Advice

[Calais]

Hello Guys,

Wanted to first say hi and hope all of you guys are well. Now on to my questions. I am looking to purchase a house, but it doesn't have a fireplace and I would really like to have one. I was just wondering what would be the most cost effective way to get one without having to go into too much renovation of the rooms. I would like to stick one into my living and then possibly when I finish my basement I would like to add another one down there, possibly even a 3 sided I think that they look amazing. So I was just wondering if you guys could give me some ideas and maybe if you have any estimates on what I would be looking at for costs.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Slow1]

How about pictures of where you plan to put these things and layout of walls etc?

Why fireplaces and not a stove?

 

[wendell]

If you want heat and ambiance, you are going to want to look at a stove which will also be a lot, lot cheaper! I'm sure there are some guys on here who can help you with installing a fireplace from scratch in an existing house but I can't even imagine how much that would cost.

 

[chad3]

Where are you looking to put the chimney? I did the same a few years ago, but it was on an outside wall with just a thimble into the house. Would be much harder in the center. Not as great as interior, but it works great for me. Need more input.
Chad

 

[BrotherBart]

If you are thinking a masonry fireplace and can find an out of work mason then you can look at twenty thousand as a starting number. With a wood stove, depending on the stove, three to five thousand for the stove and chimney installation. Unless you have a a weird house configuration.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

gas can be in the 3k-5k as well. all fireplaces are going to require some basic framing and finish work, but most installation bids should include that.

 

[madrone]

These seem like a neat middle ground between stoves and traditional fireplaces:

(broken link removed to http://www.renaissancefireplaces.com/en/Renaissance_Rumford__1000_)

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

yea, the renaissance fireplace is awesome. 10k range installed.

 

[timfromohio]

Calais - where in NEOhio are you located? I'm in Summit County, Bath Township. Regarding the fireplace ... go for a stove. You'll have the abmiance you desire, far more useable heat, and lower installation cost.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hello Guys,

Wanted to first say hi and hope all of you guys are well. Now on to my questions. I am looking to purchase a house, but it doesn't have a fireplace and I would really like to have one. I was just wondering what would be the most cost effective way to get one without having to go into too much renovation of the rooms. I would like to stick one into my living and then possibly when I finish my basement I would like to add another one down there, possibly even a 3 sided I think that they look amazing. So I was just wondering if you guys could give me some ideas and maybe if you have any estimates on what I would be looking at for costs.

Thanks,
Mike

I don't have an exact figure, except to say that you would be looking at a pretty significant cost . . . as you may have already guessed from the responses most folks here recognize that fireplaces are great for the visual and auditory stimulation (i.e. the dancing flames and crackling and snap of the fire), but in terms of heating fireplaces are not a good investment.

If you want heat and ambiance a woodstove might be a good option . . . a bit cheaper and the stoves today can be quite beautiful in their own right with colorful enamel finishes, soapstone slabs set in a steel or cast iron frame or nickel or gold plate finishes . . . or even the traditional matte black cast iron stoves . . . and most all have large "glass" windows so you can see the flames and you will hear the snapping and crackling of the fire. Best of all, you'll be heating your home at the same time.

If you want heat and ambiance, but still like the look of a brick or stone fireplace . . . perhaps consider a wood burning insert which slips into the place where the fireplace would be.

If you just want the ambiance and need a place to hang the stockings for Santa . . . then you would be back to the fireplace.

 

[Slow1]

Then again, if you just want the ambiance - consider a gas fireplace as you can do one with far less expense. Personally I find the fire about as exciting to look at as a gas cooking stove, but you can have the mantle etc to hang stockings on and place picture frames.

I actually have a gas fireplace in my home that came with it. No chimney - it is flush with the wall from the inside - complete with mantle appearance etc. From the outside it looks like a wart on the side of the house (it is one floor up). I'm sure the builder didn't have to pay much for it compared to a real fireplace build. We have had the propane tank removed ever since we had the wood stove installed last year and never missed it... in fact in the 8 years we lived here with the fireplace I think we only used that thing 3 or 4 times and half those times it was due to power failures in winter - it did throw a tiny bit of heat.

 

[Calais]

Hey guys,

Thank you for all of your responses. What I want is to have a nice little place for a fire. I like the visual of a fire the most. I'd like something that I can sit back and have a fire going it doesn't necessarily need to be full blown with a mantel piece or anything, just kind of looking for ideas. Would a stove work like this? I really don't have a major preference on wood burning or gas.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hey guys,

Thank you for all of your responses. What I want is to have a nice little place for a fire. I like the visual of a fire the most. I'd like something that I can sit back and have a fire going it doesn't necessarily need to be full blown with a mantel piece or anything, just kind of looking for ideas. Would a stove work like this? I really don't have a major preference on wood burning or gas.

And cue up the pictures of the woodfires with the secondaries flaring. . . .

Seriously, guys, anyone have a picture to show Calais some of the visuals he would get with a woodstove . . .

If you're into the visual thing I think you'll be impressed with some of the fires . . . heck, sometimes I turn off the TV at night just to watch the fire for a bit.

 

[Calais]

Calais - where in NEOhio are you located? I'm in Summit County, Bath Township. Regarding the fireplace ... go for a stove. You'll have the abmiance you desire, far more useable heat, and lower installation cost.

I'm not too far off. I'm down in Mahoning County just outside of Youngstown, Austintown Township.

 

[timfromohio]

Calais - stoves come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. I'm sure you could find something that would suit your needs. If you ever make it over to Amish country check out Lehmans Hardware. They have a pretty decent selection of stoves and knowledgable staff - you could view variety of stoves and stove types under one roof. Most of the folks here are probably of the opinion that a good stove fire is unmatched in visual appeal. I'm with firefighterjake - I enjoy gazing at the stove.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Hey guys,

Thank you for all of your responses. What I want is to have a nice little place for a fire. I like the visual of a fire the most. I'd like something that I can sit back and have a fire going it doesn't necessarily need to be full blown with a mantel piece or anything, just kind of looking for ideas. Would a stove work like this? I really don't have a major preference on wood burning or gas.

Calis, if you really do not have a preference, i would consider gas. They are easier/less expensive to install, the venting does not need to penetrate your roof, and all you have to do is flip a switch to turn them on. They come in every variety from high efficiency heat producers, to low efficiency when ambiance is the focus. They also do not have the mess, and you don't have to buy wood to run them.

 

[the_dude]

[/quote]

I don't have an exact figure, except to say that you would be looking at a pretty significant cost . . . as you may have already guessed from the responses most folks here recognize that fireplaces are great for the visual and auditory stimulation (i.e. the dancing flames and crackling and snap of the fire), but in terms of heating fireplaces are not a good investment.

If you want heat and ambiance a woodstove might be a good option . . . a bit cheaper and the stoves today can be quite beautiful in their own right with colorful enamel finishes, soapstone slabs set in a steel or cast iron frame or nickel or gold plate finishes . . . or even the traditional matte black cast iron stoves . . . and most all have large "glass" windows so you can see the flames and you will hear the snapping and crackling of the fire. Best of all, you'll be heating your home at the same time.

If you want heat and ambiance, but still like the look of a brick or stone fireplace . . . perhaps consider a wood burning insert which slips into the place where the fireplace would be.

If you just want the ambiance and need a place to hang the stockings for Santa . . . then you would be back to the fireplace.[/quote]

Jake,

No offense, but I feel the need to clarify some items in your above post. Everytime you mention "fireplace" above, I assume you are talking about a masonry fireplace. I'm not sure the OP would understand that. When you say "in terms of heating, fireplaces are not a good investment," I must disagree. The OP could install a ZC EPA fireplace, which are excellent heaters. For example, if he wanted a heater but did not have the floor space for a stove, installing a ZC EPA fireplace with an exterior chase could be an option. An expensive one, but an option.

I also bring this up because you mention a traditional fireplace with an insert. Again, the OP is talking about building from scratch, so no way would I consider building a masonry firplace from scratch and adding an insert. It would make more sense to go with a ZC EPA fireplace if this was the desired look.

To the OP, if heating is not a major priority, I would also consider a gas stove. There are numerous options out there, but if you have the floor space, nothing beats the look of a stove.

 

[rorser]

These seem like a neat middle ground between stoves and traditional fireplaces:

(broken link removed to http://www.renaissancefireplaces.com/en/Renaissance_Rumford__1000_)

Have you ever seen a renaissance Rumford 1000 actually in use? I am curious about how clean the glass stays, as it does not seem like air flow is directed toward it help keep down the soot buildup.
I am also wondering about the 1000H model which has a fan. I would like to know how quiet the fan is and if it makes a significant difference in the amount of heat put into the room.

Are you aware of any forum members who own one of these?
Thanks, Richard

 

[coaly]

If Ohio is anything like PA, we are Taxed on a fireplace because the tax man claims it "adds value to the home". We are not taxed on chimneys with a stove. See what your local tax laws are before getting building permits for a fireplace if you are only interested in a viewable fire. Plenty of options with stoves and gas logs or 3 sided gas firplaces "under glass".