How to Buy the Right Gas Stove for Your Home
This article explores factors such as finding the right fit, ventilation, and floor length so you know how to buy the right gas stove for your home.
A warm cosy home after a long winter’s day at work is the best way to de-stress, but unless you have a gas stove, it is likely that you come home to the standard central heating unit. These units are adequate, but certainly, do not give you the same comfortable cosy feeling as a gas stove can offer. Some people are a bit sceptical of a gas stove and they tend to believe that this type of heating is old fashioned and bulky. The old stoves were a lot bulkier and sometimes even an eyesore within a room, but the new designs of gas stoves offer both an excellent heating source and an attractive addition to any room. If your home needs that warm cosy feeling, here are some tips for buying your gas stove for your home.
Find the Right Fit
The size and layout of every home is different, and the size of the stove purchased is very important in relation to the size of the space to be heated. A large home can accommodate a larger than average gas stove as the heat will better distribute into the outlying rooms. A stove that is too small will not be able to keep up with the demand and will continually have to be run on the high settings. This is in essence fine to do so, and certainly make use of the higher settings when needed, but continual use can diminish the life of the fire. The stove size should be exactly what the home needs for adequate heat, but not too much, so a consultation with a professional and knowledgeable installer is the only way to know exactly what recommended size is needed for your specific space. This is certainly not something you will want to guess on.
The Proper Ventilation
Gas stoves are quite finicky about the need for ventilation. It is a common misconception that the only form of ventilation needed is from the flue. A home that is comprised of tight insulation that has relatively no air gaps will starve the unit of the proper ventilation it needs. The system should be placed close, but not too close to the outside wall with a small fresh air ventilation area at the base of the unit. When purchasing a unit, the home needs to be inspected prior to an installation being performed. A licensed installer will check the area where it is to be located for correct ventilation and if a specific area is not specified, they can suggest where it would be best placed for its ventilation needs.
Floor Strength
This is something that most people will not consider when purchasing their gas stove. The stove itself will be quite heavy and the stone that is often used as a base for the stove adds even more weight. Even though the floors of most homes are able to hold a substantial amount of weight, there can be some concern for the structural sound quality of some the floors. The installer can advise on how to strengthen the floor and if strengthening is even needed. For ground level floors without a basement, this should be a relatively easy fix, but for those that have basements, there may be a need for additional joists or support pillars beneath the unit for safety and overall security.
The Look of the Stove
When buying a gas stove, you want it to complement the room rather than distract from the colour scheme. The gas stoves available today offer an almost endless variety of different colours and designs to enable you to match the piece specifically to the look of your home. Even though you can get any colour desired, if you have any future intention of selling your home, a wild colour may suit your current tastes but may turn off buyers from the purchase. Apart from the colour, you can also choose the finish of the stove. Whether a textured exterior or a smooth finish is desired, the look is always of the utmost of importance.
Buying a gas stove is not a difficult decision to make. These units add ultimate value to the home and offer a backup heat source when the standard power system fails. The radiant heat that is produced by the units can heat a small space or even a large home when properly placed in a central location. When choosing a gas stove for your home remember these tips as well as the most important aspect with the installation. Installation is the key to the proper function of the stove and should always be accomplished by a certified installer that has experience with gas stove installation. Have your beautiful stove annually inspected to ward off any potential problems and you can have the radiant warm heat you crave for many years to come. Learn about the Jøtul gas stove range here.
