Buy? or DIY? Tabletop Fireplace

Have you seen the Tabletop Fireplaces?

• Offers all the benefits of a regular sized fireplace in a compact, portable design
• Suitable for indoor or outdoor use
• Utilizes isopropyl alcohol for a clean burn that doesn’t create soot and is safe to eat over
• Built from a nearly magical cement material that doesn’t overheat or crumble after hours of exposure to heat
• With only five ounces of isopropyl alcohol, you can achieve 50 minutes of burn time
• Excellent accent piece in the home to add functional ambiance
• The FLIKR Personal Fireplace is $99

You can also build your own DIY tabletop Fireplace:

An ethanol fireplace (also bio-ethanol fireplace, bio fireplace), is a type of fireplace which burns ethanol fuel. They are often installed without a chimney. Ethanol for these fires is often marketed as bioethanol (ethanol produced from biomass).

A simple glass ethanol burner or spirit lamp The main part of the fireplace is the burner. The burner is a container filled with fuel – in this case a thick glass votive. It is surrounded by glass marbles and glass pieces held in a concrete container.

In dievca’s case: she doesn’t have a car, so getting to a Wal-Mart or Michael’s for the pieces is awkward.  If you have a car – the process will be much easier and cheaper to make the fireplace, rather than purchasing one online.

BTW:  Ethanol fireplaces should be operated with care, since ethanol is highly flammable, and severe burn accidents can happen, mostly while refilling or lighting the fireplace, even when safety instructions are followed. Emissions from ethanol fireplaces include carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate emissions, which are released into the room.

Ethanol fireplaces — irrespective of the type of fuel used — are a source of fine and ultrafine particles and have a considerable influence on the quality of the indoor air; ventilation reduces the effect. Ethanol may also generate odors. Burning hydrocarbons causes indoor air pollution. Emissions include airborne particulate matter (such as black carbon) and nitrogen oxides. These harm health; some forms of fuel are more harmful than others.