The Heart...and Hearth...of a Home

++++Brent Buchan, owner of Energy Products and Design fireplace showroom, thinks that fireplaces have moved up in status from a nice "extra" to an expected amenity in a home. "Like CD players in cars that are now 'standard,' builders tell us that customers notice if a certain size home does not have a fireplace," said Buchan. It is also one of the workhorses of the home and can provide heat to the lower level.
++++"In a home with a traditional single thermostat, a fireplace downstairs can support the basement area with more comfortable warmth," he said. New products are in demand, including the Escape Fireplace by Heat-N-Glo. "It's the industry's first fireplace with absolutely no metal exposed," explained Buchan. "It's all trimmed in brick and a high-efficiency form of heat." As part of the design statement, you can backlight the bricks with halogen lights to create mood lighting in the summer months.
++++The design time when deciding on a fireplace is quick, usually taking about a week's time. Once the installation is on the builder's schedule, it can be completed in a matter of days.

Copyright 2004 Rochester Area Builders, Inc.
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108 Elton Hills Lane NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Phone (507) 282-7698.