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Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins Expands Services

MARTINS FERRY — For nearly 40 years, Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins has specialized in helping residents of the Ohio Valley stay warm and cozy during the cold winter months.

In keeping with that tradition, Scott Stephens, general manager and CEO, said the store, located at 1211 S. Zane Highway, Martins Ferry, is expanding its offerings.

“Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins now has three staff members who are certified chimney professionals. We listened to the needs of our customers and many of them needed their chimneys swept in preparation for the coming season. We decided to go one step further, and invested in a high-definition chimney inspection camera system. Our crew will scan a chimney after sweeping it to look for cracked, broken or missing flue tile,” Stephens said.

The ability to scan chimneys this way is a first for the Ohio Valley, and this service is also required when having a product installed.

“You can’t really tell if a chimney can be used by just looking at it. Before we can install a liner system, whether for wood burning or gas burning, we have to know the condition of the chimney. If the chimney is fine, then the customer has peace of mind knowing they can burn their unit,” he said.

However, Stephens cautions, maintaining a safe chimney requires diligence.

“Over firing an appliance can cause a chimney to break down, and this can lead to a very dangerous situation. And while fire often causes damage to a chimney, water is actually its biggest enemy — causing mortar to break and bricks to loosen,” Stephens said.

Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins offers stainless steel chimney covers to help prevent this type of damage.

In addition to its chimney services, Fireplace ‘N’ Fixins offers an extensive line of wood, gas and electric fireplaces, stoves and inserts. Plus, the shop recently opened a new barbecue grill showroom.

“We’ve been selling the Big Green Egg ceramic kamado-style grill/smoker for several years. Last fall, we picked up the Green Mountain Grills line of pellet smokers (with Wi-Fi) and this spring we added Napoleon for our gas grill line,” Stephens said. “Sales are up over 60 percent this year, which tells me we’re right on track. I’m a barbecue enthusiast, and discovered there was no place in the Ohio Valley that could cater to my interests, so I just started one. Grilling can be done on any day in any weather. So it’s not a seasonal product for us. We have become a barbecue headquarters and customers are coming from over two hours away to buy our products, share recipes or just talk about their love of grilling. It’s great.”

There currently are more than 60 different hearth and grill units on display in their showroom, and as has been the case for 39 years, their specialty remains high-efficiency heating.

“A significant portion of our business is inserts. These are units that convert an existing inefficient wood fireplace into a high-efficiency wood or gas appliance that functions as a central heating system,” Stephens said. “It’s what I have in my home and we love it.”

Inserts come in a variety of sizes and styles to complement any decor. Many customers also come to Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins to purchase a new wood burning or gas burning unit or to replace a worn out unit.

The staff at Fireplaces ‘N’ Fixins is professional and knowledgeable.

“We do our best to keep up on the latest trends, codes and regulations. Our sales staff really know the industry and the products we sell; and our install crew, well, I would put them up against any crew in the country. They’re that good,” Stephens said.

Whether it is a wood burning stove with a push start, an electric fireplace with color-changing LED lighting, a gas fireplace with handmade iron doors, or that new barbecue grill with Wi-Fi, The House of Fire has what you’re looking for.

“We don’t have everything that’s out there, but I think we do a pretty good job,” Stephens said.

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