Hi everyone,
First off, I apologize if this is the millionth time someone has posted this question, but I honestly need your feedback. We bought a 3 story contemporary last year and it came with a newly installed Monessen 36" prefab that is a smoky and drafty unit. The fireplace sits in a drywall framed chase with a SS chimney running to the cap. The house is 100% electric, so I got a quote of $11K from the gas company for 110 feet of main extension...looks like we will be staying away from gas until we win the lottery. My wife likes the look of a wood burning fire in that area, so a Lopi or Homestead hearth stove (my favorite solution) is likely a no go. Inserts for pre-fabs are something most contractors in VA won't touch, so that option is iffy and would likely result in a small firebox. If we do a tear out and replacement, a wood burning zero clearance unit would seem our next best, albeit more expensive, choice. Ideally we would use the unit for zone heating (approximately 1200 sq ft). I've been lurking on this forum for a few weeks and understand these units have their issues, so here is my question: are there any zero clearance "stoves" that are any good? Specifically, I've read reviews that mention smoke, poor heating, cold air infiltration, and fan noise, so candid advice and recommendations would be appreciated.
Finally, I stopped by a local hearth dealer last night and he tried to steer me to a propane-fired nonvented log set to look nearly fire-like and help heat the house, but this would require some exterior modification to the home and a propane tank that would require HOA approval, which is a wild card. Again, I'd prefer staying with wood, but want to be sure I'm not replacing one boat anchor with another. Appreciate your feedback.
Brian
First off, I apologize if this is the millionth time someone has posted this question, but I honestly need your feedback. We bought a 3 story contemporary last year and it came with a newly installed Monessen 36" prefab that is a smoky and drafty unit. The fireplace sits in a drywall framed chase with a SS chimney running to the cap. The house is 100% electric, so I got a quote of $11K from the gas company for 110 feet of main extension...looks like we will be staying away from gas until we win the lottery. My wife likes the look of a wood burning fire in that area, so a Lopi or Homestead hearth stove (my favorite solution) is likely a no go. Inserts for pre-fabs are something most contractors in VA won't touch, so that option is iffy and would likely result in a small firebox. If we do a tear out and replacement, a wood burning zero clearance unit would seem our next best, albeit more expensive, choice. Ideally we would use the unit for zone heating (approximately 1200 sq ft). I've been lurking on this forum for a few weeks and understand these units have their issues, so here is my question: are there any zero clearance "stoves" that are any good? Specifically, I've read reviews that mention smoke, poor heating, cold air infiltration, and fan noise, so candid advice and recommendations would be appreciated.
Finally, I stopped by a local hearth dealer last night and he tried to steer me to a propane-fired nonvented log set to look nearly fire-like and help heat the house, but this would require some exterior modification to the home and a propane tank that would require HOA approval, which is a wild card. Again, I'd prefer staying with wood, but want to be sure I'm not replacing one boat anchor with another. Appreciate your feedback.
Brian
