Masonry Magazine November 2008 Page. 32
FIREPLACES & CHIMNEYS
HOT
TRENDS
IN
FIREPLACES
Fireplaces and chimneys provide opportunities for growth and profit.
Image courtesy of Morse Remodeling in Davis, Calif.
By Brett Martin
NOTHING COMPLEMENTS A HOME AND ADDS WARMTH LIKE A FIREPLACE. Surround it with a hand-carved mantel, and it becomes the focal point of a room - a trend becoming more commonplace in luxury homes.
"Most high-end homeowners see fireplaces as a necessity," says Tom Stroud, senior manager of codes and standards for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) in Arlington, Va.
Fireplaces also are getting larger. "What we're seeing is a trend for bigger fireplaces," says Denise Jure, VP and general manager for the family-owned K&W Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Corona, Calif. "Three feet is a standard width, but we're now regularly seeing 60 to 72 inches, and we have made dampers for 10-foot-wide fireplaces."
30 Masonry
November 2008 www.masoncontractors.org
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