I own a home without a fireplace, I'd like to have one but?

Question

don't have the money to have one put in professionally. Are there other options out there? I have heard you can put in fireplaces that don't require a chimney but burn real wood and act as a heater more or less... Anybody out there have any experience or suggestions?

Answer 1

Hi Cherokee,

You can't put in a fireplace that burns real wood without at least a vent pipe.

You can put in a electric fireplace with fake logs that look real and they also put an electric heater in them so you have a heating option.

They look great & are no trouble at all.

Check them out. You will be amazed how real they look.

Norm

Answer 2

you cannot burn wood, or most anything, without some kind of a chimney. you can buy freestanding fireplaces ready made, but they do require a chimney of some sort. you can even make a fireplace, from...well bricks or metal or most anything non flamable. No matter what, you will have to have a chimney. If you are on a tight budget, forget it, wood to burn isn't that cheap any more and most of the heat is lost up the chimney unless you spend the bucks to install heat capturing devices.

They do make some realistic looking electric fireplaces that give you most of the benefits without all the hassles, but they are not worth what you have to spend to use them. Electric being so high these days. There are gas fired ones that vent directly out the wall without having to go up through the roof. this saves some money.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as a vent free wood burning fireplace. The smoke and combined acids must be carried outside. But there are number of vent free gas ones which require no flue. Check out http://www.heatmaster.com/vfgl.html
as an example.

It is not a real big deal to run a flue off of a handsome wood burning stove/fireplace if you choose. Your biggest issue will be maintaining clearances from combustibles for the stove and the exiting flue which can be run out the wall and up above the roof line. You might very well find a local used unit at a reasonable price. Please make sure you follow all safety specs when you install it so you don't burn down your house. That would be the last fire you will ever want to see.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

I'd skip the fireplace if you're looking to save a little on heat. Go with a wood burning stove or another alternative. It should be cheaper to install too.

A fireplace will send a lot of warm air up your chimney and although warming an area in close proximity to the fireplace it will pull in cold air and cool your house more than it warms it.

Answer 5

Wood burning absolutely needs an approved chimney.$$
Gas,LP or Natural requires venting, also should be approved but not as much$
Electric needs no vent but costs $$ to operate.
Best bang for the buck.. LP or natural gas. looks a real as wood without the hassle (some even have remote controls) and provides cost effective heat ,(up to 35,000 btu)even when the power goes out.
make sure to have whatever you decide professionally installed and it will certainly increase the value of your home =or+ the cost of the unit

Answer 6

there are electric ones at most home improvement stores for 300-500. i do NOT recommend trying to put in a real wood burning fireplace without a vent system -- this is NOT safe at all.

good luck.

Answer 7

Check with your local power company and fireplaces that have electric gas logs, just an idea.

Answer 8

check out homevisions.com. they have some that look great - they burn fake logs, but look real and I think some of them actually put off heat.

Answer 9

just use a halogen heater, it keeps you warm,doesnt produce smoke, and costs just $10

Answer 10

I think it would purely be for decoration... at least if you don't have some sort of way to vent it..