Jonathan seems to suggest a gas insert for nearly every fireplace they see on this show. I understand that gas fireplaces are more convenient, but there is just something nice about the heat and crackle you get from a wood-burning fireplace. Not to mention it saves on your gas bill. The only major "must have" for our house was a wood-burning fireplace, which I love.
shareI converted my fireplace from wood to gas; cost of wood, the mess, and the ability and convenience far surpasses the crackle and smell.
shareI much prefer wood. My house doesn't have a chimney so I had to go with gas. It looks nice.
After that fire in Madonna Badger's house I sort of gave up feeling bad about it. All they did was leave the ashes on the side of the house and they were apparently still smoldering. So many people do that. So sad.
I too, prefer wood burning fireplaces over gas, though I do prefer gas starter fireplaces that can still burn wood. You just turn the gas on in the beginning, light the fire, let it burn for a bit, then turn the gas off, and continue adding wood as needed.
Unfortunately, I have a full gas fireplace. I almost never use it. I'm hoping one day to be able to convert it into a gas starter that burns wood.
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I have a gas fireplace and I never use it because it's a gas fireplace and not a wood fireplace. NOTHING compares to being able to have a woodburning fireplace (unless you are in Ireland and can add peat to the wood).
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When buying my first house it had a wood burning fireplace in it. We actually had a hard time finding homeowners insurance.
Not sure if this is the reason he suggests gas fireplaces? But we did have a couple insurance companies tell us that if we were willing to convert it to a gas fireplace we would get insured.
Finally ended up finding a place that would insure us, and we had to get like a second home inspection just for the fireplace.
The second home we bought actually had the fireplace converted to gas just for that exact reason.
I will admit they are way more convenient than wood fireplaces. Especially living in a city where finding firewood sometimes it's not that easy.
Many years ago our family has a wood burning fireplace that we converted to gas. It wasn't as cozy but it was much easier than cutting wood or buy it. We had artificial logs and it actually looked really nice. Still, I did love that wood burning smell and the adventure od getting the thing started. ๐
shareHey Ziggy - you know anything about pellet stoves? We just finished our rebuild at the Jersey Shore, after Superstorm Sandy, and planned all along on putting in a pellet stove. Unfortunately, after a little research, it appears that many people feel they are fraught with problems. The one off-putting fact to me is that they don't work in a power outage (absent the presence of a generator). We've had a woodstove at home forever, and while the firewood does create a fair amount of work, you are guaranteed a cozy fire every time. Thanks for any knowledge you may share. :)
I don't think you will usually have trouble getting Homeowners insurance if you have a wood-burning fireplace. But I can understand the company wanting a chimney inspection by a certified technician (sweep). The homeowner should want that too, given the risks of fire. Creosote build up is a real hazard, as are defects in the chimney. Coincidentally, a home in our area burned to the ground just two days ago, due to the fireplace.
If you have a wood-burning stove, it is more problematic. I can see insurance companies shying away from them. Again, an inspection is recommended. Of paramount importance is clearance from walls and flammable surfaces. Also, the floor around the stove must be nonflammable. Guidelines are easily found.
Fireplace versus insert is a personal choice, but I vote for the insert. Fireplaces are dirty. Their smoke cam make walls dingy. And the particulates that are released into the air, believe it or not, affect others. I am moderately sensitive to this. When in my house, I can tell if anyone is burning wood in the area. And sometimes it irritates my respiratory system.
Some people will see blazing fires as romantic. And some people consider it manly to build a fire. So, I don't expect all fireplaces to go unused, despite their drawbacks.
I had no problem insuring my house with a wood burning fireplace. And it was a major name brand insurance company.
shareThe house I bought has a wood burning fireplace. I've lived here for 24 years. I used the fireplace a few times the first 2 years. It messes up the layout of the living room. A chair sits in front of it now. I'd replace it with a gas insert if they weren't so expensive to buy and install.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I'll tear it out and have someone seal up the holes. It would be less expensive than replacing it.
I concur vehemently, I much prefer wood burning fire places.
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