Are fireplaces no longer required in modern homes?.?

Question

I have recently moved house and am renovating the place is it worth replacing the old fireplace with a new one or should I plaster over the hole and enjoy the extra space?.

If we keep a fireplace it has to be gas or electricity

Answer 1

i got mine removed its the best thing i have ever done. the amount of space is great

Answer 2

A fireplace is definitely a personal preference thing. Depending on where you live, homes generally cannot be heated with a fireplace alone. The requirement for fireplaces has been replaced by central heating systems.

A fireplace is only required if you want it to be. :o)

On thing you may want to consider. If the existing fireplace is masonry. You can replace it with an "insert style" fireplace. These inserts are generally inexpensive, and can be very attractive.

I recently had one installed on our porch outside, it do not cost a ton of money, and it added a lot of character and comfort to our home.

Answer 3

Fireplaces certainly do not serve the same utility as they once did - except during power outages. Fireplaces do enhance ambiance and in the case of such a power outage you may be glad to have a source of warmth and a way to heat canned soup.

Also, covering it up might hurt the home's resale value. This is esp for a historical home - such architectual details are sought by experienced historical home buyers. So covering it up would alter the historical aspects and cause the home's value to decline.

See how much the cost to repair the fireplace would be versus sealing it up - note that you wouldn't just "plaster over the hole," you need to properly seal it up. I think that in the long run having a fireplace would be worth the cost.

Answer 4

Unlike what others are saying, Fireplaces are still used in many modern homes as a source of heat. Energy bills are expensive. Heating a home can cost tons of money. We have a fire place in our house and it lowers our heating bills tremendously in the winter months, instead of turning up the heat full blast, we set the thermostat lower and start a fire. The heat produced by our fire will warm our living room, kitchen and dinning room, while also looking very nice and bringing a decoritive look to the home. Fireplaces aren't just for decoration in modern homes, they serve a purpose. Don't cover it up, replace it, invest a little money now, you'll save alot of money in the long run!

Answer 5

Purely a matter of personal taste you can put a modern fireplace in but the original fittings are quite nice if kept in if the house is an older one. if you are going to use an old fireplace get it swept first

Answer 6

I personally LOVE fireplaces, so I would replace the old one, but it's not required to have one, so if you don't like it, plaster over it.
Just make sure you have a heating/cooling company come in so you make sure you don't do something to cause a build up of carbon monoxide.

Answer 7

fireplaces are more for aesthetics than anything else. if you had a log cabin or something then it would be necessary but modern homes fireplaces are just for looks only and the occassional romantic dinner in with the spouse. I'd say cover it up

Answer 8

Fireplace stopped becoming a necessity with the advent of central heat. Today they are purely decorative and whether you keep it or not depends on your taste. Make sure you are not messing with the furnace vent.

Answer 9

We have two fireplaces which are our main heat source.

It takes a bit of effort (we use wood) but we save a fortune on utility bills.
My kids don't suffer from colds and flu like so many of their centrally heated friends.
You get to play with a chainsaw.

Answer 10

Depends on if you would like the fireplace...insurance goes upo but energy costs would lower....I pesonally would love a fireplace to warm up to in the winter time....

Answer 11

The Amish do not stay as basically as you imagine. they have the conveniences at present, basically that they are run in yet otherwise than ours. once you've a loan or lease an residence then you are required to have electrical energy or you heavily isn't residing there lengthy. there are of direction those who've gotten off the grid because of image voltaic yet theory they could promote decrease back their electrical energy to the authorities, yet i imagine the authorities has gotten sensible to that and are fining them. i might want to think that in case you lived rural then you might want to be able to get away with the straightforward existence even with the undeniable fact that that is needed that you've operating water, and searching on what sort of climate is in the area you would want warmth a minimum of in the chilly factors and which will be required through the county/city. a great number of houses or cellular houses have lengthy gone up in flames because human beings theory they could use area heaters and that would not artwork. There are nevertheless some houses right here in Florida that haven't any electric powered yet those are grandfathered in. fireplace alarms might want to be on battery yet you would want to modify that month-to-month on some alarms. at present it really is way perplexing to make a call on a existence-style like you're wondering. There already are a great number of bums accessible who stay on the streets or in the rustic yet live to inform the tale handouts and decrease back doors of eating places and ultimately the city/county receives disgusted with human beings peeing throughout and everywhere and ending up in reformatory that they make regulations aainst it. human beings do do day artwork even with the undeniable fact that it really is regularly adult adult males. adult adult males can do issues maximum women won't be able to. in case you change right into a bum then you gained't stay lengthy (for most causes) and ultimately turns into mentally ill. So what you're saying is that you do not comprehend a thanks to construct self-worth for youself, that you're giving up previously you've even all started. wow, it truly is unhappy. And that you don't desire to be to blame for your self. i imagine you want a sturdy talking to. the position in heavens call are your mum and dad?