Fire place or wood stove? Overwhelmed by info...

[Irene]

Hi, We bought a house/acreage in the BC interior. We are adding on a vaulted family room and dining room combo as one room. I think I am going to buy a JA Roby cuisiniere for the kitchen and very much want a real wood burning fireplace in the addition. I have contacted contracters and NOT one has returned a email. Is a wood fire place unrealistic these days? We have a creek in the back yard with beautiful stones and I want to use them. Is it possable to buy a fire place kit and have it installed then put river rock around and IF so what kind should I be looking for? I wanted one with no glass. The issue I am having is they range in price from $750 dollars to thousands and I have no idea where to even look. IF a fireplace is outrageous/difficult/exspensive to install what about a JA Roby mystere with oven? I love the looks and the glass doors. The beauty of enjoying a fire by seeing and hearing it is first priority and heat is second. ANY advice is greatly appreciated! I have read as much as I can on the JA Roby but there is very little info out there. .
Irene

 

[Oregon aloha]

I found it hard to find a mason. These days homes are not built with fireplaces, so there are very few masons around the NW. If you go to the southern states there are still lots of them as homes are being built with bricks. Good luck.
There are masons that work in cultured stone but very few left that will tackle brick or real stone. .

 

[jharkin]

It depends on the area. In the northeast us (new england) there are still real masons around because of the large amount of old housing stock that needs repair work. Not much real masonry in new construction though do to cost. Not completely unheard of, but rare.

 

[begreen]

Take a look at high efficiency zero clearance fireplaces. They give you the best of both worlds and don't require a mason.

 

[rideau]

Not inexpensive, but you could look at the RST Renaissance Rumford, and other products in the RSF line. RSF is the same company that makes ICC pipe...a quality company, quality product, amazing warranty. There are some other manufacturers as well. Canadian product.

 

[begreen]

A good zero-clearance fireplace installed is going to cost about $6-10,000 depending on what you chose, the size and how fancy the final finishing is. The higher number would be for a large unit with masonry wall finish. Alternatively you could put in a nice freestanding wood stove with a big window and nice fireview for somewhere around $4-6,000 depending on the size and difficulty of the installation. To be of more help we need to know more about the area being heated. This includes the sq ftg, ceiling height, open or closed floorplan, etc.. Pictures of the proposed location and a floorplan sketch are also helpful.