We've downsized and are remodeling the walk-out basement in our "new" home in southeastern PA that was built in the 1960's. The space (1200 ft2 with 7' ceiling height) is currently heated with hot water baseboard on a thermostat which we plan to remove and replace with a new gas fireplace. The walls in the "finished" part are drywall (keeping existing as they are in good shape) without insulation. The laundry and storage area where the gas furnace and water heater are located are unfinished block.
While I had not decided on a manufacturer, I went to the closest hearth store last night having decided on a direct vent, 24K btu fireplace with a high-end remote as the thermostat. My two main considerations for direct vent were interior air quality and water vapor. Although the entire back of the basement is at ground level we've made it a relatively tight space with new windows and doors and the fireplace will be the sole source of heat; it will run almost continuously in the winter. (The space seems to hover in the mid-high 50's with the heat off this time of year).
I came here because I was pushed hard in the direction of vent-free by the hearth guy last night. Although he agreed with my sizing his claim was that the space as I described it would be best served by a vent-free unit and that the safety features built into them would eliminate any air-quality concerns. He talked up the 99+% efficiency of vent-free vs the 68-70% of direct vent as well as the reduced installation costs. He also downplayed my water vapor concerns.
The thing that has me considering it is the design flexibility and that he seemed to know his stuff while my only experience is with wood. My first choice of placement would be at the front of the house which would be made possible with vent-free while I had assumed I'd need to move to a side wall for direct vent. I searched the forum looking for a specific discussion on the issue of vent or not and even searched through some specific contributor's posts but didn't find it. He has me reconsidering my initial plans and I wanted to come here for some guidance. Any thoughts or even a link to an existing discussion I may have missed will be appreciated.
While I had not decided on a manufacturer, I went to the closest hearth store last night having decided on a direct vent, 24K btu fireplace with a high-end remote as the thermostat. My two main considerations for direct vent were interior air quality and water vapor. Although the entire back of the basement is at ground level we've made it a relatively tight space with new windows and doors and the fireplace will be the sole source of heat; it will run almost continuously in the winter. (The space seems to hover in the mid-high 50's with the heat off this time of year).
I came here because I was pushed hard in the direction of vent-free by the hearth guy last night. Although he agreed with my sizing his claim was that the space as I described it would be best served by a vent-free unit and that the safety features built into them would eliminate any air-quality concerns. He talked up the 99+% efficiency of vent-free vs the 68-70% of direct vent as well as the reduced installation costs. He also downplayed my water vapor concerns.
The thing that has me considering it is the design flexibility and that he seemed to know his stuff while my only experience is with wood. My first choice of placement would be at the front of the house which would be made possible with vent-free while I had assumed I'd need to move to a side wall for direct vent. I searched the forum looking for a specific discussion on the issue of vent or not and even searched through some specific contributor's posts but didn't find it. He has me reconsidering my initial plans and I wanted to come here for some guidance. Any thoughts or even a link to an existing discussion I may have missed will be appreciated.
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