Hello all!

I am beginning to build a new house, and would like it to have a wood burning fireplace.  Our current house has a very old fireplace built out of rock (old owner was a mason).  We have lots of trees that occasionally fall down on the ranch, plus we like the look and feel of a real fireplace.

So I need some advice on what to do.  I want to be able to open the doors and roast marshmallows, but I also want it to be as efficient as possible.  Is an insert the best choice, or is there another way?  I’m not real keen on the looks of a lot of the inserts, they still look mostly like a woodstove.

For heat in the new kitchen I plan on moving my Jotul Castine in - the fireplace will sit in the corner of the living room probably surrounded by brick or tile.

any ideas appreciated.

DT

People around here seem fond of posting photos, so I included one of my fireplace, door opening is 36 inches wide.

I don’t think I’d ever use a stove burner to take a chill off in the kitchen, seems like it’d be a little inefficient/unsafe.

As for fireplaces, I always recommend the Quadrafire 7100fp. I’ve never seen one or met anyone that had one but the literature certainly makes it look good.

Wow, you people are quick!

I live in Northern Nevada, so it gets cold in the wintertime.

As for the location of my stove, it will actually be in the “hearth room”, which opens to the dinning room, then the kitchen attaches there - it’s a tradtional ranch style, nice and open.

The Quadrafire does look nice, I’ll have to find a local dealer and go take a look.

thanks.

The thing about pictures here is that it is a lot easier for us to visualize what it is that you are trying to accomplish when we are seeing the same thing that you see.

There are many efficient fireplace units out there these days. Visit your local dealers and see what brands they represent. Installation of a fireplace unit is not going to be as simple as installation of a stove and you are going to need their advice and services.

I guess I’m thinking more gas stoves Dylan. I’ve heard lots of stories of people leaving their gas stove burners going for heat and killing themselves with CO.

Somehow using an electric kitchen stove for heat just seems like a bad idea to me. I’d think you could do better with one of those portable space heaters, or a small baseboard heater, or some radiant underfloor heating in new construction.

That’s a new home?  Looks like an existing fireplace.

Nevermind….Reread original post.

Dylan - 03 November 2006 03:18 PM

Jeremy - 03 November 2006 02:57 PM

Somehow using an electric kitchen stove for heat just seems like a bad idea to me. I’d think you could do better with one of those portable space heaters, or a small baseboard heater, or some radiant underfloor heating in new construction.

Portable space heaters are prolly the MOST dangerous of heaters….kids, pets, heck, even an adult could trip over one. Kitchens USUALLY don’t have wall space available for baseboards. Radiant floor heat is fine, but expensive.

I still think the best approach is to keep someone baking biscuits.

Very true, my biscuit baker keeps me quite warm.