Should you have an electric fireplace for your home? It may be the most economical, energy efficient and ecologically viable heating option available, but not for you. You need to weigh how your house is built, the climate in your area, and your local heating options carefully.

If the whole home needs heating, an electric fireplace costs more relative to the energy it produces. On the other hand, if heating is not a necessity, or if you only have to heat a single room, it's the perfect option.

Electric heating may also generate a larger carbon footprint, although you may not have found about it before. If your town uses electric plants that run on fossil fuels, these plants squander energy in the process of producing and transmitting electricity. An electric fireplace is ideal if it is only for a single room, or if you don't have room to install a real fireplace. It's also viable if you're only using it for recreation, and not as the house's main heating system.

To make it even more decorative, you can install fireplace mantel surrounds in with your fireplace. They also make it look more like a genuine coal-fired fireplace. The labor needed to install or replace mantel surrounds will require a lot of work hours, but little skill.

Mantels can also be used as another set of shelves. In many cases, these faux fireplaces may already have with their own fireplace mantel surrounds. If you do need to change the surround, or just want to change the design, it may have to be custom fitted. This should be a cinch since it's easy to get customized surrounds over the internet.

You can opt to get stone fireplace mantels for a fireplace with a more stable appearance. You'll want to do this if you intend to use the fireplace in one area only. It will also look more imposing as a result.

An electric fireplace is ideal if you are only heating one room, or if you don't have place to install a real fireplace. It's also feasible if you only want it for nostalgic or decorative reasons, and you don't need it to provide centralized heating. Fireplace mantel surrounds also function as an additional set of shelves. You can opt to get stone fireplace mantels for a fireplace with a more stable and convincing appearance.