronted, much like the Verine Atina, look realistic but at least 90% of all heat disappears up the chimney and research actually indicates that some designs actually remove heat from the room. Realism tends to change proportionally to efficiency. In terms of looks, inset convector fires, are realistic with contemporary surrounding metalwork and open front. Efficiency is far better than an hole-in-the-wall design and typically around 35 – 40%. Most efficient, but not realistic in some people’s view, is the glass-fronted, gas-inset, hole-in-the-wall fire, such as the Drugasar Global 90 or Apex Influence. Its glass front gives efficiencies of 70% plus, particularly when the design utilises a balanced flue (which requires no chimney– Drugasar are one of the principle manufacturers of balanced flue fires). Not all glass fronted designs are balanced flue – chimney flues and fanned flues are also common. Hole-in-the-wall fires are available with all the popular fuel effects.Although coals remain the most popular choice (and the most realistic), logs come a good second with new fuel effects like dancing flames, pebbles, driftwood and twigs also popular. Traditional hole-in-the-wall designs need coal or log effects – the more modern options simply look out of place.

Electrical Designs
There are a growing number of electric hole in the wall design. These have a number of advantages in that they do not need chimneys or other flues, are often quite shallow in depth and may simply hang on the wall. Like most electric fires, a maximum of 2 kW of heat is available from a built-in, fanned convector.Some, such as the Drugasar Metro 80e, are available as the highly contemporary frameless finish, but most offer that simple hang on the wall installation.

Bio-Ethanol

A recent addition to the hole in the wall range of fires available, and besides electric fires amoung the easiest to install. Unlike gas fires they do not require a chimney, flue or vent in the room and provide 100% efficiency. Another advantage of such fires means that unlike gas fires that require a Gas Installer to service the appliance every 12 months, most bioethanol fires feature only 1 moving part so are incredibly reliable.

Surrounds
A hole-in-the-wall fire is not complete without a surround. Although some people like a design that is just a rectangular alcove in the wall, most want the fire to be surrounded with some sort of fireplace. Marble and stone are the favoured materials for the surround and will probably have to be cut to size for your installation. If you use stone, make sure that it does not have a direct flame playing on the stone as some types can degrade dramatically in these conditions. Marble fireplaces can be made out of natural or conglomerate marble. However, conglomerate marble will start to disintegrate at high temperatures and is more suitable for gas fires. Also consider a brick surround. This will have to be tailor made for your fireplace but bricks are a robust hole-in-the-wall material that will stand high levels of thermal shock.

Installation
Hole-in-the-wall installation can be expensive. If you have an existing chimney, your installer will have to
‘break into’ it above the normal fireplace opening. This probably means inserting a lintel above the new opening to support the chimney brickwork. Below the new opening, the brickwork will have to be built up to the level required for your particular design. It is possible to build a false chimney breast for your proposed hole-in-the-wall fire. This would allow a flue to rise vertically from a conventionally-flued gas or solid fuel design and would accommodate the depth of the unit itself. Check with the instructions of the fire you choose as it will stipulate minimum distances that the fire can be sited from combustible materials.Some hole-in-the-wall fires do not require hearths while other do. For gas fires this depends on what was agreed when the fire was tested for conformity to European standards. Check on the requirements for the fire you want to purchase. If a hearth is required, for a open gas fire, it must be at least 50mm thick, overlap the burning area of the fire by at least 150 mm and project at least 300 mm in front of the foremost flames of burning fuel. It can be either mounted directly below the floor or a ground level – the former option is normally unacceptable on aesthetic grounds. Balanced flue hole-in-the-wall fires are growing in popularity, particularly manufacturers such as Drugasar, Site them on an outside wall and you can forget all the problems of moving lintels, etc.

Interior Design Trends For 2012

With 2011 now in the record books, with a much warmer winter than previous years. Many of you may have elected to stick with that tired old fire. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the phrase that springs to mind and rightfully so, why should you spend a large amount of money on a brand new fire, often following trends that less than three months later are 'so last year'. 
So in the following few entries, with the help of Channel 4 Homes, we will details some of the upcoming trends for 2012 and how to get that 'bang-on-trend' fire, fireplace or stove.


Mid-Century Modern
We've long been fans of this look and despite its mainstream popularity for the past two or three years, its popularity is still not dying down. If anything, it is becoming even more popular. With fashions returning that first became popular in the 50's/60's/70's.
The first fire we suggest to create that Mid-Century modern look is the Smeg L30FAB flueless gas fire. This stunning flueless gas fire is available in four different colours, ranging from the bold red pictured above to Cream, Silver & Black. With a heat output of 2.6kW and 100% efficiency this fire can serve both as a bold fashion statement and as an incredibly efficient complimentary heat source for your living room, dining room or kitchen! 
For a more 70's look the why not combine the Brilliant NewDawn fire, available in both gas and electric with some retro wall paper to create a focal point on a chimney breast. Shown on the left in Hot Corian to match the bright red leather of a sofa. There is a lovely corner group available from House2Home Megastore.
Both these fires would be perfect to create that Mid-Century Modern trend that will become "Hot" property in 2012. 

One final fire to create that Mid-Century Modern look is the Apex Saverno with Art Deco Trim. While the Art Deco movement became popular in the 1920's, it was still prevalent throughout the mid-20th Century. This Stunning fire with simple horizontal detailing and contrast between the brushed steel and matt black fascia levels offers an eye-catching focal point. These fires also have the simplicity, unlike gas fires that mean they can be simply wall mounted, such as electric fires and then used without a flue, chimney or vent. 
With more and more high street stores are embracing the look running with it in their ranges - from furniture and wallcoverings, right through to accessories, so you can match your fire to your decor and create that incredibly desirable mid-century modern look.

Hot Property For 2012

With just a week left in 2011, and with our first snowfall across most of the UK last week, most people, along with ourselves are focusing on 2012. We thought we'd take a look at some of the things that we forsee becoming 'hot' property for 2012.

Bio-Ethanol Fires: 
These  eco-friendly and incredibly simple and elegant fires are becoming more and more popular with energy prices rising and installation, servicing and other costs of gas and soli-fuel appliances to consider Bio-Ethanol are beginning to become the appliance of choice for both heat and a stunning flame effect. While the fact that most bio-ethanol fires only feature one moving part which means there is almost nothing to go wrong with the fire. This means an end to expensive engineer/gas fitter visits and an end to struggling to find spare parts.


Other amazing feature is that some of the fires are portable, allowing for use both indoors during the colder nights or using Citronella Gel outside during the summer to provide that amazing ambience while keeping the insects away. While some people claim that the Bio-Ethanol costs an arm & a leg, most larger internet retailers are able to sell larger quanities at substanitally cheaper prices to that of a local showroom or garden centre.

You can find an incredible selection of  bio-ethanol fires; portable, freestanding and wall-mounted from the House 2 Home Megastore


Stoves In Colour:

With stoves becoming more and more popular as the idea of carbon-neutral heating and reduced fuel bills becomes more mainstream most people will start looking into purchasing a wood-burning or multifuel stove.
The general consensus of the market is matt black cast iron or steel is the only available colour. But why settle with just matt black?
With manufacturer's such as Firebelly or Carron offer many more colours, while Carron offer enamel colours that may chip or discolour due to heat Firebelly offer a wide variety of colours or heat resistant paint that are hard-wearing and can be touched up. Combined with the optional Stainless steel legs as pictured can give you an incredibly unique stove.

Drugasar Fires:
Drugasar fires are set to become the must-have gas fires. With the Global Range being an incredibly high quality range of gas fires for Chimney's & balanced flue systems that are also much more affordable than some other similar fires on the market. With the Eclipse, Aura, Cara & Grace suites also set to become more and more popular. The Ceraglass interior has also become a must-have, with not many other fires offering such a contemporary finish.
“We develop products that continuously meet the highest stipulations and as such retain the level of quality we are used to. Where homes are becoming increasingly better insulated, we offer products for example that still delievr a lovely fire but with less capacity," 

Mixing Fire And Water

Some say Fire and Water do not mix, The people at House2Home Megastore and Ambiente disagree...
The recently launched House2Home website has just unveiled the Kohala Three Polished Tubes Fire And Water Feature from Ambiente. The Kohala 3 Polished Tubes with Fire and Water Feature is a unique self contained water feature made from grade 304 stainless steel. Consisting of three brushed stainless steel tubes with colour changing LED lights, changing into 7 different colours, a unique feature that creates a stunning light show when reflecting up and off the clean stainless steel finish.
But LED's aren't the only light source on the Kohala, at the pinnacle of each stainless steel tower is a small bio-fuel fire, this, combined with the water gently running down the sides of the stainless steel tubes creates a very contemporary finish and a must have for any garden, but why confine such a contemporary and unique item to the garden, the included reservior can be placed into a planter to situate the fire in an office foyer or restaurant to reallly add that special touch. The flames use a clean burning ethanol eco fuel and would look work well in conjunction with an Apex Bio-Fuel fire indoors, utilising the eco-friendly and clean burning fuel to both heat your living room and create a stunning outdoor focal point for those long summer evenings.

Bio Ethanol Fires: Embracing The Environment

Streamlined, beautiful to look at and evironmentally friendly, Bio Ethanol fireplaces are the hottest thing on the street right now. Except they're not on the street... they're on coffee tables, hearths and even set into the walls of homes across the UK.

These fires encompass everything people are looking for in a centrepiece in their home; requiring little or no installation, no flue or chimney and emitting little or no smoke or fumes; Bio Ethanol fireplaces only need a supply of the specifically developed fuel which arguably makes these fires so special.

Bio Ethanol is derived from plant crops and is available in two distinct types, the first is a light, colourless liquid that resembles water and the second is a gel form, it is completely safe to for use in domestic homes which need a focal point with no concern over pollution at all.

Some fires will work with both types and some only with one, the fuel is easily purchased from the supplier of your fire. Bio Ethanol fuelled fires are a simple to use and effective solution for homes which need a focal point but where building regulations may prevent the installation of a traditional fireplace, where the fireplace has been block off or indeed where there is no fireplace at all!

This is because some model's can actually be placed straight onto a coffee table, lit and enjoyed in the traditional fashion that families have enjoed for countless years.

So What Types of Bio Ethanol Fires are on the market and what might be the best option for you? The short answer to that question is that it depends on your taste. These are no restrictions because these fires are just so flexible in terms of styling to suit most contemporary or traditional homes. The most commonly available types of Bio Ethanol fires can be roughly separated into the following styles:

Wall Mounted
Portable
Freestanding

Wall Fires provide a more traditional way of enjoying real flames within your home; being mounted on the wall with brackets makes it easy for homeowners to choose exactly where to place the focal point in their living space, but unlike traditional fireplaces, you're able to change your mind and alter the location of the fire with probably less fuss than it takes to move that bookshelf in the corner!

Freestanding fires are just what they say they are... designed to stand freely on what would otherwise be an empty hearth or onto the floor. Much like the wall fires these are available in a range of styles to compliment or contrast both contemporary and traditional decor. The other advantage of Bio Ethanol fires is that they can also be taken outside!
The portable range of Bio Ethanol fires have no moving parts they are relatively weatherproof, although It is recommended that you check before purchase. These isn't anything better to create that special atmosphere during a summer evvening that a Bio Ethanol fire that could bring the extra little bit of sophistication to your event!

Popular among interior designers for thier contemporary finishes and the flexibility of their application, Bio Ethanol fires are poised to become the must have fires of 2011! Bio Ethanol fires are a stylish and convenient solution for those who lack a fireplace or even for adding a special touch to a dining room which otherwise might lack a certain warmth.

Many Questions spring to mind when considering the purchasing a Bio Ethanol Fire. The main one that comes to mind is What heat will it actually provide me?

Most of the larger Bio Ethanol fires would probably put out around 3kW of heat depending on where the fire is situated e.g. It would produce less heat if situated within an area of strong draft or near an opening door. 3kW is normally adequate to compliment existing heat sources and is more than which you would get with an electric fire.

Bio Ethanol Fires are easy to maintain and fill. To add fuel simply pour into the container and touch with a naked flame. To extinguish the flame simply replace the lid. Cleaning the fires only needs to occur every 3 or 3 uses and simply involves rinsing with soapy water. Read manufacturers safety instructions carefully before using and always follow precautions necessary with naked flames in a home and you should encounter no problems at all.

What Is Bioethanol

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear colourless liquid, mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.
The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. There is also ongoing research and development into the use of municipal solid wastes to produce ethanol fuel.

Ethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water meaning that it is perfectly suited to being used in fires as it does not require a flue or are restricted into the location of a gas supply. This means the bioethanol fires are both incredibly efficient and very very flexible, with portable models available to be taken outside in summer

Can You Reduce Your Carbon Emissions By Over 80%

Could you reduce your Carbon Emissions By Over 80% by 2050?

The Department Of Energy & Climate Change is keen to engage in an open and transparent choices and trade-offs the UK has to make to reach the 2050 emissions reduction target.

By the year 2050 we will need to dramatically change the way in which we use and produce our energy. In order to aviod the most dangerous aspects of climate change scientists propose that the UK should reduce carbon emissions to 20% or less of 1990 levels by the year 2050.

My2050 is an online visualisation and simplification of The 2050 Pathways Analysis. The Pathways work presents a framework through which to consider some of the choices and trade-offs we will have to make over the next forty years. It is system-wide, covering all parts of the economy and all greenhouse gases emissions released in the UK. It is rooted in scientific and engineering realities, looking at what is thought to be physically and technically possible in each sector.
This visual tool uses sliders to control how we supply our energy. You can take control of how our fuel and electricity is generated, reducing the use of conventional gas, coal and oil power stations and/or increasing the use of wind turbines, renewable energy or nuclear energy.
You can also control how we use the energy, increasing business greenness, home efficiency and how we heat our homes.

These interactive sliders also have a visual effect on the world above, My House, My City, My Country. e.g. When home efficiency is scaled up the windows become double glazed and the house gains cavity and loft insulation. Or when the use of wind turbines on land and sea are scaled up both My City and My Country show additional wind turbines generating energy.

The aim is to reach the 20% emissions target without causing an energy shortage or without wasting large amounts of energy generated.

First Glimpse: Apex Biofuel Fires

With Apex's new range of Bio-Ethanol fires now on sale, Fires | Fireplaces | Stoves got to have a glimpse at two of their freestanding Bio-Ethanol Fires. The Apex Affinity and the Apex Duplex.

The first fire we got to see was the Apex Duplex, a dual purpose unit, combining a 100% efficient bio-ethanol fire with a stylish coffee table. This stunning piece of contempory furniture can instantly become the centrepiece of and modern living space, replacing the traditional and bulky fireplace and surround.

At first look the Duplex in it's stunning matt black finish with tempered glass fire guards is the definition of contemporary furnishing and when the fire is lit, giving up to 3kW of heat this fire instantly becomes the focal point of the room and bathing the room in that lovely warm glow.
The fire is easy to use, simply fill the reservior and light using a taper, the 1 litre capacity gives up to 5.5 hours of burn time and one of the main advantages of bio-ethanol is that they do not require any flue, installation or ventilation so can be placed almost anywhere in the house!

The other fire we got to have a look at was the Apex Affinity, this freestanding white fire comes complete in a white gloss finish that can contrast beautifully with a dark carpet or darkwood floor, also offering a heat output of upto 3kW these fires offer greater heat output that that of an electric fire without the sound of a noisy fan and at greater levels or reliability.

The sleek modern finish to the Affinity is capped with 2 sheets of tempered glass to protect any children or pets from the hot flames in the centre. The twin levels of the surround help this unit stand out from the very symmetrical world of traditional fireplace surrounds.

Both these fires, The Duplex and the Affinity have the flexibility to be situated either against a wall or in the centre of the room, allowing you to surround the fire as a centrepiece or to situate it against a wall much like a conventional fireplace.

They also boast the flexibility of just having the natural, uninhibited flames dancing in the fire or the fire can be purchased with an additional pebble fuel effect to add that extra little element to these stunning bio-ethanol fires.

Apex Biofuel Fires

We've just recieved word the Apex is planning to launch a new of Biofuel fires, they offer an all year round solution to enjoying the natural warmth and glow of a real flame anywhere. Burning an eco friendly ethanol based clean burning gel or bio ethanol fuel they can be used in both summer and winter time. They offer the perfect solution for a disused fireplace or modern house as no chimney or flue is required - place a portable gel fire in your exsisting aperture for an instant glow. Or if you have a blank wall or room select one of our wall mounted or free standing bio fires to light up any space instantly. On warmer summer evenings our portable fire bowls can be simply taken out into the garden as an environmentally friendly burner.

No Need for Gas, Electricity or Chimney

With the advantage of being able to be used anywhere the Apex Range Of Bio Fuel fires offer the perfect solution to heating indoors or outdoors without the need for costly installation. Running on a clean burning bio ethanol fuel eco friendly fires offer the perfect solution for creating instant heat in any situation. Producing real flames these instant bio fuel fires provide a convenient alternative for today’s busy lifestyles. Simply pour into the fuel and light for an instant glow.

With only one moving part there is no need for costly servicing making the products almost completely maintenance free. The real flames will provide a focal point for both summer and winter evenings, both indoors and out.

All of the Apex bio-fuel fires are eco-friendly as they are derived from the fermentation of crops therefore producing only carbon dioxide and water vapour when burning. With no smoke or fumes there is no need to connect to a chimney or flue.These bio-fuel fires instantly transform any space indoors or out with a comprehensive choice of ranges and styles we are sure to offer the perfect solution for any modern living space.

These fires can either be static focal points on a floorspace or on a wall mounted, there will even be a portable range, allowing the ultimate flexibility of where you want