Do It Yourself Fireplaces

Do it yourself fireplaces sound like a lot of work. You have to make sure the chimney is up to code, for one thing. And if it's a gas-burning fireplace, you have to have the gas guy set up the fuel pipeline. Then there's building the fireplace itself: bricks, mortar, and all the trim. You'll be hot under the collar way before you get hot under the collar.

But not all do it yourself fireplaces have to be such a process. Electric do it yourself fireplaces can be set up in a snap--or a plug. Just plug it in and flip it on. No more venting about the venting; no more steaming about the gas line. It's like a toaster or any other electric appliance--if you have an outlet, you have everything you need.

Do It Yourself Fireplaces Shouldn't Be This Easy

In most cases, two people can install an electric fireplace in a matter of 15 minutes. Remember: you don't have to reconstruct any part of your home, install a vent, or even get an inspector to make sure you're up to code. A standard 120 volt outlet is required--for some models, you don't even need tools to put your fireplace together.

You can even construct an electric fireplace inside an existing fire-burning one. Make the jump from fire and soot to a realistic electric flame by sealing up your old chimney--usually closing the flue is all you'll need to worry about--and installing your electric fireplace. It looks like a regular fireplace, but is much easier to manage. You can even have it give off heat or not--all you have to do is flip the right switch.