Insert vs stove

[Richard Pryor]

How much does it cost to install the hearth for an insert in a new construction (ballpark)?

Is this something I can do myself?

Does having an insert increase the value of your property much more than having a wood stove?

Will the best insert give out as much heat as a stove?

 

[bholler]

How much does it cost to install the hearth for an insert in a new construction (ballpark)?

Is this something I can do myself?

Does having an insert increase the value of your property much more than having a wood stove?

Will the best insert give out as much heat as a stove?

To build a full code compliant masonry chimney that is required to put an insert in will run in the 15000 to 20000 range. You may be able to do it what are your masonry skills like?

 

[Richard Pryor]

No skills in that department but I'm a quick learner. I wired my house with the help of youtube and it passed code.

15k is a lot of money. Is it a good investment?

 

[KennyK]

Could you just build a hearth pad on the floor and put in a freestanding stove with a single or double walled vent to the ceiling attaching to a class A chimney coming out of the roof? Seems that would be a lot less money and possibly give you more flexibility with location.

 

[bholler]

No skills in that department but I'm a quick learner. I wired my house with the help of youtube and it passed code.

15k is a lot of money. Is it a good investment?

No it isnt at all if you want a fireplace install a higheffiencey zero clearance unit. Less money and better performance than building a fireplace to put an insert in

 

[Richard Pryor]

Can you post a link @bholler? I thought the 2 options were a stove or an insert.

 

[woodhog73]

How much does it cost to install the hearth for an insert in a new construction (ballpark)?

Is this something I can do myself?

Does having an insert increase the value of your property much more than having a wood stove?

Will the best insert give out as much heat as a stove?

I’m no expert but I found your post interesting. I can understand why most new construction doesn’t come with masonry chimneys and fancy hearths anymore with a $20,000 price tag. Seems that zero clearance fireplaces and gas fireplaces are what people put in new construction if all they want is a fire place.

But I’ve always been under the impression that stoves and stove inserts give far better heat than zero clearance fireplaces. My friends gas unit must have the blower going because there is no radiant heat provided which I assume is the same for zero clearance fire places. But I’m not sure again I’m not an expert.

That said I have an insert installed in a masonry fireplace hearth and it’s a great heater. Keep it fed with wood and it heats my living room kitchen area no problem. Keeps my furnace off. But the rest of my house gets cold. But a wood stove by design is a space heater. How well a free standing or insert will heat depends on how well the heated air can move inside your house, where the units placed, etc.

Just wanted to say on the topic of does a wood stove or insert increase the value of your property. In my opinion ( I’m not a realtor take with a grain of salt) I think it depends on the buyer ? It’s like having a swimming pool. They can either increase or decrease value. Not everyone wants a pool and not everyone wants a wood stove. Some people view wood stoves as a lot of work. Many people are actually afraid of them thinking they are fire hazards etc. I know someone who bought a house with a wood stove in it. He took it out didn’t like it was afraid of it.

 

[barnaclebob]

I think the confusion might be that there are two things that people call "inserts" What Bholler is talking about with a zero clearance insert is essentially a pre-built "drop in" fireplace that does not require a masonry chimeny. They use a metal chimney which is usually enclosed in a wood framed chase.

The other kind of "insert" is a wood burning device that goes into an already existing fireplace to increase its efficiency. Bholler has said that many zero clearance fireplace "inserts" cannot accept the other kind of "insert"

I think your cheapest option to actually provide good heat is to build a heart pad for a stove which is probably a 1 to 4 out of 10 on the DIY scale and then install a class A chimney which can be anywhere from 6 to 8 out of 10 on the DIY scale. If you can wire a house from youtube videos you can probably install a class A chimney.

A good stove might increase your house value where its very cold, wood is cheap, and most houses have oil furnaces or electric heat. Otherwise it will be 50/50. You'll get people that love to burn for the ambiance, a few that love it for the actual heat, and others who see it as a mess and eyesore.

 

[weatherguy]

Neither stove will add value to your house, a fireplace will add a fraction of what it would cost. Best bet is to put a free stander.

 

[gzecc]

I would think most who have inserts would prefer a stove. More radiant heat, no blower, no noise.

 

[Hogwildz]

I would think most who have inserts would prefer a stove. More radiant heat, no blower, no noise.

I like my insert. One advantage less space taken up. No chance of stumbling into it after a hard night of drinking, not that I do that. ;-)

 

[bholler]

I think the confusion might be that there are two things that people call "inserts" What Bholler is talking about with a zero clearance insert is essentially a pre-built "drop in" fireplace that does not require a masonry chimeny. They use a metal chimney which is usually enclosed in a wood framed chase.

The other kind of "insert" is a wood burning device that goes into an already existing fireplace to increase its efficiency. Bholler has said that many zero clearance fireplace "inserts" cannot accept the other kind of "insert"

I think your cheapest option to actually provide good heat is to build a heart pad for a stove which is probably a 1 to 4 out of 10 on the DIY scale and then install a class A chimney which can be anywhere from 6 to 8 out of 10 on the DIY scale. If you can wire a house from youtube videos you can probably install a class A chimney.

A good stove might increase your house value where its very cold, wood is cheap, and most houses have oil furnaces or electric heat. Otherwise it will be 50/50. You'll get people that love to burn for the ambiance, a few that love it for the actual heat, and others who see it as a mess and eyesore.

You are right other than the fact that it is not a zero clearance insert. They are fireplaces using the term insert confuses things and can lead to extremely dangerous mistakes.

 

[bholler]

I’m no expert but I found your post interesting. I can understand why most new construction doesn’t come with masonry chimneys and fancy hearths anymore with a $20,000 price tag. Seems that zero clearance fireplaces and gas fireplaces are what people put in new construction if all they want is a fire place.

But I’ve always been under the impression that stoves and stove inserts give far better heat than zero clearance fireplaces. My friends gas unit must have the blower going because there is no radiant heat provided which I assume is the same for zero clearance fire places. But I’m not sure again I’m not an expert.

That said I have an insert installed in a masonry fireplace hearth and it’s a great heater. Keep it fed with wood and it heats my living room kitchen area no problem. Keeps my furnace off. But the rest of my house gets cold. But a wood stove by design is a space heater. How well a free standing or insert will heat depends on how well the heated air can move inside your house, where the units placed, etc.

Just wanted to say on the topic of does a wood stove or insert increase the value of your property. In my opinion ( I’m not a realtor take with a grain of salt) I think it depends on the buyer ? It’s like having a swimming pool. They can either increase or decrease value. Not everyone wants a pool and not everyone wants a wood stove. Some people view wood stoves as a lot of work. Many people are actually afraid of them thinking they are fire hazards etc. I know someone who bought a house with a wood stove in it. He took it out didn’t like it was afraid of it.

A high efficency fireplace usually heats very similarly to an insert with the benifit of being able to attach ducts to it.

 

[bholler]

I like my insert. One advantage less space taken up. No chance of stumbling into it after a hard night of drinking, not that I do that. ;-)

Lots of people like them. But building a fireplace to put one in makes no sense

 

[woodhog73]

I would think most who have inserts would prefer a stove. More radiant heat, no blower, no noise.

I agree somewhat with this. But not completely. Free standers do take up more room. And you end up with stove pipe going up through your ceiling which some people might think does not look good. If you already have a nice masonry fireplace then adding an insert is a great way to get efficient heat. Remember an insert is an actual wood stove just designed to be able to fit inside an existing masonry fireplace.

But yes you usually need to run a blower. My insert is not a flush mount. The fire box, door, and heavy metal top stick out from my fireplace about 1 foot. Enough that I could put a tea kettle or large pot on top of it to boil water if needed. So I actually never need to use my blower. I might turn the blower on for a few minutes to get the chill out of the air but once the inserts up to temp it gives plenty of radiant heat to turn blower off. I’m not sure if that would be the case with a flush mount.

But if I were building new construction and money was no object I would construct a masonry chimney and hearth big enough to put a large free stander in front of it and vent stove pipe into and up the masonry chimney. There’s nothing better than a nicely crafted masonry or stone chimney. However for many cost is a factor.

 

[Hogwildz]

I would think most who have inserts would prefer a stove. More radiant heat, no blower, no noise.

I like my insert. One advantage less space taken up. No chance of stumbling into it after a hard night of drinking, not that I do that. ;-)

Lots of people like them. But building a fireplace to put one in makes no sense

Agreed. ZC or freestander would the way I would go in that case.

 

[Pertzbro]

Anyone have a list of zero clearance stoves on the market? I imagine it's slimmer choices than free standers and inserts.

 

[Hogwildz]

Anyone have a list of zero clearance stoves on the market? I imagine it's slimmer choices than free standers and inserts.

There are many major brands that also offer ZCs. PE, Quad, Regency etc.

 

[jetsam]

Anything that burns wood, other than an open fireplace, lowers property values around here.

Open fireplaces raise property values.

People are not very bright.

 

[begreen]

There are many major brands that also offer ZCs. PE, Quad, Regency etc.

And FPX, Buck, Napoleon, SBI (Osburn, Valcourt), Hearthstone, others that don't make stoves like RSF, Astria, Kozy, Northstar, etc.