Metro Brick Now Available at Ambrico According to Thin Brick Experts – PR Web (press release) is a post from Ambrico

The Challenge:

Repairing structural and aesthetic concerns during the restoration and expansion of a 230,000-square-foot tobacco curing and processing complex

The Players:

Caretti Restoration & Preservation Services, Inc.
Benchmark Construction Co.
Helifix, Inc.

The Process:

As part of the $11.5 million expansion and renovation for Lancaster, Penn.-based Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc.’s deteriorating 230,000-square-foot tobacco curing and processing complex, many of the early 1900’s tobacco warehouse structures at the Pitney Road complex are being preserved. This includes the structural restoration of a 5-story warehouse on the southwest corner of the campus.

A 40-foot by 50-foot section on the east elevation of the warehouse had collapsed in the summer of 2011. Caretti Restoration & Preservation Services, Inc., Camp Hill, Penn., conducted a detailed inspection on the remaining masonry facade to determine the best implement of repair for the severe structural issues. The inspection revealed that a triple wythe of bricks was coming apart and the header courses that tied the walls together were not intact. In addition to the building’s age, deterioration occurred because it was a concrete superstructure with brick infill that expands when it gets wet and pulls the concrete apart.

Caretti Restoration’s General Manager and Vice President Bob Gensel enlisted leading industrial masonry repair reinforcement system manufacturer Helifix, Inc. to implement a strategic combination of its precision engineered Crack Stitch and DryFix systems in early October of 2011. The DryFix Remedial Pinning and Tying System provides a stress-free retrofit connection between all commonly used building materials. Because both the Crack Stitch and DryFix systems are installed into the existing masonry, expensive and time consuming tear down and rebuild were avoided while retaining the visual aesthetics of the structure.

The Crack Stitch system repaired vertical cracks on the building’s corners to solve key structural and aesthetics concerns. The system allows contractors to repair and redirect stresses on damaged masonry areas, and create a monolithic point to distribute loads. The project used approximately 300 lineal feet of HeliBar to repair vertical cracking in the brick masonry for numerous focus locations of the tobacco warehouse.

The Dryfix remedial pinning and tying system was used for tying the wythes of bricks together to the walls and also for repair of the corroding, loose and missing steel shelf angles supporting the brick veneer for all damaged areas of the warehouse’s five stories.

“The savings on shelf angle repair alone was significant as the per window / per foot cost was about 1/3 less than other methods,” said Chris Devitry, construction manager for the project’s general contracting firm Benchmark Construction Co.

The project used approximately 6,400 DryFix helical anchor ties throughout key focus areas of the tobacco warehouse’s north, south and west elevations. Also, roughly 1,800 lineal feet of shelf angles were repaired using the system at a 3.5-inch by 3.5-inch angle for every floor at the top of the windows to support the brick masonry above.

Installation procedures for the Crack Stitch and DryFix systems were particularly advantageous given the inclement fall-winter weather restoration schedule.

Helifix Crack Stitch and DryFix Systems Restore 1900s Tobacco Warehouse – ForConstructionPros.com is a post from Ambrico

The Wiss Hotel, named in 1869 for tavern owner John Wiss, stands at the village’s main intersection, Routes 5 and 19. Wiss added a third story and brick veneer to his half-century-old tavern.

Vacant for at least seven years, the building’s roof leaks. Its marquee is missing, as are the bar, copper wiring and plumbing. However, an architect has said that the basic structure is sound and that the interior could be safely gutted for new uses.

Mayor Gregory Rogers wants a solution to the lingering problem, “promising it will not remain the same next year.”

The Le Roy Village Board will meet Jan. 9 to discuss a bid to rehabilitate the building.

Some are skeptical of such a project’s success, given the years of deterioration. Still, supporters of the historic structure have been working with an architect and have offered a token payment of $1 to take over the building, then restore it. They propose a limited liability company that will contribute as much as $400,000 for restoration.

One plan calls for retail/office space on the first floor and apartments on the upper two stories. Restoration could cost $1 million.

A National Register Historic Places designation would allow generous tax breaks for investors. The village estimates demolition would cost $170,000

Le Roy mayor seeks plan for decrepit hotel – Buffalo News is a post from Ambrico

Government-owned Southern Response must pay to rebuild a Christchurch claimant’s century- old Edwardian villa with materials of the same quality, the High Court has ruled, as long as the parts and techniques are still commonly used.

In a summary judgment issued this week, Justice Dobson determined Southern Response should have to pay to reinstate the features and style of the irreparably damaged Hillsborough house, but it could use cheaper methods or materials if the look or use of the new building would be unaffected.

The Aynsley Tce villa, owned by company Turvey Trustee, had been insured for many years by AMI on the most comprehensive of the insurer’s three plans.

Originally, the plan was for “full replacement cover”, but at the time of the claim the policy had been restyled as “premier house cover”.

The property was damaged in the September 2010 tremor and further damaged beyond repair by the subsequent aftershocks and February 22 quake.

The building has since been demolished.

Turvey believed Southern Response’s liability was to pay the cost of replicating the Edwardian bay villa, with all its distinctive features, while the insurer thought its liability did not extend that far.

The property had a 2007 rateable value of $711,000 and was on TC3 land. The new home was being built on a different site.

The Press understands the new home will not be built in the style of the original and the agreed liability will be used to fund the new build, which has already started.

Justice Dobson said Southern Response’s liability should be calculated taking into account methods that were common in the building of an Edwardian-style villa in 2012.

He said, for example, there would be no need to require native timber for doors or skirting boards if they had originally been exposed timbers but had been painted over by the time the house was damaged. Double-brick framework should be replaced with something more structurally sound with a brick veneer to give the same look.

Embossed plaster ceilings should be priced for polystyrene moulds and plaster coat, which would be much cheaper than the methods of 1911, when the original villa was built, Justice Dobson said.

“Such features might today be replicated by use of a polystyrene mould and plaster covering, at a lower cost but with no material difference in appearance.”

Southern Response is the Government-owned claims manager of failed insurer AMI after the sale of its continuing business to IAG in April.

Chief executive Peter Rose said he would not comment until the 20-working-day appeal window had closed.

A representative of Turvey Trustee said it may be in a position to comment next week.

– © Fairfax NZ News

Judge orders insurer to replicate villa features – The Press is a post from Ambrico

Rooms are stacked with shelving from floor to ceiling, all filled to overflowing with all kinds of stuff.

Wall sconces, circa 1952? Got ‘em. Along with chandeliers, candleholders, lamps and lanterns from every era you can imagine.

A trumpet? You betcha. Heck, you can practically scrape together a whole orchestra. And add an old gramophone while you’re at it.

A carousel horse? Well, of course.

Go to another vast area that has a Lowe’s/Home Depot vibe and you’ll find massive pieces of pressed wood being sawed, shaped and painted and turned into staircases, faux brick walls and colorful storefronts.

Theaters create new worlds every time they open a show. It takes plenty of planning and work to build the sets, paint them to look like more than just pressed wood, and then decorate them to turn them into homes and offices and, in the case of the Fulton’s most recent show, Monumental Film Studios, circa 1927.

That’s the setting of “Singing in the Rain,” which runs through the end of December at the Fulton.

So how are these sets created? What goes on in that vast warehouse time-warp shopping mall?

A little bit of everything.

“We’ve got an average of about five weeks building time,” says Bill Mohney, the Fulton’s technical director. “We want to keep it a consistent flow. There’s usually something going on here, but we always have our crunch times.”

Sets used to be built at what’s known as the Mack building, down the street from the theater on the corner of Water and Orange streets.

They moved to a new scene shop about a year ago, though the process took awhile.

The old shop was 7,500 square feet, but that square footage was divided among three levels.

The first floor held props, the second was where the sets were built and the third was where they were painted.

The new space is 12,500 square feet, and it’s all on one level.

For Mohney, who started working at the Fulton in May 2006 (his first show was “Grease”), the larger space was a godsend.

“We definitely needed more space,” Mohney says. “It makes the work a little less challenging.”

Properties manager Katelin Walsko, who’s in her third season at the Fulton, agrees.

“In the old place, things were piled up, disorganized,” she says. “Here, we can spread everything out.”

“This is a wonderful space,” says Erin Dickinson, the scenic charge artist, whose job is to oversee the painting and finishing of the sets. “But as in life, we are always short of space.”

Indeed, larger props and furniture are stored in another warehouse. And the costume shop is now in the Mack building.

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A set begins in the mind of the set designer, who consults with the director. It involves two basic elements: how the set will be built and what it will look like when it is painted and finished.

The designer then puts those ideas into specific drawings, which are given to the technical director and the scenic charge artist to create.

Once he’s got the design, Mohney begins thinking in mathematical terms. Being good at geometry is a must for a tech director.

“I break it down piece by piece,” Mohney explains. “And then I turn it into a specific budget for the show. If it’s way over budget, I ask what can we change, what can we cut back on?”

Some sets are unit sets, which usually means the pieces are huge. Other sets have lots of moving scenery, which can bring on its own challenges.

Mohney and his crew cut out the shapes of all those backdrops and other things like signs, doors, windows, staircases and whatever else might be needed.

Construction has gotten a bit easier since the Fulton got a computer numerical controlled router, better known as a CNC router.

The router can cut wood the way it’s been programmed to by a computer.

Say Mohney needs a brick wall. The router will automatically cut out the bricks.

“In the past, the bricks would have been hand painted or fabricated. It was very labor intensive and messy,” Mohney says. Mike Meservey, the assistant technical director, does most of the work on the router.

Transporting sets from the shop to the theater presents its own challenges.

“When we were down the street, it was not hard to move sets,” says Dickinson, who began working at the Fulton last season with “Sunset Boulevard.”

Things have gotten more complicated.

In the last several years, the Fulton has been producing some of its shows with other theaters, including the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Florida (where “Singing in the Rain” opens Jan. 8) and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Sharing production costs between two theaters allows for a bigger budget, but the set has to be designed to travel.

“Durability is important when we travel,” Dickinson says. “The show will close on a Saturday, and Sunday we’ll pack it into a truck — a semi — and it will be sent to Florida.”

Dickinson always includes a touch-up kit with the specific paint colors they might need in case things get bumped or banged en route.

“It can get tricky because the entire set has to fit into that truck,” Mohney says. “Sometimes compromise is necessary.”

For Dickinson, how the set looks is all important.

“I love mixing paints,” she says, noting that it’s one of her biggest challenges to get the colors exactly right.

Do the colors match exactly? Do they pop? Does a storefront look like the storefront the designer had in mind? Is that the exact shade of purple the designer wants? Does it pass the 30-foot rule?

“The closest people will be to the set is 30 feet away,” Dickinson explains. “So don’t guild the lily. Nobody is going to see the tiny details. I had to get used to painting big.”

For properties manager Walsko, sometimes it’s little things that can get to her.

“I get into details,” she says. “Like if there is a bar code on an item when they didn’t have bar codes.”

Walsko is highly organized. She has to be. When a designer wants a lamp, for example, she needs to know every lamp they’ve got, to see if they can use one or need to buy another.

“I have a photographic memory,” she explains. “And I was very lucky because the former prop master had an amazing filing system. She had a binder with notes for each show.”

One entire room is devoted to fabrics used for curtains, bedspreads, blankets and tablecloths.

Other rooms in the shop are organized around sundry items that might just be needed in a show: glassware, office supplies, musical instruments, lighting fixtures, fake flowers, money, typewriters, suitcases, cash registers, bathroom items, fake food and more.

“I try to get as specific as I can,” Walsko says.

In addition to keeping track of everything, her job involves researching the time period in which the play is set, so the props will look right.

While she loves the new space, Walsko knows chaos is right around the corner.

“I am constantly putting things away,” she says with a laugh. “My middle name is Hoarder. Things pile up quickly.”

Hoarder’s paradise holds stage treasures – Entertainment – Lancaster Newspapers is a post from Ambrico

“Anyway, after we’d laughed nervously about it, I threw it into the back of my top shelf among my trackie daks and maternity bras” … Chrissie Swan. Photo: Julian Kingma

Here’s a tip, from me to you, for nothing. If you have had a huge year, are pregnant with your third child and are lurching toward your Christmas holidays like a cartoon dog in the desert, then here’s a piece of advice: do not, at this stage, make arrangements to move house.

I have done this. In fact, I have just done this, last week. And while it’s true that I did survive, it was only barely.

Things started to go off the rails when I heeded the advice of a friend and booked the use of “packers”. Initially I was in love with the idea. Mainly, because I could say to my colleagues, “Sorry, I just have to take this call from the Packers” and, “The Packers are coming today.” Sadly, I was referring to two spry 20-somethings in matching embroidered polo shirts arriving at the doorstep of my ’60s brick veneer and not, as it sounded, organising a lunch date involving lobster and Veuve with an ex-model and a billionaire on a yacht in the harbour. Oh well. Pregnant women shouldn’t eat shellfish or drink alcohol anyway, so crisis averted!

The night before the packers were due, I went around the house placing little red tabs on the cupboards I didn’t want them to touch. We still had to live here for six days before The Big Move and I wasn’t going to be squatting in my own home. The pantry got a tag, as did my wardrobe. Initially I thought, “What the hell, take all my clothes – I only wear about four things in there on high rotation, anyway.”

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But then I remembered I had stashed a freebie in there that had been sent to me at the radio station that very day. It was, I blush to reveal, a $220 sex toy. Now, let me get this straight, I wasn’t hiding it for use later … I wanted to show my partner the sheer amazing technology of it and that nowadays these things come with all the bells and whistles. (I stress that’s figuratively speaking … can you imagine?)

Anyway, after we’d laughed nervously about it, turned on each of its SIX SPEEDS and suggested maybe wrapping it up for one of our mothers (ho, ho, ho) I threw it into the back of my top shelf among my trackie daks and old maternity bras. There, it looked about as comfortable as a supermodel at a Weight Watchers meeting. Just as I was contemplating the packers discovering this dirty little secret, I swiftly placed a red tag on the door, mouthing to myself, “I’ll deal with our battery-charged friend a little later, methinks.” When I arrived home after the packers had gone, I was relieved to find the contents of the wardrobe untouched. The tags worked!

I then filled a drawer in the kitchen with what I considered to be essentials. I’d made a bolognese sauce, so I felt pretty up myself for remembering that I needed to put aside a huge pot and a sieve. I put in some cutlery, about six plates, some plastic bowls for the kids and some glasses and cups. Not exactly a comprehensive list, but enough to cover us for whatever we needed to eat for brekkie, lunch and dinner. My fella the Chippie threw in some tongs and a Barbie Mate” tool. I have no idea why, but I appreciate his effort. So … I packed that drawer, marked it with a red tag and moved on.

Sadly, for reasons still unknown to me, when I checked the status of that drawer post-packers, I was aghast to find it totally empty. All our essentials … gone. Somewhere in the towers of boxes stacked high in the living room. It was then I coined the phrase “like trying to find a sieve in a box stack” and you may see fit to use this phrase whenever someone unintentionally, temporarily, ruins your life.

That night we had a roast chicken hacked apart with a butter knife I found in the dishwasher. I peeled potatoes with a little sharp knife, also in the dishwasher. Ever done without a peeler? The potatoes came out looking completely colonial, like something Ned Kelly’s lady friend might have prepared the night the Jerilderie Letter was penned. The carrots looked like they’d been whittled with a chisel from a chunk of balsa wood.

My partner and I were on time-share with the solitary fork. I quickly shovelled in my chook, while he paced, checking my plate and asking every few minutes, “How many more mouthfuls are in that for you?” It made me so nervous I got indigestion. Have you ever spied on a cat using the litter tray? Yep. Watch someone do something and they can’t perform. In the end I just handed him the fork and said, “Your turn.”

Later that night we realised we hadn’t planned ahead nearly enough … my four-year-old’s Pillow Pet was packed. As was his night light. The only book left untouched was the boring one about nursery rhymes. And the pull-ups? Gone. Thank goodness for the car boot and its never-ending stash of crap.

So then we were looking down the barrel of five days with almost nothing in the kitchen. I have to say, I enjoyed the challenge. It was like camping, without the insects and digging a hole to go to the toilet.

I’d like to think the moral of this story is that we could all learn to live with less, and that I immediately donated anything I hadn’t used in two years to charity, but my lesson was far more superficial. I learnt that peelers are not essential and not to bring home naughty things if you have no intention of using them …

Chrissie Swan is host of Can of Worms on Channel Ten, and co-host of Mix 101.1′s breakfast show in Melbourne and 3pm Pick-Up nationally. She’s also a mum of two. Twitter: @chrissieswan.

Chrissie Swan – The Age is a post from Ambrico

Home or double investment opportunity.

Whether you are looking for a home, investment or a possible re-development opportunity, this property offers the flexibility that may accommodate your needs.

Being two separate lots you may wish to investigate its sub-division potential further (subject to Wellington Council requirements).

The properties’ parcel of land is some 1.2 hectares in area (12,000 square metres) and is connected to town water and has its own well.

There are two allotments with this offering, one has a brick veneer, four-bedroom home and the other has a turn-of-the-century, two-bedroom cottage.

The cottage is quite pleasant and would certainly benefit from further renovations and decor updates.

The main brick residence offers built-in wardrobes, ensuite bathroom with the main bedroom, a huge kitchen with adjacent dining room plus an all-weather access, lock-up garage incorporated into the home’s design.

There are established gardens and lawns plus a glorious Catombal/Mount Arthur rural aspect and yet the town centre is just minutes away.

A recent review of the price has seen an impressive adjustment to meet the market.

To obtain further details or arrange an inspection, call Gary Francis from Raine & Horne Wellington on 0428 459 830 or 02 6845 1222

Buy two at same time – Wellington Times is a post from Ambrico

The brick-veneer building, topped with limestone cladding, is expected to be taller than the demolished, three-story Dewey Elementary School.

If the zoning board approves the proposal for Carlyle House, as the apartment building will be known, and it is constructed, it will represent a triumph of sorts for the borough, which has attempted unsuccessfully thus far to attract developers to build on this and other vacant and underused properties.

“We have been trying forever,” Mayor Patrick McHale said this week, adding that the reopening in September of the Court Street bridge, which connects the borough to Hackensack, presents a new opportunity for commercial development in the municipality.

“We need a bigger tax base,” he said. “Right now, the tax base is almost all residential.”

Development on the Dewey School property, 297 Palisade Ave., had been stymied by a zoning requirement that mandated the construction of senior housing and another that called for 20 percent of the units to be set aside for low- and moderate-income housing if a multifamily development is built.

After Somerset-based CP-Carlyle House LLC withdrew a proposal in March, the borough hired a planner to draw up a revised plan for the property that removed the affordable housing restriction in the hope that would attract a developer.

A draft of the revised housing plan, which is also likely to reduce the number of affordable housing units the borough is responsible for providing, is expected to be forwarded to the Borough Council next week, Planner Lisa Phillips said.

AG Palisade Avenue LLC first submitted its plans for the Dewey site in September, and it hopes to complete the project within a year of receiving zoning board approval.

The proposal is being reviewed by the borough’s engineer and the police and fire departments, which are expected to submit their views to the board by its Nov. 27 meeting, McHale said. The application is expected to be heard on that night.

New apartment building could rise in Bogota – NorthJersey.com is a post from Ambrico

The tasting event marked the unveiling of a recent remodel that is evolving the iconic coffeehouse into a sophisticated cafe, bridging the gap between coffeeshop and wine bar.

“Customers love the way the remodel came out,” said David Mizon, Starbucks district manager. “The food offerings have been really well received, and there’s been a lot of community support.”

The coffee menu board is now flanked by wine bottles above shiny brick veneer of a deep brownish red reminiscent not only of coffee, but of wines, beer and even chocolate. Walls have been remade from wine crates or have been knocked down completely to accommodate longer tables and more intimate seating.

Along with the signature coffee drinks that propelled Starbucks to world renown, customers can now expect to find chardonnays from Sonoma County, pinot noirs from Santa Barbara and other adult beverages complementing an assortment of appetizers, small plates and desserts.

It’s all part of the new Evenings Menu, which kicks off after 4 p.m. and is only being offered at two locations in California—the other in Santa Margarita—and 17 locations nationwide, mostly in the Northwest, where Starbucks was born. The Calabasas location is at 26521 Agoura Road.

“We launched the Evenings Menu in 2010 in Seattle and used it to test, initially, choosing wines carefully and offering small plates for a nice option in a casual, non-bar environment,” said Alisa Martinez, a Starbucks spokesperson.

Finding that customers were receptive to the new offerings, Martinez said the company decided to relaunch it this year. “Calabasas was chosen as a great wine-growing region,” said Martinez, adding that “it’s a little bit like coffeehouses in Europe where wine and beer are served side by side with coffee.”

Anthony Lee, a senior design manager with Starbucks, told the Calabasas Planning Commission earlier this year that Calabasas was picked for the pilot program because Starbucks considered it a sophisticated city and wanted to offer adult customers more variety.

It’s a change that many in the community are welcoming with open arms and clinks of glasses.

This particular Starbucks has “always been a gathering area, but now this adds a new dimension,” said Ravi Sawhney, who owns homes in Calabasas and Malibu. “You can look around and see it’s light, it’s open; they’ve done a really good job. You couldn’t feel more comfortable. This whole area is making wines, so this is very relevant. It’s a huge complement to Calabasas and the area.”

For the opening, baristas, normally relegated to working behind the counter, emerged as sommeliers to cork bottles, pour glasses and offer tastes of 10 selections ranging from the local wine country to Argentina and Italy. Beer is also on the menu.

Mingling with the rich, fruity aromas of red wines and Mediterranean-inspired appetizers such as brie cheese and bacon-wrapped dates was the distinctly Starbucks smell of fresh-brewed coffee and the sound of espressos being made.

“I’m quite amazed,” said Stella Chavez, a Thousand Oaks resident. “I like the space they have in here. It’s a lot more modern and designed for adults. It’s a good spot to meet someone for a first date. If you look around, you see that it’s attracting everybody—young adults and professionals.”

In the holiday spirit, Lauren Almanza, the store manager, announced specially-themed evenings for the 10 following Fridays, with a Kiwanis toy drive planned for this week.

“We’re looking at a lot of organizations in the community to connect with and build awareness,” Almanza said.

The move toward alcohol and upscale hors d’oeuvres isn’t the first expansion by the prolific company famed for having stores across the street from other stores (indeed, one only needs to meander across the parking lot to Albertsons to find another Starbucks inside the market.)

This fall in San Francisco, Starbucks delved into Jamba Juice territory with the opening of its first Evolution Fresh Inc. juicery outside of its home state of Washington. The company also recently acquired the global tea company Teavana for $620 million and launched stores as far as India.

But here at home, this location in the heart of Calabasas may be a litmus test for expanding to other Southern California locations, and may be a staging point to incorporate uber-local vintners and musicians into the Evenings scene–as has been the case in Seattle where winemakers often appear in the store to showcase their products.

“We’ve expanded into areas where there was a need and that’s why we expanded into Calabasas,” Martinez said. “There was a customer interest.”

Starbucks Grows Up With a Wine and Beer Menu – Patch.com is a post from Ambrico

And that goes for existing fireplaces or those being installed from scratch, said Justin Gilbert of Brubaker Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Fireplaces, 404 W. Wackerly St.

According to Gilbert, who has been working in the industry for more than 20 years, folks can choose from gas and wood-free standing stoves and zero-clearance fireplaces, which is a pre-fabricated box manufactured and made out of steel.

“You can set it anywhere in the house and build around it,” Gilbert said. “It replaces the old ways of brick and mortar fireplaces.”

The best place to add a fireplace is in the most used area of the home. In most cases, that tends to be somewhere between the living room and the kitchen.

To install a brand new fireplace costs between $5,000 and $7,000, Gilbert said.

“Everyone is different. A lot of it depends on what they want around it,” he said. “Tile and a mantle would be cheaper than specialized stone. A lot of times, people will put TVs above them so they’re becoming kind of more of an entertainment center if you will.”

There are many options — you can install stone veneer, brick, tile or even granite around a fireplace.

From beginning to end, Gilbert said his crew could have a fireplace installed within a week or less. The construction usually involves a combination of lumber, drywall, cement board and steel studs, in some cases.

Gilbert recommends going with gas rather than wood for basements. While a wood burning fireplace is possible, often times there is too much negative pressure in a basement.

“You’re always fighting negative pressure and negative pressure will make the fireplace smoke,” he said. “It’s just not the most ideal place.”

As far as venting goes, there are two options. An air-cooled chimney is less efficient but pretty standard for most old traditional fireplaces. A Class-A insulated chimney would be the right choice for higher-efficiency wood burning fireplaces.

For those with fireplaces already in their home, Gilbert recommends installing a direct-vent gas insert or a high-efficiency wood insert. On average inserts cost around $3,000.

“The vents will make the fireplace more efficient by keeping your heated room air inside the house,” he said. “The old brick and mortar fireplaces are actually very inefficient. You take more heat out of the house than you’re actually burning. The heated room air that you create is going out the chimney.”

Gilbert said he typically recommends city homeowners go with the direct-vent gas insert and those in the country use the wood insert.

“It would make more sense for them to burn wood to save some money on their heating bills, especially when they’re out there in propane country or using fuel oil for that matter,” Gilbert said. “Plus, people usually have more access to wood in the country.”

No matter what you choose, there will be a savings. For example, Gilbert said the gas inserts typically use about one-third of the BTUs that a furnace would use to heat the entire home.

“So they’re naturally going to save money on their Consumer’s bill,” Gilbert said. “It’s definitely an investment in energy savings. The word insert to me means efficient.”

Oftentimes, the payback is even greater on a wood-burning insert. Gilbert said one of his customers spent $5,000 on propane one winter and with the insert, he now spends about $800 a season.

“That truly has happened,” he said. “There is a significant savings. Wood inserts are meant to burn 24/7. I have guys who start burning in November and they don’t stop until March.”

Gilbert said people buy fireplaces for two reasons: To save money on utility billa and because they want something that looks nice.

Gas inserts come in a variety of specialized forms such as stone or glass.

“You don’t necessarily have to have logs,” he said. “They have some really cool options now. A lot of the styles are much more modern. It’s the European influence.”

Gilbert said he is happy to show people the many options available in the showroom of Brubaker’s to see what is best for their individual needs.

“We have a lot of options,” he said. “There’s definitely an investment, but it’s worth it.”

Copyright 2012 Midland Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Warming your home with a fireplace – Midland Daily News is a post from Ambrico