What is Fireplace Refacing and How Does it Transform Your Home?

With the winter season upon us in Chicagoland, this is the time when the fireplace becomes the heart of the home. Fireplaces provide our homes with comfort, warmth, and a focal point in our living spaces. Over time, even the most beautiful fireplaces can lose their appeal once wear and tear, and time forces them into looking ancient, out of style, and not so attractive.

Fireplace refacing can change that outdated look and revitalize your living spaces at a much lower cost than fireplace renovation. In this blog, we’re going to explain what fireplace refacing is, what it entails, and how fireplace refacing can revolutionize your home. 

What Is Fireplace Refacing?

Fireplace refacing is the process of updating the appearance of your fireplace’s external structures. It’s kind of like giving your fireplace a facelift. Professionals will replace the surrounding materials like the surround, mantel, and facing with new materials without rebuilding the entire structure. 

Fireplace refacing transforms your home by creating a more stylish or modern focal point to enhance the decor of your home without tearing out the old fireplace and constructing a new one. Instead, fireplace refacing focuses on making cosmetic improvements that will enhance your fireplace appearance, creating a look that fits with the decor of the room. 

What Does Fireplace Refacing Involve?

Covering the existing finish of your fireplace with stone, tile, wood, or metal is the general idea of fireplace refacing. This typically includes changes to the hearth and mantle. In short, it’s a cosmetic makeover for the fireplace. 

What Are the Benefits of Fireplace Refacing?

1. Aesthetic Augmentation: The best reason to reface your fireplace is the immediate change and improvement you will see when the masonry professionals are completed with the job. The visual appeal of your fireplace is instantly better. You’ll be able to select from materials like stone, brick, tile, and wood so the look compliments the rest of your home’s accouterment. 
2. Cost-Effective: A full fireplace remodel is far more expensive than a fireplace refacing. Refacing will help you avoid all the larger expenses that come with a full fireplace replacement, which is a major construction. The results you get from fireplace refacing can be dramatic with simple changes without going into debt. 
3. Increases Home Value: Your home value will increase after a fireplace refacing because it significantly enhances the aesthetic. If you are selling, this is a fantastic way to get potential buyer’s attention. They often consider fireplaces when choosing a new home, and if yours looks updated and modern, they’ll be more likely to place a bid. 
4. It’s Sustainable: As long as the core of your fireplace is structurally sound, fireplace refacing is a more sustainable option. When you reface, you avoid tearing out perfectly good materials only to end up in a landfill. Fireplace refacing is a way to repurpose what you already have. It’s an eco-friendly choice. 

What are the Best Ways to Enhance a Fireplace with Refacing?

Select a Style

Before you begin refacing your fireplace, you want to consider the design theme of your home. Are you a fan of contemporary decor, with sleek lines, or do you prefer traditional styles that offer a rustic look to your home? You want to use your home decor as inspiration for your fireplace refacing. 

Select the Materials

The most common materials used for fireplace refacing are natural stone, brick, wood, and tile. Below you can read about each in depth. 

Natural Stone: This material will give your fireplace an elegant, timeless appearance. This is perfect for rustic or traditional decors. 

Brick:  Painted or left natural, brick offers functionality and pleasing aesthetics for a charming appeal. 

Wood:  Wood adds texture and warmth to your fireplace. It’s the perfect material for mantels and surrounds. 

Tile:  Tile offers versatility that other materials don’t. Tile comes in a wide range of patterns and colors. Best of all, tile is easy to clean. 

Do You Need Fireplace Refacing in Chicagoland or Northwest Indiana?

Fireplace refacing is a wonderful way to rejuvenate an important home feature. You can customize and be creative without doing an extensive renovation. If you live in the areas of Orland Park, Frankfort, IL, or St. John, or Crown Point, IN, contact Custom Brick & Stone today. We have been refacing fireplaces for more than twenty years. Our masonry experts are here to help you with design and stylistic choices.