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Fireplaces are good for your health and your spirit. There isn’t anyone who would contest this. Just the idea of sitting in front of a glowing fireplace, with a warm cup of cocoa, while holding hands with the one you love, is bound to bring you happiness. What have the researchers discovered these last few years to make such an affirmation and why have gas fireplaces become so popular today? Let’s take a look.
Staring at the Fireplace Is Good for Our Health
We know that sport is good for our health but so is gazing at a fire. It is one of the conclusions that came out of a study from researchers at the University of Alabama, a little while ago. They took the blood pressure of 226 adults before and after looking at a fireplace. The result was a 5% reduction in blood pressure, which kept decreasing the longer they stared at it.
It doesn’t matter if it is a wood or gas fireplace, looking at the fire burn is something that soothes everyone. Its comforting factor probably comes all the way back to our first ancestors who needed fire to survive. There is no denying that being around the fireplace with friends, family or even alone, always raises our spirit.
Benefits of a Gas Fireplace
Not so long ago, when people thought of a fireplace, they automatically imagined wood burning. But that has changed quite a lot since people have begun to understand the many advantages that a gas fireplace has over the older classic version. Here are some of them:
Easy To Use and to Position around the House
With a gas fireplace, you eliminate the time it takes to go out and get the wood before chopping it into smaller pieces, collecting it and storing it. It couldn’t be any easier to light, since you just need to flick a switch and you have your fire going. You can even control it from a distance with remote control. And since fireplaces are so relaxing, you can even set a time to turn it off in case you fall asleep in front of it.
With a classic fireplace, you need a chimney for the fumes to leave the house. Since it is not the case for the gas version, it means you can install one in any of the rooms you would like. That way, you can benefit from its glow, while in the living room with the family, but also enjoy it when you and your partner go to bed.
Safe
When you use a wood fireplace, you have to be careful with sparks, toxic fumes and you need to make sure the fire doesn’t leave the hearth. This can be especially preoccupying if you have kids and pets. A gas fireplace guarantees total safety to everyone in the household, since there aren’t any risks involved.
There are many other reasons to choose a gas fireplace including the fact that it involves low maintenance, that it is environmentally friendly and cost-effective. But the most important reason to choose one or the other is that it will bring you and your family to a peaceful place in your heart and in your mind.
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This content is sponsored by Shahina Parvin.
Photo: Shutterstock