No Existing Fireplace In My Home

[wjsiv]

This is my first post and it's possible that you all have already addressed this topic...if so, please direct me to the proper thread. thanks!!

Our house doesn't have a fireplace and my wife and I would like to put a gas fireplace into our living room. The wall we would like to use is an exterior wall, so venting is an option.

We just rented a house that had "Fireplace Xtraordinaire" units in two different rooms. We know very, very little about this stuff, but we think that this is the style of system we would like. It appears to be vent-less (what happens to the CO2 with these things?), and it kicks a good deal of heat into the room. Plus, the "logs" look like they are actually hot (and are retaining heat...much like wood logs do) because they glow somewhat red in places once the fire is on for a while. And, from what we can tell, there is no chimney for either unit in the house.

What we would like to know is this:
1. Are there just a ton of different fireplace options out there that are just like the Fireplace Xtraordinaire units we encountered?
2. Could it be so easy as buying a unit, running a gas line (we'd hire a professional for that part), and constructing an enclosure/mantle to house the fireplace...or does this require much more work than that.

Oh...last thing...the room where we would build the fireplace happens to have an oak floor. I'm imagining that we would have to cut back the floor and perhaps install some tile as a hearth. If you have any ideas or suggestions (or warnings) for this aspect of the job, please let us know.

Thank you, in advance, for any direction that you can offer!

 

[Highbeam]

Don't buy a ventless gas heater. You are correct to worry about the CO2 but don't forget about the depletion of oxygen and the introduction of carbon monoxide as well as tons of water vapor into the living space. They stink.

You don't need a big chimney or even a vertical chimney poking out of the roof. A gas stove can be vented out through a wall with a simple looking outlet on the outside about 4 times as large as a dryer vent outlet.

You don't necessarily need to remove the oak floor at all. Many options exist which allow you to keep your floor and set a hearth pad on top.

If I had natural gas available then I would be very happy about installing a freestanding gas stove such as those available from vermont castings which will run on a thermostat and during a power outage to make major heat. This would be in addition to my wood burning stove since that addiction will be hard to drop.

 

[jtp10181]

As highbeam hinted you could also consider a gas stove. Many can be installed directly onto wood floors without hearth protection.

This is what I would do, check out some local fireplace dealers. Check out their units in action, be on the lookout for "Direct Vent" fireplaces, these are best for air quality in the home and usually offer 60-80% efficiency. I would talk to them about installation and also what they have for a service dept. There are MANY things to consider with an installation. Your best option would be to have them install it and they can worry about the hearth and mantle clearances and everything. If you want to take a crack at it yourself download some install manuals online and give them a read to see if you think you can handle it.

 

[webbie]

Fireplace Xtraordinaire brand would not be ventless. As mentioned above, you want to look for DV or Direct Vent. These can be installed against the wall or even "bumped out" with a little "dog house" on the outside of the wall.

 

[wjsiv]

You all are the best. Thanks for the advice (sorry for the absence...I was without an internet connection for a little while).

We will look into the suggestions you made, but I am pretty sure that the wife wants a traditional fireplace (she's more concerned about the aesthetics and according to the real estate agents we've consulted with, in our rather conservative community, fireplaces are "normal," wood stoves are considered "eccentric").

We have since looked into the Fireplace Xtrordinaire models and realized that they are indeed vented (which is a relief)...the good news there is that the wall we want to put the fireplace on is an exterior wall. the bad news is that the vent would likely come out right behind our shrubs (a little concerned they might get cooked!). But we would rather relocate the shrubs and continue with our fireplace plans. Is a "dog house" very large? Because this wall is on the front of our home.

We will call around and find out what we are looking at in terms of price. In a perfect world, I could have the equipment installed and build the hearth and mantle myself...but it's looking like it's smarter to have the entire job handled by a professional. I just wanted some idea of what we're looking at in terms of altering the house and options for brands. You have all been very helpful and we are most appreciative.

Thanks, again, for your time...

Bill