A fresh new year has arrived once again. It’s the time to be thankful for everything we have and for everything we have achieved in the past year. But it is also time to start new, start strong, and accomplish everything we want to do this year.

It is also time for us to say “Thank You” for our success last year. If you are an existing associate, we have enjoyed working with you. If we are just embarking on a new relationship with you in 2017, we look forward to the opportunity. We are excited for what we all can achieve in 2017.

The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. – Melody Beattie

Happy New Year from The Fireplace and Grill Shop at West Sport in Sudbury!

Nothing beats gathering around the fire in winter. Unfortunately, a wood-burning fireplace could be a major source of energy loss in your home, sending your utility bills sky high.

However, you don't need to sacrifice the fire to improve your home's energy efficiency and reduce your heating bills. It's possible to convert your wood fireplace into an efficient heat source with the following tips.

Consider a gas fireplace insert. They generate more radiant heat and are cleaner to maintain than traditional masonry style wood-burning fireplaces, which are a leading source of indoor air loss.

Traditional wood fireplaces add a lot of charm to a home, but they are inefficient even when they aren't in use. A gas fireplace insert is a great alternative to maintain the ambiance a fire creates while enhancing efficiency.

A gas fireplace insert is cleaner, too, creating no ash, soot or smoke. New models use energy-saving technology to increase efficiency and are low maintenance, turning on and off with the flip of a switch. Learn more about the benefits of a gas fireplace insert by visiting West Sport in Sudbury.

If you can't part with the aroma, crackle and act of building a real fire, consider wood inserts, which can be an easy, clean and efficient alternative as well.

If making the upgrade to an insert is not possible, a few simple steps can drastically improve the energy efficiency of your fireplace.

First, when the fireplace is not in use, close the chimney damper. You'll prevent warm air and your money from going up and out the chimney. A flue sealer is an affordable, inflatable stopper that fits below the damper to further seal off the chimney and is a worthwhile purchase.

Proper maintenance can also go far to improve your fireplace's efficiency. Have it inspected, maintained and cleaned annually. Even if you love DIY, you may want to hire a contractor to ensure the job is done safely and thoroughly.

Consider adding glass fireplace doors to the front of your fireplace to help reduce the draft and improve the look. There are many styles available to enhance your interior design.

This winter, bring together both traditional charm and modern energy efficiency.

For more information, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

newsok.com

It is once again "end-of-year" blog post reflection time.  If you are reading this blog post, you care enough about us and our business to invest a minute or two reading here.  That means a lot to us.  The primary reason for this blog is to educate and inform our readers; as an ongoing act of giving thanks for the privilege of earning your continued trust and continued professional partnerships. So we're glad you're here.

We reflect today on the blessings that so many of you bring to both our personal and professional lives. Over the course of 2016, we hope that we have made a difference in many personal and professional lives. This is the true essence and a key measure of professional reward and business success.

It is our sincere wish that all of you bask in the joy of reflection and within the warm confines of family and friends throughout this Holiday season and throughout 2017. Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

-from all of us here at The Grill Shop and Fireplace Center at West Sport in Sudbury.

#HowYouLive

The SÓLAS TWENTY6 VF is a versatile wall mount “landscape” design gas fireplace that can be placed in almost any room in a variety of home, condo, and commercial settings.

This Solas Gas Fireplace is also an ideal model for homeowners who want to add supplemental zone heating at “couch height”. This wall hanging gas fireplace is the answer for an easy and flexible fireplace installation, with no requirement for non-combustible materials, specialized construction, framing, or venting. With five interchangeable surround options available, this widely-popular fireplace is the perfect choice in both modern and traditional interiors. A state of the art programmable thermostatic remote control and a safety screen come as standard. Optional Corner Mounting Kit available.

This contemporary model is heater rated and offers a spectacular flame picture which is enhanced by the reflective porcelain enamel firebox liners. The unit offers today’s discerning consumer designer styling with a wide range of surround colors and options available. The surround can be changed in a matter of seconds, without the use of tools. So, if you decide to change your room’s decor the fireplace can be updated quickly and inexpensively to complement the new look of your room.

This gas fireplace is perfect for condominiums or apartments that don’t allow you to install venting. The fireplace is also perfect for homeowners who have a room in their home where they would like a gas fireplace without the hassle. After having the gas run, this fireplace takes minutes to install.

For more information, contact The Fireplace and Grill Center at West Sport.

Info from solasfires.com

The Farmers’ Almanac offers weather predictions, and forewarns of a mixed bag of wintry weather for both December and January. But it’s really February when the frigid temperatures take hold (northern tier states could see ambient air temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero!). This is the month you want to make sure your heat works, you have a wood burning fireplace insert, your long johns are washed, and your slippers are nearby.

What about Snow?

Get the snow blowers ready in the East! An active storm track will deliver above-normal precipitation to the Southeast, Northeast and New England states throughout most of the winter, especially February (see above!). In addition, another active storm will deliver a dose of above-normal precipitation across the Western States. Meanwhile, near or below-normal precipitation will cover the nation’s midsection.

Do you want to be warm this winter? If so, come in to West Sport in Sudbury to see our selection of wood burning fireplace inserts so you can stay warm this winter.

For more information, contact us.

farmersalmanac.com

A crackling fireplace during the winter is an aesthetically pleasing heat source and a desirable one in many homes, and it’s an asset the National Association of Realtors estimates can add as much as $12,000 to a home’s value.

How often the unit will be used, whether its purpose is ornamental or utilitarian, a homeowner’s cost limitations, or whether the heater is built during construction or added to an existing home factor into choosing the right type of unit.

Generally, there are three – gas, wood-burning and pellet units – and local suppliers offer varying recommendations to their clientele.

Pellet stoves are a popular choice because of their energy efficiency, but because they run on electricity, they’re not 100 percent reliable as a heat source, even with a backup generator.

Gas fireplace inserts are more expensive to fuel than wood units, but they’re less labor-intensive, or cheaper to install and provide a cleaner burn. Unlike wood, they also don’t leave creosote deposits, the leading cause of chimney fires.

Wood-burning fireplace inserts are favored as the most authentic option, but they need more maintenance and tend to be the most arduous to fuel. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association rates older wood-burning models manufactured before 1990 at 10 percent efficiency or less.

But fireplaces and stoves are becoming much cleaner sources of heat and decoration because of new and more rigorous federal emissions standards.

All Environmental Protection Agency-certified wood stoves meet an emissions standard of no more than 4.5 grams per hour. By 2020, that emission limit for room heaters will fall to 2 grams per hour, a standard announced in 2015 to be phased in over five years.

Homeowners can take their own steps to boost overall efficiency by installing fireplace inserts – boxes of steel or cast iron that fit into the fireplace unit, connect to a flue and create a cleaner burn; an insert can increase a wood-burning fireplace’s efficiency up to 80 percent.

They basically fill cavities in the fireplace so it doesn’t lose heat. Selecting the right type of fuel, particularly with wood-burning stoves, also cuts down on excessive smoke.

Cured, seasoned wood is important. If it’s been split and stacked, sitting there for a year, that’s probably not usable wood.

Homeowners should never burn anything in a wood-burning unit other than well-seasoned wood with a moisture content below 25 percent. Likewise, homeowners should never burn anything in a natural gas unit other than natural gas. Gas logs are typically installed in a way to maximize unit efficiency, so homeowners shouldn’t rearrange these for cosmetic purposes.

In addition to consulting with suppliers about the best option, a homeowner can use the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association home heating calculator to help determine the most cost-effective and clean unit.

For more information on stoves and inserts, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

durangoherald.com

West Sport encourages Consumers to Shop Small on November 26, 2016 – West Sport is a family-owned, full-service fireplace and grill shop with the knowledge and expertise to help you with any hearth  and  home improvement project. We are proud to announce our participation in the seventh annual Small Business Saturday, taking place on November 26, 2016. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to strengthening the community by supporting local small businesses.

Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2015, 95 million consumers shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday and spent an estimated $16.2 billion dollars at independent retailers and restaurants on the day.

The Fireplace Shop and Grill Center at West Sport is a premium member of Independent We Stand, a national small business movement and a partner of the Small Business Saturday event. Independent We Stand and its member businesses and partners seek to focus attention on the importance of small businesses across the nation, the jobs they create, and the economic benefit they provide their local communities.

“This national event encourages people to reinvest in their communities by shopping with local” said Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand. “Locally owned retailers return 3x more to local economies then chain stores, so Small Business Saturday shoppers will be supporting their communities when they support their favorite local businesses.”

“We’ve been selling hearth and grill products around the Boston area for over 40 years and we treat our customers as our neighbors and friends. We offer top of the line fireplace and hearth products as well as outdoor grills. We pride ourselves on our knowledge, products, and customer service. Come and shop with us this Saturday let us help you make the right decision for your home and your lifestyle.” Larry Shewan, Owner.

For more information, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

Whether it’s the corner café with the delicious dark roast or the record store down the road that sells vintage vinyl, we all have a favorite small business. The Fireplace Shop and Grill Center at West Sport is proud to support Small Business Saturday, the day dedicated to celebrating these beloved businesses.

Let’s help make this Small Business Saturday one of the biggest yet. Here’s what you can do:

• GO OUT AND SHOP: Make sure to support the businesses in your neighborhood on Nov 26
• SHARE YOUR SUPPORT: “Like” and share posts from Small Business Saturday and Independent We Stand Facebook pages to get friends and family to #ShopSmall
•  JOIN IN: Visit ShopSmall.com to get more ideas on what you can do for the big day

Get out and Shop Small to make an impact on your community. Thanks for your support! To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com or IndependentWeStand.org.

For more information on The Fireplace and Grill Shop at West Sport or Small Business Saturday, contact us.

Unlike open wood burning fireplace or old decorative gas fireplaces, today’s gas fireplace inserts are heat-producing dynamos that use propane or natural gas to fuel a steady flame on realistic looking logs, decorative modern glass chips, or stones behind a sealed glass face.

Gas inserts for fireplaces can be used in masonry or prefab fireplaces; they can be vented through the existing chimney (or a wall for a free-standing unit).

Gas is the easiest fireplace insert to use and needs very little maintenance. Flip a switch; have fire. Its best application is for zone heating—turning up the gas in the room you’re in and lowering the thermostat in the rest of your house.

Green Factor: 58% to 85% efficiency rating; very little pollution, smoke, ash, or creosote. Zoned heating allows you to reduce overall fuel consumption.

Ventless versions burn very clean — they have to, because they also release pollutants into your home. In fact, some states don’t allow ventless systems.

Because fuel prices change constantly, any saving measurements are a moving target. Roughly speaking, yearly savings could range from $64-$255 (based on an average heating bill of $638) if you use an insert for zoned heating and turn down your thermostat.

For more information contact West Sport in Sudbury.

www.houselogic.com

Adapt your fireplace, an inefficient heating source, with a fireplace insert to improve efficiency and maintain that cozy hearth look while generating heat.

Sitting before a crackling fire may be your favorite way to warm up this winter, but an open fireplace isn’t only an inefficient heating source, it also can create high levels of smoke inside and outside your home.

But an energy-saving wood burning insert lets you transform your existing hearth into a super-efficient heater that can cut your energy bills — by as much as 40%.

However, savings vary greatly depending on the insert’s efficiency, your climate, your home’s layout, the R-value of your insulation, the height of your ceiling, and regional differences in fuel costs, which are constantly in flux.

What You'll Spend

Inserts generally run about $3,000 to $4,000, including installation and a chimney liner.

But don’t rely on any insert as a primary heater; you need a furnace just in case something goes wrong and to protect pipes from freezing in cold climates.

Wood-Burning Insert Creates Real Heat With Real Logs

If a freestanding wood stove is too large to fit into your hearth or the style of your hearth makes it impractical, you can opt for a wood-burning insert — a wood stove without legs. This firebox slides into your existing masonry or metal fireplace and burns real logs.

Your installer snakes a stainless steel liner down your chimney and fits a decorative flange made of black cast iron or steel or colored porcelain around the insert, hiding its steel sides and filling the gap between the box and your hearth.

A front door with ceramic glass radiates heat into the room. You open the door to stack the wood, then shut it, on most models, while your fire is burning. Most wood-burning inserts also create convection heat with a fan located underneath the firebox.

Wood-burning inserts can heat anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 sq. ft., depending on their size. Inserts are small enough to fit into most traditional masonry fireplaces.

An insert designed to heat 1,500 square feet will burn for three to five hours before you need to reload; for 1,500 to 3,000 sq. ft., you usually have an eight- to 10-hour burn window.

Green Factor: Efficiency rating of 60% to 80% on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified models.

For more information contact West Sport in Sudbury.

houselogic.com