Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

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ruanddu
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Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

We have a 1950's house with a fireplace on main floor and one in basement. We really enjoy using them for the ambience. I also enjoy splitting wood for the exercise. This year though, expenses to maintain it will be a bit higher to pay a chimney sweep to clean as well as repair damaged top of chimney and add chimney caps. With this upcoming expense, it's making pause to see if putting money into repairs of the wood burning fireplace still makes sense for enjoyment reasons mentioned above. My second concern is will the EPA change guidelines going forward that might ban wood fireplaces in the next few years. I haven't heard of any but seeing things moving to clean energy makes me wonder how imminent banning of a wood fireplace and similar could be. Appreciate any insights you might have. Do you have a wood fireplace and enjoy as well? Or, moved to something else like a gas fireplace, etc and enjoy that better?

Thank you.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by quantAndHold »

I wouldn’t just remove the fireplace, because when you go to sell, potential future regulations notwithstanding, there is a significant number of potential buyers who won’t really consider a house without a fireplace. If regulations on wood burning fireplaces come to pass, then deal with it then.

As far as cost and such, we put a gas insert into our wood burning fireplace, and haven’t looked back. It’s still pleasant and cozy, but the chimney doesn’t need cleaning, and we start it and stop it by opening the damper, turning a lever and flipping a switch.
jebmke
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by jebmke »

We put in a gas insert in our last house (in Wisconsin); it was great. We have a fireplace in our current house but in mid-Atlantic it just doesn't make sense to use it; we'd have to use propane to use a gas insert so we just keep it closed off. The next owner can resurrect it if they want to.
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LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

LOL! I am imagining you removing a fireplace (or walling over it) in a Mid Century style house and cringing and wailing NOOOOO!!!!!!.

Unless the fireplaces (upstairs and downstairs) were added to the house after it was built please do NOT remove or wall over the fireplace. It's part of the architecture of the house and was most likely intended to be a "focal point".

Don't scuff about the added on fireplaces... I'm seen fireplaces added to older homes because back in the 70's fireplaces got super trendy and lots of Post WWII starter homes built in the 50's did not have fireplaces. Most are just outright "mistakes" and removing them is probably the right thing to do.

Also, a working fireplace falls under the category of "house maintenance" - it's ALWAYS an on going expense. I would clean the chimney, do any repairs, and keep it in good working order - and then enjoy using it.

If you are "done" with the hassle of having a fire, clean the chimney do any repairs, and then do NOT use the fireplace - put in some decorative logs or use an arrangement of battery operated candles (don't do actual candles - they leave behind a lot of soot) or fill it decoratively with books or flowers or whatever.

I'm guessing the fireplace (and mantle and whatever surrounds it - book cases? windows? something else) is intended to be a focal point in the room. Make the best use of it - even if there's never a fire in it. This is what I have done with my very impressive wood burning fireplace with a large mantle and which is flanked by bookcases and windows - it's now 100% decorative. And the battery operated candles look wonderful in my fireplace. I enjoyed many years of having a fire. But now it's too much work. It's easier to turn on the candles. :)

I wouldn't worry that much about the wood burning decorative fireplaces being "outlawed" - it just seems silly. If you are worried about that - you probably don't want to switch it over to Natural Gas either because that could be regulated as well. I'm assuming you are not heating your home with your fire place for many months of the year...
homebuyer6426
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by homebuyer6426 »

I would love to have a wood fireplace. My vote is to keep it.
  • Useful in emergency situation.
  • Ambiance, smell, and comfort.
  • House value.
  • I don't see a ban sticking because they are too ubiquitous, and for some people, essential.
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Watty
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Watty »

+1 on liking a natural gas fireplace.

In addition to liking it when we have had a prolonged power outage in the winter it has been handy to heat the room that it is in warm and keep the rest of the house warm enough that the pipes would not freeze.

One risk of not maintaining the chimney is that you might still try to use it if you are in a power outage. Properly removing a fireplace could be an order of magnitude more expensive than maintaining it.

Because of board rules we cannot discuss future possible law changes but a but I am pretty sure that in the past changes to rules for wood stoves have not been retroactive and only applied to new homes or when a wood stove was replaced. If you are afraid of future rule changes it might make even more sense to make sure that your fireplace is well maintained so that it is more likely to be grandfathered in under the current rules.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I would keep it, but use it sparingly. The evidence of the health consequences is not good.

In rural Massachusetts, many homes are partially heated with firewood. We use our fireplace for ambiance and in the winter use it instead of TV, but have glass doors on it and keep an air cleaner on nearby. Still, it’s not good for the overall air quality.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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lthenderson
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by lthenderson »

ruanddu wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:59 am This year though, expenses to maintain it will be a bit higher to pay a chimney sweep to clean
We've either had a wood fireplace or ripped out the gas insert and installed a wood burning insert in every house we've owned. My lot has plenty of trees to provide the firewood so it is essentially free other than my sweat equity which I enjoy. It is also nice to have a heat backup for those winter power outages to prevent pipes from freezing. Have you considered doing the chimney sweep yourself? I bought a kit years ago for around $50 and it takes me only about 20 minutes to unscrew the raincap, do the sweep and put the raincap back on.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

A wood-burning stove with an air blower is much more efficient and modern ones have flue gas re-burners for reduced emissions and greater heat output for a given fuel load.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

BH Valuethinker opened my eyes to the damage fireplaces do to the air. I previously had no idea.

Fireplaces are a big issue in the UK https://amp.theguardian.com/environment ... tion-fires
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Not even rural, I'm 26 miles, 385 yards west of Boston and we have a wood furnace in our basement. It heats air that's blown through the forced air system throughout the house. It's from the mid 80's and without any kind of catalytic converter. I'm also in Massachusetts forest management program for about 12 acres of my property which is aimed at producing firewood. I know the EPA is not state based but I also know that lots of people burn wood around me. I'm sure most are simple wood stoves, which would use less wood than I do, but I think any EPA rule is going to affect only new installations or new stove/furnace sales. Popular these days are pellet stoves as they're easier and more automatic than firewood.

As far as a fireplace, I would agree with others to keep it, even if you don't use it anymore and even if you don't repair it. If you mean a cap as a vented cover to keep out squirrels and such, all that's needed for that is $20 into Lowes and someone willing to go onto the roof and stick it into the flue. I have 2 or 3 (I forget even though I put them up there) on my chimneys. Perhaps seal the low end of the flue if you're not going to use it. Something removable would be preferred so that when the next house buyer comes in, they can reverse it.
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CAsage
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by CAsage »

I'd rip it out in a New York minute. We got rid of our monstrosity in the last remodel, and it opened up design, furniture and entertainment options (that big screen TV) that were precluded with all that wall space locked down. They are an ancient device when cavemen needed a fire to ward off the predators... Ok, maybe not quite that bad! But do look at your design options. Consider all that heat or A/C blowing up and out of the house because those things never really seal well. The toxic fumes from the smoke are an issue for some people. I'll agree that they are very cozy when used, but I felt it was not worth the trades. In my 'hood, not all the original tract builds (and few of those are left) had them. As you noted, future architecture will not include those because of the negative environmental and energy issues.
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Pete12
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Pete12 »

quantAndHold wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:08 am As far as cost and such, we put a gas insert into our wood burning fireplace, and haven’t looked back. It’s still pleasant and cozy, but the chimney doesn’t need cleaning, and we start it and stop it by opening the damper, turning a lever and flipping a switch.
Another vote for a gas insert installed in the existing wood burning fireplace. It adds a lovely ambiance to our living room with no maintenance and no drafts coming down the chimney. In the spring and fall it also pretty much heats the whole house. This is the model we have: https://www.heatnglo.com/fireplaces/gas ... ace-insert
joechristmas
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by joechristmas »

I have lived in my house for almost 10 years and it has a fireplace. I have never used that fireplace. On the other hand, there were bats in there and they would come down and fly around at night and land on the furniture and once inside my infant's bassinet.

I called a sweep and had it cleaned out and a new cap put on it. Even if you don't use it, I'd say maintain it as it can be a means of ingress and egress for outside visitors.
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windaar
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by windaar »

Removing a fireplace from a MCM house will hurt its sell-ability. We don't use ours so we just put in a small raised black platform with some fat colorful candles surrounded by polished river stones. Look nice lit and unlit. Cost almost nothing. An idea.
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galawdawg
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by galawdawg »

Just have it cleaned and serviced and use it as you desire. There is no substitute for a wood fire. I even grill burgers and steaks over wood in one of our fire pits! :beer

If you don't want to use it anymore, you should still have it cleaned and the chimney cap installed. Then just put some birch logs in it for decorative purposes.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by quantAndHold »

LittleMaggieMae wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:27 am I wouldn't worry that much about the wood burning decorative fireplaces being "outlawed" - it just seems silly. If you are worried about that - you probably don't want to switch it over to Natural Gas either because that could be regulated as well. I'm assuming you are not heating your home with your fire place for many months of the year...
There are lots of places that already ban wood fires for large parts of the winter due to issues with wood fire pollution. When I lived in one of those places, the gas insert was just the ticket.

I now live in a place that doesn’t ban wood fires, and I really, really wish they did. Outdoor air quality on cold days is abysmal.
MrsO
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by MrsO »

CAsage wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:59 am I'd rip it out in a New York minute. We got rid of our monstrosity in the last remodel, and it opened up design, furniture and entertainment options (that big screen TV) that were precluded with all that wall space locked down.
Can I ask how much it cost to remove the fireplace? We’re planning a remodel and have a 2nd fireplace that we’ve never used, and it’s really limiting our layout options. We’ll probably keep it since it seems blasphemous to remove a fireplace from an old home, but I’m trying to do a cost-benefit analysis. Thanks!
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by basskleff »

Funny, I like the remarks about, "ripping out your fireplaces!!?? Good luck!"

I have a 1957 ranch in Massachusetts.
I think as others have said, fireplaces, even non-active, unused ones, will have a warm, homey aesthetic that is always valuable to a buyer when you sell. Plus, if someone wants to run a wood or coal stove, you need the fireplaces' access to draft. Not so much with pellet or gas, but it is much easier to utilize an already existing exhaust portal with draft such as a chimney and fireplace, versus cutting holes in walls and putting up ugly short stack vent pipes on the side of the house.

I have major doubts that in our lifetime, the EPA will go as far as banning a combustion activity that provides people with an alternative to heat themselves and stay alive in their homes. Possible I suppose. Unlikely I believe.

I have a Harman nut-size coal stove in the basement fireplace I put in in 2008. I might like to change away from coal to pellet.
One thing about coal, notwithstanding its alarming particulate emissions and certain gases which make it anathema to all combustion fuels, is that it never rots or goes bad, never attracts pests or animals, can be stored outside in rain or snow, always combusts, is super BTU-releasing and so forth. The particulates in your chimney after burning are rather inert, and you don't get varnishing or creosote. You really don't have to clean your chimney. But, I am not necessarily recommending it. Just sharing experiences.

Do the work and leave them be if you don't want to heat with a stove or insert, or as others mention, maybe consider a gas insert. Bear in mind the gas combustion exhaust components. I don't know what you're dealing with there. The components may all go up and out and not condense and eat at the chimney masonry, liner etc.
Last edited by basskleff on Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
dak
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by dak »

I am a big proponent of making your house appealing and livable to you - completely disregarding the trends and desires of potential future purchasers. Make your house comfortable and in line with your sense of style, function, and design. The future owners will deal with anything that they do not like.

(This discussion is reminiscent of the pool vs no pool threads. Some people love pools, some people hate them. Pool haters will not purchase houses with a pool, so perhaps nobody should ever install a pool since they limit the size of the pool (!) of future purchasers!)
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Tubes
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Tubes »

Pete12 wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:00 am
quantAndHold wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:08 am As far as cost and such, we put a gas insert into our wood burning fireplace, and haven’t looked back. It’s still pleasant and cozy, but the chimney doesn’t need cleaning, and we start it and stop it by opening the damper, turning a lever and flipping a switch.
Another vote for a gas insert installed in the existing wood burning fireplace. It adds a lovely ambiance to our living room with no maintenance and no drafts coming down the chimney. In the spring and fall it also pretty much heats the whole house. This is the model we have: https://www.heatnglo.com/fireplaces/gas ... ace-insert
Love the idea, especially since it has an air intake and exhaust (not drawing from inside the house).

But man, those are pricey. Not just this brand either, they are all pretty expensive.
OpenMinded1
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by OpenMinded1 »

I have mixed feelings about fireplaces. To me a fireplace is something that creates a nice ambience, and goes with the character of an older house. When I was a kid I loved the fireplace in the house where I grew up. Also, a fireplace is a good way to warm up, but only if you are pretty close to it. I've heard it's not an efficient way to heat a house because of all the hot air that goes up the chimney.

On the other hand a modern wood burning stove can be a relatively cheap, and somewhat clean way to heat a house. (Many have re-burners or catalytic converters.) But it's usually only cheap if you can get your wood for free, and that takes a lot of work. If you buy the wood, it's usually a comparatively expensive way to heat a house.

I heated a house almost exclusively with a wood burning stove for quite a few years. I had a free source of wood, but had to locate it on either my or my neighbor's property, had to cut it, split it, transport it to the wood pile, stack it, cover the wood pile with a tarp to keep the snow off it, and then move it into the house for burning. The joke was that it provides a lot of heat. The work involved heats you about a half dozen times per load.

There's also keeping the flue clean. A flue fire is a scary thing. Our wood burner actually glowed red, our chimney made a sound like a freight train, and smoke or steam started coming off almost the entire exterior of the brick chimney. (I thought I was doing everything right and still had a flue fire.) Luckily we had a plan, and got it put out before any damage was done. If you call the fire company, they probably will do a lot of water damage putting it out.

Something that hasn't been brought up. I think having a fireplace or wood burner can increase home insurance premiums. It has been quite a few years ago, but I remember that a couple insurance companies wouldn't cover me at any price because I was heating with wood.

Maybe like others have said, a natural or propane gas insert might be best.
Last edited by OpenMinded1 on Fri Aug 19, 2022 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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CAsage
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by CAsage »

MrsO wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:44 am
CAsage wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:59 am I'd rip it out in a New York minute. We got rid of our monstrosity in the last remodel, and it opened up design, furniture and entertainment options (that big screen TV) that were precluded with all that wall space locked down.
Can I ask how much it cost to remove the fireplace? We’re planning a remodel and have a 2nd fireplace that we’ve never used, and it’s really limiting our layout options. We’ll probably keep it since it seems blasphemous to remove a fireplace from an old home, but I’m trying to do a cost-benefit analysis. Thanks!
Mine was real stone facade over brick, and yes it was very limiting for furniture etc. Abhorred it. Demolition is very cheap, but since I had it done as part of an overall bigger job, no idea. Get a few quotes from your general contractor types - they don't charge much for ripping out old concrete or brick, vs what you will spend on the new install (unskilled labor plus hauling). I personally believe these will be a liability in the long run, with energy costs (dollars and environmental impacts) becoming more and more of a concern. IMO.
I will add (edit) that many Bogleheads tend to be old and conservative. Times are a-changing - the next 2 generations may not want that cozy anachronism! Keep it if you love it, but let it go if you don't. New homes (aka modern) will not have wood or gas burning fireplaces.
Last edited by CAsage on Fri Aug 19, 2022 1:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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billaster
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by billaster »

quantAndHold wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:08 am there is a significant number of potential buyers who won’t really consider a house without a fireplace.
According to the National Association of Home Builders only 16% of buyers consider a fireplace to be an essential feature. As with many things, opinions vary.
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by goaties »

Regardless of what you decide about your fireplace-- if you have a masonry-lined chimney instead of a metal-lined one, you might consider NOT capping your chimney:

https://nc.audubon.org/news/make-your-c ... t-friendly
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources ... ney-swifts

The chimney swifts are amazing birds, eat tons of insects, and really need our help. They nest in the summer when you are, presumably, not using your fireplace. A single swift will fly over 1 million miles per year since they live their lives on the wing.
likegarden
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by likegarden »

We are so lucky living in North America with secure supply of natural gas. My brother lives in Germany with Russia possibly cutting his supply of natural gas off which now his house uses for heating. My brother installed a fire place a few years ago and got free firewood 2 years ago and is happy about that.
Blue456
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Blue456 »

Keep it operational for emergency heating.
Zeno
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Zeno »

Following this thread; thank you all
Last edited by Zeno on Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Parkinglotracer »

Live in Syracuse where it’s cold. Our wood fire place sucked warm air out of our house and up the chimney even when damper was closed

Bought glass doors for our fireplace - still sucked air out of the house

Bought nice looking gas fireplace insert - this is nirvana for us.

Quick on with a switch - has blower for heat - runs on natural gas.

Nirvana I tell you.

I think our utility bill went down when we got it because we spend most the time in the room with the insert.

If I was dating someone and wanted to lay a blanket out on our hard wood floor with a bottle of wine for a romantic time I’d still have the fireplace. And I wouldn’t care if I woke up the next morning and it was 57 degrees in the house because I had to leave the damper open while the fire burnt out. But I am not dating.

And it works to heat the house when the power is out.
Last edited by Parkinglotracer on Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zeno
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Zeno »

Parkinglotracer wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:50 pm Live in Syracuse where it’s cold. Our wood fire place sucked warm air out of our house and up the chimney even when damper was closed

Bought glass doors for our fireplace - still sucked air out of the house

Bought nice looking gas fireplace insert - this is nirvana for us.

Quick on with a switch - has blower for heat - runs on natural gas.

Nirvana I tell you.
+1

Unless you are sitting in front of a wood-fired fireplace, it actually cools a house
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quantAndHold
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by quantAndHold »

billaster wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 1:01 pm
quantAndHold wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:08 am there is a significant number of potential buyers who won’t really consider a house without a fireplace.
According to the National Association of Home Builders only 16% of buyers consider a fireplace to be an essential feature. As with many things, opinions vary.
And according to the National Association of Realtors, 46% would pay more for a house with a fireplace.

I would suggest that in a neighborhood where most of the houses have fireplaces, spending money to remove an existing fireplace is probably a mistake when it comes to resale.
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whr19606
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by whr19606 »

My vote is to keep it. Built our first house in 1968. I designed the fireplace. We used it almost every cold evening. Moved to second house in 1977. No fireplace so I installed a Heatilator and surrounded it with cabinetry and brickwork. Used it a lot. In those days we cut down our own trees and hand-split our firewood. About 4 cords every year. Moved to third house in 1989. Has a brick fireplace. We had been burning 2 or 3 cords a year, but now I am old, and have bad shoulders, and can't split wood, so we converted it to gas in 2015. We installed a Peterson burner and artificial logs. It looks real, and we love it, but we miss the "snap, crackle, and pop" of burning real wood. In our area (SE PA) most new houses are built with gas fireplaces because builders realize that at the end of a long, cold day, people like to sit by a fire and watch the flames dance around. Best of luck, regardless of which way you go.
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Zeno »

Following this thread
Last edited by Zeno on Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ruanddu
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

Thanks everyone for all your replies! We are going to keep it and do the maintenance to keep it working for hopefully many more years.
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ruanddu
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

goaties wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 1:27 pm Regardless of what you decide about your fireplace-- if you have a masonry-lined chimney instead of a metal-lined one, you might consider NOT capping your chimney:

https://nc.audubon.org/news/make-your-c ... t-friendly
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources ... ney-swifts

The chimney swifts are amazing birds, eat tons of insects, and really need our help. They nest in the summer when you are, presumably, not using your fireplace. A single swift will fly over 1 million miles per year since they live their lives on the wing.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
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ruanddu
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

lthenderson wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:46 am
ruanddu wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:59 am This year though, expenses to maintain it will be a bit higher to pay a chimney sweep to clean
We've either had a wood fireplace or ripped out the gas insert and installed a wood burning insert in every house we've owned. My lot has plenty of trees to provide the firewood so it is essentially free other than my sweat equity which I enjoy. It is also nice to have a heat backup for those winter power outages to prevent pipes from freezing. Have you considered doing the chimney sweep yourself? I bought a kit years ago for around $50 and it takes me only about 20 minutes to unscrew the raincap, do the sweep and put the raincap back on.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing. Do you happen to remember what kit you bought?
carolinaman
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by carolinaman »

We have a fireplace and used it for many years. It provides nice ambience but not much heat plus it is very messy. We stopped using ours because I have asthma and wife has breathing issues. Fireplaces produce pollutants into the home that will bother people with breathing problems.

Unless you are willing to cope with the issues, I would not use it but keep it in case you sell. It is a nice feature for some people.
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by illumination »

We're not really supposed to speculate on future legislation, but the idea of the EPA banning someone from even owning a wood fireplace in their home sounds preposterous. I understand "no burn days" as that's a reality, but they aren't going to go into someone's home and make them remove the fireplace.

I would just keep it and you can decide how often you want to use it. I have gas fireplaces, they are almost purely ornamental, are a HUGE waste of gas, and provide almost no heat to the home, but try telling that to my wife :D

I have an additional gas fireplace in my bedroom. I haven't used it in over 15 years. I may remove it (fill it) just because the chimney allows noise to pass through, even when closed. But for the most part, I think fireplaces look nice in a home, even when they aren't being used.
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retiredjg
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by retiredjg »

ruanddu wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:59 am We have a 1950's house with a fireplace on main floor and one in basement. We really enjoy using them for the ambience. I also enjoy splitting wood for the exercise.
To me, this is the answer to your question. You really enjoy the fireplace. Fix it (unless you just cannot afford it) and keep using it on occasions.

I kept mine until it became more trouble than enjoyment. And I needed a real heat source for power outages and the fireplace was pitiful for that. When those stars aligned, I replaced it with a vented gas modern style and now enjoy that almost every evening in the winter.
Jeepergeo
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Jeepergeo »

I suggest you go ahead and do the required maintenance and keep the fireplace for your enjoyment and future resale value.

Who knows what the EPA might do? Telling millions of Americans that they can't have or use their fireplace won't go over well. Afterall, firewood is a renewable resource.
iamlucky13
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by iamlucky13 »

Since you like the ambiance and splitting wood, it seems like a modest luxury that should be easy to justify unless things are tight.

Also, while a significant percentage of buyers may not care about having a fireplace, since it is there, it will likely be checked during a buyer's inspection, and even if they had not previously had plans of using it, most buyers will probably still want to know it is in good condition in case they ever would want to use it.

With that said, as long as you are going to have a little bit of work done, this is a good time to consider installing a wood-burning insert, especially if you burn a cord or more a year. It's normal to have large glass doors, so you still get the ambiance. They are far more efficient than an open fireplace, so you get more heat in your home for the work of splitting and moving the wood. They also burn significantly cleaner, as long as your wood is well seasoned.

The downside is the cost will be significantly more than just repairing your chimney.

I've been very happy to have an insert for the past decade. My calculations are it should be close to paying for itself about now, and since I have a decent number of trees around my property to maintain, cutting the larger branches to length and splitting them to add to my stacks after pruning is the easiest way to get rid of them.

Regarding regulations, I can't predict what might happen, but historically emissions regulations have restricted the sale or installation of new items that do not meet the current standards. Existing items have been allowed to remain in use. This has applied to wood burning appliances just like it has to cars.

Local regulations can be more stringent than the EPA regulations. I live in an area that has clean air burn bans when the regional authority deems it necessary. These apply in stages. A stage 1 burn ban only affects fireplaces and outdoor burning. EPA certified wood stoves, which includes inserts, are still allowed. Stage 2 burn bans do limit even certified stoves, but these only occur a couple days a year. Also, they're exempted if there is no other adequate heat source, so if the power is out, I can still stay warm.

If you want to research more, hearth.com is the equivalent of bogleheads for all things stove and fireplace related.
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ruanddu
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

Thanks again everyone. Appreciate your input.
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ruanddu
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by ruanddu »

iamlucky13 wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 1:17 am Since you like the ambiance and splitting wood, it seems like a modest luxury that should be easy to justify unless things are tight.

Also, while a significant percentage of buyers may not care about having a fireplace, since it is there, it will likely be checked during a buyer's inspection, and even if they had not previously had plans of using it, most buyers will probably still want to know it is in good condition in case they ever would want to use it.

With that said, as long as you are going to have a little bit of work done, this is a good time to consider installing a wood-burning insert, especially if you burn a cord or more a year. It's normal to have large glass doors, so you still get the ambiance. They are far more efficient than an open fireplace, so you get more heat in your home for the work of splitting and moving the wood. They also burn significantly cleaner, as long as your wood is well seasoned.

The downside is the cost will be significantly more than just repairing your chimney.

I've been very happy to have an insert for the past decade. My calculations are it should be close to paying for itself about now, and since I have a decent number of trees around my property to maintain, cutting the larger branches to length and splitting them to add to my stacks after pruning is the easiest way to get rid of them.

Regarding regulations, I can't predict what might happen, but historically emissions regulations have restricted the sale or installation of new items that do not meet the current standards. Existing items have been allowed to remain in use. This has applied to wood burning appliances just like it has to cars.

Local regulations can be more stringent than the EPA regulations. I live in an area that has clean air burn bans when the regional authority deems it necessary. These apply in stages. A stage 1 burn ban only affects fireplaces and outdoor burning. EPA certified wood stoves, which includes inserts, are still allowed. Stage 2 burn bans do limit even certified stoves, but these only occur a couple days a year. Also, they're exempted if there is no other adequate heat source, so if the power is out, I can still stay warm.

If you want to research more, hearth.com is the equivalent of bogleheads for all things stove and fireplace related.
Thank you! Very helpful.
barnaclebob
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by barnaclebob »

Another vote for a wood burning insert. You still get the ambiance and you'll get significant amounts of heat.
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Tubes
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by Tubes »

One way to look at it is like vinyl records. Nobody wanted them for 2 decades. Then one day, they are rage.

Painting exterior brick is currently in fashion. Natural brick, I guarantee, will come back. This brick-paint style cycle has been going on for centuries.

Wood fireplaces are an unknown. I could see environmental regs possibly putting a clamp on them. Conversely, I could see them grandfathered and suddenly original wood fireplaces become a thing to have since new ones cannot be built. It is really hard to say.

We have a wood burner and only use it in emergencies. I liked it at first, but it is a lot of work. Additionally, I sealed it up with foam-board for better efficiency. This "plug" can be removed fairly easily, but it is extra work. And once I have ashes in the firebox, I don't want to re-plug it until the end of season.

The wood burning insert is a possible idea. I'd have to look at recent versions. The ones I was familiar with 20 years ago were, uh, kinda ugly.
tikihut guy
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Re: Wood Fireplace - Keep it or Get Rid of it?

Post by tikihut guy »

Rip it out - block it off - decommission it. I did. Unless you're in a northern climate and feel might need it as a back up.

Fireplaces all over the Southwest often consume the most visually important wall. Placing a flat screen above the fireplace is awkward ergonomically. Placing it elsewhere in a room is often problematic furnishing-wise.

My remodeled living room functions beautifully without a fireplace. Makes the Living Room truly a room for gathering, especially larger groups.

No one entering has ever asked what happened to it.

Best single remodeling choice for the expense.
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