Winter days got you down? Struggling to get cozy under a
pile of blankets with the heat turned up as high as your budget can bare, may
still not be enough to get the chill out of your toes. So, maybe you’re considering a fireplace. Or
you already have one and just haven’t used it yet. There are a few options
available to you.
The Real Deal
If you’re house already has a fireplace, with a functional
chimney and flue, then a crackling, cozy fire may be a great option for you.
Fires are beautiful and romantic. The sound and heat can be soothing. The smell
nostalgic. It’s a really great touch to a cold winter’s day in.
However, there are some things you should be aware of if you
plan to use a real fireplace on a regular basis. First, there’s the issue of
having firewood on hand. If you don’t have the means to chop your own, then
you’ll want to find someone that can provide you with adequately sized wood in
abundance. Buying small bundles at a box store isn’t really economical.
You should know that a real fireplace is hard on your
electric bill if used regularly. It robs your home of warm air through the
chimney because you have to have it open to pull smoke out through the flue.
While sitting next to the fire is nice and toasty, the rest of your home will
get cooler, requiring you to turn up the thermostat.
And there’s also the costs of keeping your chimney clean.
You should have it cleaned either at the end of the season or before the season
starts. Failing to clean the chimney each year could increase the risk of a
flue fire.
Wood Burning Stove
A wood burning stove is a way to
enjoy the heat of a fire without dramatically increasing heating costs. Wood
burning stoves are very efficient way to heat a home because heat radiates from
all sides, bringing the whole fire into the home. Like any fire, it draws air from
the home and up the chimney, but the heat from the stove is far greater than
the warm air lost.
Frequently you’ll see a wood burning stove set in front of a
fireplace opening, which is now closed off with the exception of where the
stove pipe feeds into the chimney. Or,
if the stove is set in the room without a fireplace, the pipes feed out of the
house through a flue that is not opening drawing heat from the room.
The down side to a wood burning stove is that there is no
pretty fire to look at, because it’s in an enclosed space. Additionally, any
firewood you have must be cut specifically to fit in the space of your wood
stove, which can limit how easy it is to have wood on hand if your stove is
small. You also still have to dispose of the ashes and have the chimney cleaned
annually.
Gas Fireplace
This is your no mess, no heat-loss option. While the heat
output of a gas fireplace isn’t as dramatic, it sort of balances out better
than a conventional fireplace would. Most gas fireplaces pull oxygen for the
fire from outside the home (through a vent system). It provides a nice ambiance
for the room, though you won’t have the crackling sound or the wood burning
smell (and it always looks the same as it did the time before).
This is the more realistic option too, if your house does
not come equipped with a chimney. Because adding a chimney would be
outrageously expensive compared to purchasing a gas fireplace that
looks like a fireplace because it sits
right against the wall, looking beautiful, without the expense of a home
renovation.
Heatilator has come out
with some innovative gas fireplace designs that are beautiful and put out a lot
of heat, so innovation is moving in the right direction.
Whichever route you chose,
HA Construction recommends that you
avoid a ventless/electric fireplace. The flame is so unimpressive that it
doesn’t even need to vent out of the house. There is very little heat output
and, if you’re looking for ambiance, you’ll likely be disappointed with this
option.
