Weis Blott

When building an outdoor fireplace, the very first thing to consider is whether you want a log burning or gas fuelled kind. You or your contractor cannot even begin to construct your fireplace without first deciding on this. As with everything else, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

A fireplace that burns logs is romantic. It re-lives olden times and makes you wax nostalgic. The dancing flames and the crackling sounds from the logs are often attractive. The downside is that with the embers floating into the air you can end up burning not just the logs but the whole house. You may also have storage issues with the logs. And then there are the ashes that have to be cleaned out.

An outdoor gas fireplace does away with the embers, storage problems, and the ashes. It is easier to light up and burns more efficiently than the logs. Gas, however, is more expensive than logs. And it eliminates the romance and nostalgia as well as the dancing flames and crackling sounds.

Both types of outdoor fireplaces will provide you with enough warmth so you and your family and friends can continue spending your nights outside even during the cold months. Whichever type you choose be sure to observe all safety precautions and local ordinances regulating outdoor fireplaces.

Medical insurance while overseas can be of two kinds –one for a short trip as when you are merely going on a vacation, or for an extended period such as when you have work to perform abroad. To distinguish the short trip version, it is sometimes referred to as an international travel insurance. Apart from the length of time of coverage, however, there is really no substantial difference between the two. For the short trips, periods of as few as seven days up to one year are available. The longer-term policies extend from one year to three years.

International medical insurance normally covers all medical expenses while on foreign soil. Major medical expenses and hospitalization are reimbursable up to the limit of your coverage. Such coverage can be as high as US$1,000,000.

Special rates and policies are available for students, faculties, and researchers or scholars studying full-time abroad. Coverage can run up to one year, subject to renewal, with a limit of US$500,000.

Frequent fliers can also avail of a short-term 30-day policy, or a one year plan. This would cover them regardless of where they are flying to. Either of these policies could be worth as much as US$1,000,000.