new home with woodburning fireplace, ideas, tips, suggestions, for heat and looks?

Answer 1

If you want to use it for heating the house, you need a fireplace insert. It's essentially a wood stove that fits into the fireplace. There are very attractive models on the market that will not take much away from the appearance of the fireplace. You will lose the 'open hearth' effect, but it is the least wasteful use of your wood, which is not cheap. A good one should come with a thermostat-controlled blower to circulate warm air into the room. Be sure to use only wood that is seasoned and not fresh-cut (green). Green wood burns with difficulty, less heat output, and creates far more creosote (the black gunk that lines the inside of the flue and causes chimney fires).

Talk to local home and garden, or if they have them, fireplace specialty shops, about the proper way to select good firewood.

If you only plan to burn wood occasionally and more for aesthetics than heat, don't spend the extra money on an insert. A good quality glassed-in screen will do. Get one that's insulated around the outside to minimize heat loss while not using the fireplace.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

If you really want to utilize the heat, you should start with a glass door over the fireplace, not just a chain fence or grid. That way you can control the amount of air sucked out of your house. The next thing is to have a ventilater that circulates heated air back into he room. These are heating cost savings ideas, and they look good also.