The fireplace is probably one of the main center pieces in the living room. Very often, when guests step in the house, the fireplace is the first thing that they notice. Perhaps the fire and heat attracts attention naturally. After all, the fireplace does take up quite a fair amount of space.

Due to its visibility, more and more homeowners are starting to pay attention to the aesthetics of their fireplaces. The fireplace, besides providing heat and warmth, should also help beautify the home. Therefore, many homeowners are now looking into remodeling their fireplaces.

You can remodel a fireplace with many different types of materials such as cast iron or stone. Stone tend to be the popular choice these days, and there are several reasons why this is so. Let's take a look at why and how you can use stone to remodel your fireplace.

First of all, know that there are many different types of stone, and they include granite, limestone, masonry, marble, etc. Of course, you may have observed that there is a different price tag attached to different stone. Granite and limestone may be more affordable options because they are widely available.

Stone can enhance the appearance of your fireplace because some stones come with natural patterns. To keep things simple, homeowners can choose to leave these default patterns on the stone, and just use it to remodel the fireplace. This approach will help reduce installation cost, as not a great deal of labor is required.

However, some homeowners may prefer rare or exclusive designs. If that's what you want, you can't go for ready made designs. What you want are custom fireplace designs. Stone, compared to other materials such as wood, are much harder to work with. Hand carving, which requires skills and experience, may be required. Hence, be prepared to shell out a premium price for custom stone designs.

Almost all stone are fire resistant materials, and they are very durable. Once installed, they can last for many years, assuming that they are not exposed to extremely hard knocks. A light layer of dust may settle on the stone surface every now and then, and all you need to do, is to keep it clean by wiping the dust off with a damp cloth. There will not be any rust or rotting.

Remodeling a fireplace with stone involves working with heavy materials. So it's best that the installation is completed by a professional contractor. Before contacting one, be sure to take accurate measurements for your fireplace so that you can obtain timely quotations for your fireplace.

If you run out of ideas, you can always consult a fireplace product catalog, or you can browse the Internet. There are tons of relevant information available, and for sure, you will be able to get some inspiration from the designs that you come across.