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.

Manufacturer Focus: BFM Europe

In this edition of manufacturer focus we look at probably one of the largest manufacturer's in the industry, BFM Europe. Producers of Verine, Flavel, Kinder, Portway and Celsi fires, producing everything from the Portway Steel and Cast Iron Stoves and the traditional Flavel Outset Gas Fires, to more contemporary gas and electric fires such as the Verine Carmelo HE, Kinder Limours and not forgetting the incredibly popular Celsi electric fires.
With both manufacture and design facilities at thier Stoke-On-Trent location BFM Europe has grown into one of the fastest growing manufacturer's in the country, with an increasing reputation for quality and service. With all the brands offering a minimum of 12 months warranty, with Flavel offering 3 years, Verine 5 years and Kinder offering 7 years warranty. Showing just how much faith they have in their products. 

The company is based in Stoke-on-Trent with a 51,000 sq ft purpose built plant, housing the most up-to-date manufacturing, sales and training facilities in the industry, including:

• The latest CNC sheet metal technology that guarantees precision engineering.
• An experienced R&D department, constantly developing innovative products and pushing the boundaries of technology and aesthetics.
• A purpose built laboratory for testing prototypes and pre-production models.

"At BFM Europe we know how important it is to create a stylish and relaxing living environment. That's why we have developed this collection of fires and stoves to suit all tastes and purposes. I believe our success stems from a combination of innovative design, investment in technology and the highest quality manufacturing standards. This website has been designed to make the purchase of your new fire as simple as possible. I hope you find it both informative and inspiring." Michael Miller, Managing Director

Drugasar Explain The Balanced Flue System

The balanced flue system is the technology behind most DRU gas fires and gas wall heaters. DRU engineers from the Netherlands invented the system in the 1930s. It has since become the industry standard for high efficiency and performance. Many companies have copied the original system, but none have been able to match the superior standards that are the hallmark of DRU products.

So what is the balanced flue system and how does it benefit your home or workplace?

Comfortable and efficient

Most conventional gas fires have an open-fronted fireplace that is inset into a standard sized chimney. The air that the fire uses to create its flames is drawn from inside your living room and waste products are expelled up the chimney. (See drawing 1)

So while this kind of fire may be pleasing to the eye, it may not be so kind to your breathing or your bank balance! It requires constant ventilation to keep it burning (ever heard the saying ‘It’s stuffy in here’?). And because of this it consumes more energy and fuel than you can reasonably afford.

In contrast, a balanced flue gas fire is room-sealed using a glass front. It has a sophisticated flue that uses natural convection to draw the air from outside the building for combustion and expels it back to the outside through a separate compartment of the flue. (See drawing 2)

So there is no loss of comfort and minimal fuel consumption. And because the fire is not open at the front it is much safer to use.

No chimney – no problem

DRU balanced flue fires and wall heaters can be installed with or without a conventional chimney.

If there is no chimney in your home, the flue can be fitted through an outside wall or through the roof. It is possible for the flue to be 4 metres long horizontally or 10 metres high vertically. So you have a great deal of flexibility when deciding where to locate your fire.

If, on the other hand, you would like to have all the advantages of balanced flue technology, combined with the aesthetic appeal of a traditional chimney, this can be done! All you will need is a special flue liner installed in your chimney, using the chimney shaft to replicate the balanced flue effect.

A further advantage of this is that your fire can be installed in the classic way, using a fire surround to look like a traditional fireplace. Alternatively it can be mounted further up the chimneybreast as a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ or ‘hanging’ fire.

Either way, you will enjoy the combination of a beautiful fire that uses modern, efficient technology to bring you endless comfort and pleasure.

For the full range of Drugasar Fires, ideal for almost any home,with or without a chimney visit http://www.fireplacesupermarket.com/drugasar

Turn a Chimney Breast Into A Focal Point.

Most houses used to be built with a standard chimney and traditionally it was there to just satisfy that one purpose, provide space for the chimney to go out through the house and carry away the harmful combustion gases.
But in the ever changing world of interior design, who says the chimney breast can't become a focal point in the room in its own right? Instead of acting as a mounting plate for a fireplace or wall-hung picture. So why not make the chimney breast itself a focal point? Combine it with a fireplace to really create that focal point of the living room.

In this article we look into just how to create that look in just a few simple steps. Doing away from the matching colourscheme across the whole wall room and going for a feature wall and chimney breast.

To achieve the look illustrated left we started with the wall itself either side of the chimney breast, to truly make the chimney breast a focal point the wall is painted in a warm off white colour, such as Magnolia. Which while not dominating means that the white walls aren't harsh and dominating.

We then went for a lovely contrasting floral wallpaper for the chimney breast iteself, we went for Marciana Floral Wallpaper, Cranberry Red & Natural wall paper by Laura Ashley (available here) This stunning floral wallpaper features pearlescent inks and a washable coating. The deep cranberry reds contrast with the pale background to really accentuate the chimney breast.

To top it all off we paired the lovely wallpaper with the Aura Suite from Drugasar. This stunning solid stone fireplace complements the neutral wall colour either side of the chimney breast while the downlights and contrasting black granite back panel highlights the fire in the centre.

Finally a colour coded vase and ornament completes the look!

And now for the Chorus!

Everyone wants to create the ideal warm, inviting atmosphere for their home; what better way to achieve this than with the glow of an elegant fire? The stunning Chorus CF fire from Paragon is just what is needed to add a homely feel to a modern interior. The gas fire allows you to create a designer look with none of the mess and cleaning that comes with an open fireplace!

The beautiful Chorus is a deep and large fire so it produces an impressively tall flame with an attractive glow; a real eye-catcher! The fire comprises a glass fascia and realistic log-bed giving it the feel of an authentic fire with a modern twist. Installation is designed to be straightforward - it is available as a hole-in-the-wall installation and can be fitted into any standard chimney breast with either Class I or Class II flues. There is also no need for the chimney to be lined; saving you time and money.

As well as its striking good looks, the Chorus CF has much to offer in terms of efficiency. Fuelled by natural gas, and with an input of 5.5KW and output of 4.2KW of both radiated and convected heat, the fire achieves an unbelievably high efficiency of 84%; providing this stylish look at an affordable price. This modern fire is controlled by an infra-red remote control which lights the pilot light as well as the fire, not only saving energy and carbon emissions but making your life easier as well!

The curved glass fascia is almost completely unique amoung gas fires and looks stunning, bringing the fire into the room while also not sacrificing any important floorspace. The elegant curve of the fascia gives reference to smaller electric fires such as the Bemodern Orlando while also offering a more realistic fuel effect with real gas flames and a heat output that will happily heat even some of the more spacious living spaces.

The Paragon Chorus conventional flue gas fire is now on display for your viewing pleasure at the Fireplace Megastore at a price (which we're not allowed to disclose) that I'm sure exceptional value for money.

New Drugasar Gas Suites

Drugasar have launched a new range of suites based around the ever popular Global 70XT, available in both balanced flue and conventional flue versions.

The Cara and Grace suites combine a quality and uniquely-european styled gas fire in the Global 70XT, offering the smooth black or traditional brick interior with the ever-realistic log fuel effect that when warmed up really starts to glow and offer that lovely warm glow.

The Cara suite displayed left features contemporary micro-marble fireplace surround, ideal for a more contemporary living space with the optional black interior contrasting the pure colour of the surround, while the Grace suite shown right is solid natural limestone and features a more classical style with crisp clean lines.

With the previous way of putting a quality piece of design such as the Drugasar range was to purchase one of the separate Drugasar surrounds or take a punt on buying a standard surround and adapting it to fit. The first option always used to a very expensive option, whereas buying a stock surround may not work at all.

Now with these pre-packaged suites all the joy of having a Drugasar fire in your living room can be yours for quite a reasonable price with the RRP on the Cara coming in at £2495 and the Grace slightly more expensive at £2795, compared to other fires that may seem expensive, but when the heritage and experience of Drugasar, combined with the quality and overall finish of these fires means that these fires are a bargin!

Create A Modern Contemporary Finish In Your Living Room!

With the modern interior design trending towards creating a modern and contemporary finish. This article can show just how you can completely transform a traditional living room into a stunningly contemporary living space, but without having to sacrifice the warm ambience that the room already has.

The first thing to establish is a colour scheme, a naturally warm scheme would range from an auburn almost red brown finish up to a natural vanilla finish. These warm colours would lend themselves perfectly to a warm living space.

To create this stunning warm finish, I've started with a warm dark wood flooring such as walnut, the rich deep colour adds warmth to the room that beech, pine or another light wood would normally remove. This is contrasted with beech furniture, drawing attention to the coffee tables that would blend in if finished in a matching colour, this adds something to draw the eye around the room, meaning guests or visitors will see every detail, The beech coffee table in this picture compliments the dark wood flooring while drawing attention to the vase and flower situted on it.

Complimenting the dark wood flooring and contrasting tables is the choice of seating. This stunning set of chocolate leather seats matches well with the flooring, while not blending in due to the the steel legs.

The crowning glory of this room though is the fire. The Apex Rivas 100. This stunning fireplace is available in a choice of three different rear trims and five different front frames to buy it to suit the living space. Shown below is the bronze rear frame with the brushed steel front trim. This beautifully contemporary fire is beautifully displayed on the chimney breast, creating a focal point that not only fits with the decorum but also heats the room, generating up to 5.5kW of heat while also being energy efficient at up to 80%. The Rivas 100 comes as standard with either the log effect shown below or pebble fuel effect for an even more contemporary finish when combined with the cream fireback (black shown below) as well as the luxury of remote control as standard, allowing control of the fire from the comfort of your own chair. Or for those looking for the "letterbox" look rather than the strong square finish of the Rivas 100, the Rivas 60 is available, this combines all the features and style of the Rivas 100 with a letterbox style trim and window, ideal for smalled rooms when perhaps the Rivas 100 may dominate.

Creating A Quality Contemporary Fireplace For Under £800

For those looking to create a stylish, voguish and original fireplace but without the large budget to spend thousands of pounds on a fireplace and fire then for those with the luxury of a natural gas connection should read on for a very contemporary and modern fire surround but without creating a fireplace with a cold aesthetic.

The first thing you see when you look at a fireplace is the surround. To create a modern and contemporary feel without sucking the warmth out of the room and without breaking the bank, I would suggest the Bemodern Kansas in American Walnut. The rich dark colours of the Oak add a warmth to the surround not found in a beech, limestone or marble surround. The crisp straight lines and stepped finish frame the fire and draw attention in towards the surround and fire in the centre.

This rich and warm dark colours of the American Walnut would be prefectly complimented with the Black Granite Hearth and back panel. The deep black colour of the granite brings out the almost red colourings of the American Walnut and highlights the natural wood grain patterns.
For an even more contemporary touch this fire is available with optional downlights with a 25mm rebate, these would really add a contemporary touch with the downlights illuminating the back panel, hearth and fire and further drawing the eye to this stunning focal point.

The Bemodern Kansas is also available in a slightly lighter natural oak finish which retains the suggest of warmth unlike some lighter wood finishes and adds a degree of subtlety. It is also available with White Marble, Pearl stone or Marfil hearth and back panel sets which help frame the surround between the back panel and a pale coloured wall, this drains a little bit of colour out of the wood, making the American Walnut appear slightly less dark.

The perfect complimentary fire for this contemporary surround would be the Flavel Windsor Contemporary HE, this high efficiency glass fronted gas fire features a minimalist and post-modern design in stunning silver finish. The 89% net efficiency of this fire provides both convected warm air and radiated heat. This means thatonly 11% of the heat is wasted up the chimney for ultimate value for money, while the 3.2kW efficiency means that more than enough heat is generated to warm the definitive living room.

The minimalist silver finish design features a ultra-realistic coal or pebble fuel effect with a realistic core glow for added realism and quality details such as the ribbed fireback.The strong horizontal lines of the fret detail work well with the crisp lines of the wooden surround and help turn the fire and surround into a stunning fireplace, while the stylish stainless steel trim contrasts against the dark colours to really draw attention to the fire and frame the glowing flames in the centre in front of a black ribbed fireback.

Together the Bemodern Kansas fireplace surround in American Walnut and the Flavel Windsor Contemporary HE combine to create a vogue and contemporary fireplace while maintaining the warmth and natural feel of a traditional fireplace. The glow from the living flame effect combined with the warming colours of the American Walnut really create an ambience best saved for cold, dark winter nights with the fire projecting the warming glow into the room and creating that warm ambience that only a fire can provide on a cold and dark wintery night.

This creative fireplace that would become an amazing focal point in most living spaces with contemporary furnishings and even more-so during the dark winter months when the 3.2kW of convected and radiated heat count just as much as the warm, contemporary aesthetic.

The Bemodern Kansas and Flavel Windsor Contemporary HE are available from the Fireplace Megastore for just £781, this amazing deal saves £185 on the RRP and means that for well under £1000 you can own a stunning modern fireplace that will be the focal point of your living room for years to come.

Everything that has been described above is now available from The Fireplace Megastore

Please note the above image features the Bemodern Sensation and not the Flavel Windsor Contemporary HE,

Image displays surround in American Walnut with Black Granite Heath & Back Panel

New Kinder Fires Range

The Kinder Fires range features a wide variety of modern and traditionally designed fires, from the Kinder Fires Concept Hole-In-The-Wall to the Kinder Fires Dakota Inset Fire. There is a Kinder Fire that would look stunning in most living rooms.
Passion HE
The Kinder Fires Passion HE Hole-In-The-Wall gas fire is a highly contemporary gas fire, available in Champagne or Polished Silver, The Passion is suitable for class 1 or 2 chimney or flue has a high 87% efficiency rating and develops 4.3kW of heat energy from the dancing flame effects on either coal or pebbles. The Kinder Passion is a glass fronted, natural gas fire that comes as standard with a Flame Supervision Device that will turn the gas supply off if the fire goes out or becomes unstable and a fully automatic remote control. This fire is semi-inset into the wall and has a protrusion of 110mm into the room, with an inset depth of 70mm. The frame takes influence from the Bauhaus and Cusit movements, using strong lines and sharp contrast to draw the eye into the fire in the center and become a focal point of the living space.

Revolution
The Revolution is a Glass-fronted, high-efficiency fully inset gas fire from Kinder Fires. It is incredibly efficient with an efficiency rating worth boasting about at 93% and producing 4.3kW of both radiant and convected heat to to help take that wintry edge off and create an warming ambiance in most sized living rooms. The Kinder Fires Revolution comes with a plain effect black fire back and features a full-depth, realistic coal fuel effect. The Revolution is available in Brass, Silver, Brushed Steel or Black, in either standard, Chamfered or Cast Iron finishes, these finishes compliment the variety of frets available with the fire, also available in Silver, Brass or Black. This highly efficient fire is only available running on natural gas with either manual control or a fully automatic remote control. The Kinder Fires Revolution is a balanced flue fire, designed for homes without a chimney or flue but have access to an external wall, the fire also comes with the Flame Supervision Device as standard to cut the gas supply if the fire goes out or becomes unstable. With the large variety of trim and frets this fire is ideal for any living room as it can have either a more traditional or contemporary look depending on the finish and fret detail.
Concept
The Kinder Fires Concept is an open-fronted, hole-in-the-wall style fire which is also available to go onto a hearth, suitable for a class 1 or 2 chimney or flue. This modernist fire features a dancing flame natural gas flame on a realistic log fuel effect in front of a contemporary reflective curved black interior, this helps emphasis the flame effect in the center and adds to the quality feel of the fire. The Kinder Fires Concept Gas Fire comes standard with a sequential, battery operated remote control and is available with either Black sides and silver fret edgings or with silver sides and edgings. The adjacent image displays the Kinder Fires Concept fire with Silver sides and Fret edgings, this creates a very modernist fire with the two vertical silver pieces framing the fire and making the flames and realistic log fuel effect the focal point of the fire.
Proclaim Hole-In-The-Wall
Another stunning Hole-In-The-Wall style fire from Kinder Fires is the Proclaim Hole-In-The-Wall fire running on natural gas. This stylish and contemporary gas fire is suitable for class 1 chimney or 400mm, 4” lined or twin wall flue, The Proclaim is also available in a balance flue version for households who do not have a chimney or flue. Both the High-Efficiency, conventional flue and the balanced flue versions are glass fronted with the HE version giving out 4.3kW of heat and the balanced flue version emitting 5.5kW of heat. Both these fires have the benefit of emitting both radiant and convected heat which helps the warm air circulate around the room and create the sought after effect of sitting in front of a warm fire. The fires are both available in either Black & Stainless Steel or Bronze & Champagne with the balanced flue fire also available in All Black, The Proclaim can either feature a Cream or Black fire back with a realistic log fuel effect and comes standard with a fully automatic remote control.
Camber
Kinder Fires also produce the Kinder Fires Camber, this inset gas fire runs on natural gas and is suitable for class 1 or 2 chimneys and flues, both precast and prefabricated. The Kinder Fires Camber is available in Champagne trim with a Cream ribbed back or in Silver with either a Black or Cream ribbed fire back with a pebble fuel effect. This fire features a stainless steel burner for exceptional reliability and performance, generating 3.3kW of radiant heat and can be upgraded with a fully automatic remote control. This contemporary inset fire combines simple and effective design with impressive performance and reliability to ensure maximum value for money.
Cameo
The Cameo is another quality fire that is produced by Kinder Fires, The stunning Hole-In-The-Wall, High-Efficiency, Balanced Flue fire running on natural gas comes with a ultra-realistic log fuel effect that showcases the dancing flame effect. Much like the Kinder Fires Caesar, the Cameo features a Flame Supervision device to shut off the gas supply if the fire becomes unstable or goes out. The Kinder Fires Cameo is available in Black & Black, Black & Silver or Bronze & Champagne with each of these available with either a Black or Cream ribbed fire back and features a hand held remote control as standard. This High Efficiency gas fire develops 4.2kW of maximum heat output. The stylish two-colour designer frame helps draw attention to the realistic dancing flames in the center and help make this Hole-In-The-Wall gas fire the focal point it deserves to be and ideal for any modern living space, particularly in a property where there isn't the space for a traditional fireplace and surround.
Limours
A great example of a balanced flue gas fire from Kinder Fires is the Kinder Fires Limours Balanced Flue Gas Fire. The Kinder Limours is Kinder's first example of a dedicated balanced flue gas fire. This fire can be run on LPG or natural gas and features a balanced flue system, this makes the fire suitable for properties without a chimney or flue but do have an exterior wall for the fire to be flued through. This glass fronted fire is 79% efficient and gives out 4.2kW of heat while featuring a stylish rock aggregate fuel effect with safety features such as the Flame Supervision Device and Oxygen Depletion Sensor.The advantage of this fire is it can be hung on the wall to minimise building work or can be fully inset with an additional frame. The Limours is finished in a modern and contemporary graphite finish with minmalist Stainless Steel Frame to break up the solid graphite finish and add to the modernist feel.
Oasis High Efficiency
The Oasis HE is a high-efficiency, glass-fronted fire from Kinder Fires. The Oasis HE is 89% efficient and develops 4kW of both convected and radiated heat, this fire runs on natural gas and is suitable class 1,2 and prefabricated flues and chimneys. Featuring a realistic coal fuel effect and with ten different trims to choose from and sixteen frets, there are 160 total ways to style this fire and even more choice with the optional slide or automatic remote control. The Kinder Fires Oasis, with the 160 different ways to design this fire could be styled to suit most living spaces with traditional or contemporary furnishing.

Eden
This stunning piece of fireplace design is the my favourite of the Kinder range and it is the Kinder Fires Eden HE Hole-In-The-Wall Gas fire. This fire features a dancing flame effect on either contemporary white stones or traditional log fuel effect behind a glass front. Designed to be a contemporary and minimalist fire, The Kinder Fires Eden comes as standard without a trim, preserving the minimalist design although Slimline and Deluxe metal trims are available, with the slimline trim offering a simple polished metal frame or the deluxe trim using four separate pieces of polished metal to frame the fire and create a mode cubist feel. The Eden develops 5.2kW of heat energy running on Natural Gas or LPG and is suitable for a class 1 or 2 chimney or flue. Much like other fires in the Kinder range such as the Passion HE or the Caesar the Eden features a Flame Supervision Device and an Oxygen Depletion Sensor.

The Kinder Fires Range one of the most attractive and wide range of fires on the market with something for almost every living space, whether post-modern, contemporary or traditionally furnished. The range offers everything from a traditional gas fire such as the Kinder or a flexible fire suited to almost any decor style like the Kinder Fires Oasis HE and fires that make a design statement such as the Kinder Fires Eden.

Gazco Studio 2 Kelper

The Gazco Studio 2 Kelper is one of the first hole-in-the-wall gas fires of it's type, specifically designed to allow a flat-screen style TV to be mounted on the wall above the fire, this is as long as the chimney the Gazco Studio is fitted into has adequate "draw" and the tv is situated a minimum of 450mm above the fire. But it is always recommended to check with the manufacturer of the television before installing the television to ensure nothing happens to that nice shiny big screen TV!

This open fronted gas fire from Gazco is suitable for a class 1 chimney or 175mm metal prefabricated flue and develops 2.2kW of heat when running on Natural gas and 2.3kW when running on LPG. This may seem respectable on it's own but as they are open fronted fires they are only approximately 25% as a large amount of the heat will be drawn up the chimney and not radiated into the room.

Unlike almost every other fire that utilises metal and plastic to create the desired effect, this unique fire uses a solid Walnut wood fascia panel, this combined with the optional Black Granite lined interior and white pebble fuel effect create a unique and natural design statement.

The natural colours, patterns and knotting of the Walnut help almost give a warm feel even without the fire being lit. But when it is lit the darkness of the Black Granite interior contrasts with the white pebble fuel effect and really highlights the dancing flame effect and with the Solid Wooden frame projects the fire out into the room.

This stunning modern fireplace is unique among hole-in-the-wall fires with the solid Walnut front and can help create an incredibly interesting focal point in any living space, suitable for both more modern and contemporarily or for a more traditionally furnished living space with other wood furnishings in the room.

Verine Midas HE Gas Fire

The Verine Midas HE is an incredibly efficient and versatile slimline inset fire. It is suitable for virtually any chimney or flue allowing people to experience the glow and aura of sitting in front of a living flame gas fire.

The Verine Midas HE is a glass-fronted, inset gas fire that boasts an incredible 89% efficiency rating and includes safety features such as an oxygen depletion sensor and a flame supervision device, both of which increase the safety of the fire considerably.

This Verine fire boasts a 3.2kW maximum heat output, this is both convected and radiated heat. The radiated heat comes directly from the fire, much like a radiator. While the convected heat is provided via an air channel around the back of the fire, this allows air to travel behind the fire and heated before exiting at the top, this natural air circulation helps move the warm air around the room.

This trim on this fire is available in five different styles, Profile, Slimline, Designer, Curved and Essence and these are available in brass, silver and black with the designer trim available in a variety of combinations. The trim is not the only part of this fire that comes with a choice of finishes, the front fret detail is also available in five different styles, Blenheim, Bauhaus, Edwardian, Media and Elegance. Again, much like the trim these can be ordered in Black, Polished Steel or Brass with the Blenheim trim available in an additional antique finish.

This wide range of finishes and trims provides the ultimate flexibility to allow the fire to order the fire to coordinate with the existing decor of the house, meaning this fire would work well in either a traditionally furnished or the most avante-garde and up-to-date of living rooms.

The fire illustrated above would look great in a more modern living room with lighter coloured walls and a marble or limestone surround, The Midas HE is fitted with the Designer Stainless Steel Black trim and the Polished Elegance Fret. The darkness of the black painted areas contrasts and highlights the polished stainless steel sections areas, this creates a very modernist finish, draw attention to the dancing flames and the realistic coal fuel effect. This helps the fire become the focal point of the living room and when lit allows the heat and warmth project out into the room and fill the living room with the warm glow so eagerly sought after during the cold winter months.

Drugasar Launches New Range For Autumn 2010

Drugasar is Europe's largest producer of contemporary glass fronted fires. Drugasar is a Dutch based manufacturer with export markets all around the world and have just launched their new range of gas and electric models for autumn 2010.
As well as the luxury fires, that Drugasar have become famous for, DRU is also launching the Global range, fires that are designed for the UK markets and available at a mid-range pricefor households on a budget.These new fires are designed for homes with or without a standard size chimney. They are glass-fronted, frameless fires that can either be installed 'hole-in-the-wall' or combined with a selection of classic fire surrounds.
There are 3 balanced flue models: Global 70, 70XT and 100. Despite the lower price range compared to other DRU fires they all have the features familiar to any Drugasar fire such as highly-authentic log or pebble fuel effects and a high, realistic flame picture and remote control.In addition they are available in either LPG or Natural gas for maximum suitability.
The new Global 100BF model has dimensoins of 580x984mm and a heat output of 6.5kW while the 70XT has a viewing window of 600x720mm and the Global 70 has viewing dimensions of 450x720mm, both of these fires have a 4.7kW heat output.
A special feature of the DRU balanced flue Global fires is the patented DRU Maxvent® system. This provides forced air ventilation inside the fire to produce 25% more convected heat from the same source of energy.
The Global 90CF is a 90cm wide conventional flue fire designed for the UK market. It can be inserted directly into a standard chimney opening without the need for flue-pipes or liners. This dramatically reduces the cost of installation.
The Global 90CF is also a frameless fire, with two optional frames, Alpha and Beta and, like it's balanced flue counterparts is available with realistic logs or pebbles, natural gas or LPG and comes with a remote as standard.

Drugasar has also launched an electric version of one of it's most popular luxury gas fires, the Metro 12o. The Metro 120-e Slim Line is for homes that want the beauty of a classic and contemporary fireplace but without the added expense of gas connections or conversion of a chimney.

The Metro 120-e features an impressive LED flame effect that replicates the warm glow of a real fire. At 1.2 metres wide it is the largest electric fire in the DRU range and is certain to attract attention. This fire is glass fronted the flame effect can be used independently of the 2kW heat to generate the required ambience during the spring and summer months.

Apex Capacious High Efficiency Gas Fire

The Apex Capacious High Efficiency Gas Fire is a more efficient version of the traditional inset gas fire featuring a glass front and an efficiency rating of 89%, a vast increase over the normal 30-40% efficiency range of an open-fronted fire. This, united with the 4.4kW heat output rating mean this fire is more than suitable to warm the typical living room.

It is commonly assumed that placing a piece of ceramic glass in front of a fire would decrease its efficiency it is the draw that causes heat to be sucked out of the room. High efficient gas fires not only have a glass front, but also a convector box. This is a channel which goes from the front base of the fire to the front top of the fire, wrapping the engine of the fire, this channel will allow cold air to enter underneath the fire and heat-up as it rises around the burner. This then leaves the fire as convected warm air through the convector grill. You also have the glass front which means that the glass holds the heat within the fire box for longer allowing it to escape into the room through the convector channel, finally the Glass although ceramic heat proof does allow the radiant heat from the fire to heat the room.

The Apex Capacious HE combines modern technology allowing for a more efficient heating of the room with a versatile range of finishes and frets to create either a traditional or contemporary finish to the fire. For a traditional finish (as displayed in the picture) a brass trim is the best choice, combined with the Indiana Antique Brass fret to create a very traditional feel. This effect would be emphasised if the fire was placed in a traditional looking fire surround such as the Bemodern Hampshire Fireplace Surround. The light or medium oak colours of the wooden surround work well with the Manila back and hearth set to harmonise with the brass finsh to highlight the deep colours of the coal fuel effect and fireback and really draw attention to the living flames.

For a more modern and contemporary finish the silver trim and the Apex Washington or Apex Alabama chrome trim can be combined to give a very modern finish with strong lines and eye-catching silver finish. This striking modern fire when combined with the Allwood Milano 4 Step Fireplace Surround with the contrasting black granite hearth and back set and natural oak finish combine to make a very modern and contemporary focal point of most living rooms.

Apex Fires Influence HE Contemporary Gas Fire

The Apex Fires Influence HE Contemporary gas fire would be a great addition to any modern living room. The contemporary and modern glass fronted finish with bronze accented trim that would really draw the eye in to the realistic coal fuel effect and gas flames.
The maximum heat output of 3.8Kw would be plenty to heat the average living room with a class 1 or 2 chimney or flue, while the 83% efficiency means very little energy is wasted. The 195mm inset depth provides a deep fuel bed and a more authentic looking fire.
This contemporary fireplace would look best on a slightly lighter backplate and surround that would realy accentuate the bronze trim which frames and draws the eye towards the dancing gas flames.

Broseley Carillion 16:9 Multi Fuel Stove

There was a time that a multi-fuel stove was a short, squat bock of cast iron sat in the hearth designed purely for radiating heat into the room and faded into the background when not serving its purpose. That all changes with the Carillion from Broseley, this widescreen stove is designed to be the centre of attention in your living room.
The unique central column rotates through 90° thanks to a revolutionary new air intake system. This allows the stove to be pointed at the part of the room you desire, affording uninterrupted panoramic views of the roaring multi-fuel fire while up to 78% efficiency ensures that the maximum possible heat is generated.
The striking lines or the frame and bold crystal black finish really give a futuristic feel and the steel column combine to give a very futurist and modern twist on a traditional multi-fuel stove. This is accentuated by the 16:9 widescreen viewing window really allows the flames to come to life in a way you will not find in any other multi-fuel stove.

Drugasar Global 90

Drugasar Global 90

The strong straight lines of the Drugasar Global 90 combine with bold dark frame colours and popular letterbox shape to really draw your eye to the bright flames of the fire and create a focal point in the room. When the wall colour utilised without a trim can be brought right up to the edge of the fire to create a seamless and minimalist finish. Or use the Beta trim of the Global 90 that further helps draw the eye to the fire when contrasted with a light wall colour and really frames the realistic flame effect on white pebbles to capture the warmth and glow of the fire and project it into the room. The Global 90 comes complete with a functional remote control that allows you to easily control the temperature and ambience when basking in the glow of this stylish fireplace.

Both finishes work best with the white pebbles and black interior to create the minimalist, modern and contemporary finish, although twigs and natural beige back are available, and would certainly be the highlight of any room with a class 1 or class 2 chimneys or flue. Especially when mounted inside a chimney breast to draw even more attention to this piece of modern design.

Available running on either natural gas or LPG, The Drugasar Global 90 would fit in perfectly with a contemporarily furnished and finished living room with a class 1 or 2 chimney or flue and light wall colours to contrast the dark frame and back and accentuate the flame effect and help make the Drugasar Global 90 CF fire the focal point of your living room. While the 70% efficiency and 4.3 KW maximum heat output would perfectly heat the above average living room but may overpower a bedroom or caravan.