Fireplace question

[Slew]

My personal experience with INTERIOR wood burning fireplaces is that when you really want a fire, it's cold/nasty/wet/windy out there and getting motivated to gather said wood every few hours becomes increasingly tiresome. This is why I went with a good LP gas log set from Southwest Brick & Fireplace. I flip a switch and 45K BTUs of glorious fan-blown fire-warmth materializes like magic.

Any good suggestions for ventless gas log set? Our house was buit with a ventless gas fireplace but we had little kids then and never even bought one to hook up since we weren't going to use it anyway. Now they're older and we're considering getting one.

[cj7zrcool]

Any good suggestions for ventless gas log set? Our house was buit with a ventless gas fireplace but we had little kids then and never even bought one to hook up since we weren't going to use it anyway. Now they're older and we're considering getting one.

I just relied on Clay & Dale @ SWB&F to tell me what I needed. We got the biggest one they had available (42" I think) and are very happy with it. (817)431-9066

[Fightinaggies]

We did large inserts inside and outside. They put off plenty of heat, if I had it to do again I would do it the same way

[2B4Him]

I'm sure I haven't seen all the choices out there for the 'inserts', but I've never seen one that didn't (to me) look like a tract home fireplace. This is your 'forever' home, so build it that way - full masonry fireplaces.
I am living in my 'forever' home (19 years old now), but if I ever built again, I'd build a big, oversize fireplace (like a castle or ski lodge).

[Dale Moser]

Without going into a bunch of different terminology and correcting about 30 different things on this thread.....


THIS is likely your best way to go for both the inside and outside. It uses a LARGE double wall metal flue fit for large fireplaces. It's not to the level of Isokern, nor is it nearly as expensive....and it won't require you to make allowances in the slab for the weight. The key is to meet with your mason and make sure he knows that you want the brick/stone all the way up to the edges of the opening all the way around. If you do that, and take the screens off, 99% of people won't be able to tell that it's not a full masonry and it will work just as well. .

[Dale Moser]

Any good suggestions for ventless gas log set? Our house was buit with a ventless gas fireplace but we had little kids then and never even bought one to hook up since we weren't going to use it anyway. Now they're older and we're considering getting one.

I would be glad to help you out, but being as you are in Lindale, it would make more sense for me to refer you to the fine folks at Light Your Fire in Tyler. They have a full showroom and can fix you right up.

[Dale Moser]

Thanks for the kind words Jeff, glad you are happy with your setup!

[Stolle]

We have both. Big metal insert in the house(1980s) and masonry one that we had built a couple years ago outside. I really like the one outside. When we build our forever home it will be masonry or something like Dale and Brent suggested.

[txbassnaholic]

for heat, consider a wood burning stove or ben franklin stove. both put out tons of heat. both can be dressed up with stone or brick under and behind them.... Gotta watch inserts as they may crack with age, but a masonry will crack to with foundation movement. most important, don't chunk logs into either the insert or masonry, set them in.

[glen]

Soapstone stove if using for heating.

[sendit]

Do a wood burning stove...Lopi is a reputable brand...Im about to install one at a remodel home. The masonry is good for refractory and radiant heat. Wood burning fireplace inserts literally pump the heat from the fire up and out of your home. It also creates a negative vacuum and sucks heat out of your home. Most people dont realize this.

I have a wood burning insert fireplace in my personal home and I cant wait to tear it out and install a hearth and wood burning stove.

Dont do an insert.

I picked up a new Lopi Cape Cod yesterday. Looking forward to seeing it burn soon. We choose it for it's look, being cast iron and it's efficiency.

I just did not want to build a complete masonry flue and fireplace although it would have been much cheaper.

[bowhuntercoach]

We chose a full masonry fireplace on our new home. I am very happy with it. I build big fires, and when we get coals going and everything heated up, you can't stand close to it. I had a gas starter piped in when we built, so I just load it up with wood, strike a match, and turn on the gas. In ten minutes, have a roaring fire and turn off the gas. My wife and kids love hanging around the fireplace and I am glad we went the direction we did.

[MarkV]

Thanks for the insight guys.

While I know how much heat a wood stove puts off that isn't an option.

And I really have wanted a full masonry, but I think the $6-7k I can save by going with some of the insert options won't make that much difference and can be money I can use in landscaping or just as a little more of a buffer for changes I'm sure my wife is going to make.