CT Post: Milford fireplace store helps make homes warm, toasty

MILFORD -- Cozying up with a cup of hot cocoa in front of a crackling fire for some is the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon during the colder months.

Nick Vernucci, owner of Fireplace, etc, in Milford, has made a business creating warm oases from winter weather.

A longtime city resident, Vernucci, 48, opened Fireplace, etc, nearly a decade ago, spending more than 20 years in the hearth industry.

Opening shop on Boston Post Road, Vernucci gutted what was formerly an aquarium store, and filled the 1,800 square feet with everything from outdoor fire pits to traditional mantled hearths.

With 80 percent of homes having at least one fireplace or stove, and 21 percent having two or more, fireplace sales and installations represent a $5 billion industry, according to the 2011 State of the Hearth Industry Report.

The average cost of an open, EPA-certified wood fireplace runs between $3,000-$5,000; same goes for a gas fireplace, and an electric fireplace costs from as little as $500 up to $3,000.

Providing installation, repairs, and maintenance, Fireplace, etc services homes throughout the state.

"I pull from all over the state because we offer screens that people don't have or we have 40 different tool sets that a lot of places just don't sell. There aren't many hearth stores around this area," Vernucci said.

Fireplace, etc carries a selection of gas and electric fireplaces, wood burning stoves and inserts, as well as decorative hearth items like over 100 different fireplace screens, log holders and mantels.

"We've got child gates, cook skewers, chestnut roasters, popcorn poppers, ash buckets, hearth rugs -- you name it we've got it," Vernucci said.

He said the bulk of his business comes from glass enclosures and fireplace inserts, which help to ensure a fireplace not only creates ambiance, but also efficiently heats a home.

"Fireplaces don't give heat. They generally make the house cold, sucking the heat out the chimney, unless you have something to force the heat back in like a gas, pellet or wood insert for high efficiency," Vernucci said. "Using a high efficiency unit, you could cut the cost of your heating and oil bill a great deal. There is also a tax credit for any Bio Mass products."

Using hearth appliances as a supplemental heat source allows a house's thermostat to be turned down, therefore lowering heating costs. This "zone heating" can provide energy savings of 20 to 40 percent, according to the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy.

Pat Smith, project manager for West Haven-based Baybrook Remodelers, said the remodeling company has used Fireplace, etc for dozens of jobs over the past five years.

"If our customers want a fireplace of any kind, we recommend Fireplace, etc.," Smith said. "We've used them on a number of different jobs -- gas fireplaces, wood fireplaces, inserts, from large extravagant fireplaces to smaller units -- and they've always responded to the needs of our customers at a reasonable cost."

Fireplace, etc: 912 Boston Post Road, Milford; 203-876-1898