Replacing your fireplace has a major effect on the entire home
We live in an early ‘90s duplex, which is primarily electrically heated. Our home had a NunnaUuni soapstone fireplace dating back to its construction, which in the winter would almost completely replace electric heating. The fireplace was very practical, but the placement in our home was a bit odd; this large corner-model soapstone fireplace was placed right in the middle of the wall. And, of course, trends had long since passed it by.
In the autumn of 2019, we decided after long consideration to upgrade our fireplace to a new, modern model that would fit the space and our home decor better. We loved the features of our old soapstone fireplace, so it was an obvious choice to turn to NunnaUuni for our new fireplace. With the help of NunnaUuni’s expert, we chose the Blanka Ceramic Negro model.
Dismantling the old fireplace was a worry for no reason
One reason we had to consider upgrading our fireplace for several years was the fear of dismantling the old fireplace and the mess which that would inevitably cause. Once we had ordered our new NunnaUuni fireplace, we put the one for sale on an online auction site, where it was sold after a couple of weeks. This was a good choice, because for ecological reasons I didn’t want to throw away a working fireplace, and now it has a new life in a more suitable location.
It took one workday to dismantle the fireplace. Before we started, we covered the surrounding area with protective plastic, but to my great surprise, dismantling the fireplace was a surprisingly tidy process considering it had been in active use for twenty years. An even bigger surprise than the lack of mess was the fact only one of the inner stones of the fireplace had cracked in two decades – that’s how durable soapstone can actually be.
I’m not going to lie, of course dismantling the fireplace causes a mess, and moving the stones can be tough. But it’s easier to get through the job when you think that soon, your old fireplace will be replaced by a modern, more efficient alternative that is also more eco-friendly.
A new fireplace is an eco-friendly act
All NunnaUuni heat-storing fireplaces are fitted with the award-winning Golden Fire grate instead of a traditional fire grate. Golden Fire facilitates a cleaner and more efficient burning process. In simple terms, this means wood burns better at a high temperature of 800–1200 degrees Celsius. This is most evident from the burning once the fireplace is properly lit, with the flickering orange flame becoming a bright, gas fireplace style flame that dances around the firewood. Thanks to Golden Fire, the particle content of combustion gas becomes up to eight times lower compared to a traditional fire grate fireplace.
Heating with renewable energy beats fossil fuels any day, but even then there’s been plenty of talk about the environmental effects of wood heating for years, especially in densely populated areas – naturally, when it comes to environmental impact, there are two sides to everything. It’s nice that we can now influence what kind of smoke billows out of our chimney through our conscious choices. When the harmful PAH compounds are reduced thanks to Golden Fire, the potential environmental effects are also significantly reduced.
A Mammutti soapstone fireplace effectively stores heat and steadily releases it, making the warming effect last longer. It goes without saying that heating less often automatically means less particle emissions.
Soft and steady warmth
I’m a creature of habit, so I always sit in the same place when I write. Here I sit right now as well, about 1.5 metres from the fireplace. With a fire burning in the chamber, this spot is like a warm embrace as the soapstone fireplace radiates just the right amount of heat. The soft warmth feels comfortable, but it gets a bit chilly as soon as I leave. The Blanka Ceramic fireplace has a double-glass door, which makes the warmth feel just like I described during the burning. Sitting in front of a single-glass door is not always as pleasant.
When the damper is closed, the real magic of the heat-storing fireplace begins. The heat energy stored in the soapstone is released steadily and smoothly over the next few days, bringing gentle warmth to your home. This is made possible by the inner stones, many more of which are hiding inside the new fireplace than in the old one. The inner stones retain the heat for a bit longer and release it more steadily, which in part allows you to enjoy being near the fireplace at all times.
The fireplace has a major effect on home decor.
We have been enjoying our new fireplace for one heating season now, and I have to wonder why we didn’t embark on this project much earlier. I’m a person who enjoys aesthetics, and in the name of aesthetics I’ll gladly do ‘extra’ renovations. That’s precisely what the fireplace replacement was, because the old fireplace wasn’t broken in the slightest, it just didn’t suit us and this space in particular.
Considering a switch to a new fireplace?
Choosing the right fireplace takes care of your home’s atmosphere and warmth alike, without environmental or climate stress.
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