Fire places..Love or hate them?

Wood fireplaces are bad for your health in the long term. It seems to be the worst while removing old ash.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969718303875

 

If it's your main heat source it's your main heat source. No getting around that. I think OP was referring to a suburban home where it's a living room feature.
The "To each" saying here I guess really boils down to if you like watching a fire. Lots of people do.

 

Vast majority of houses around here (New England) have them. Most newer construction does, some doesn't. I think it's more based off traditional esthetic.
Our house has it and I've never used it. I can say the same for a good number of my friends.

 

You lost me with “fire place exactly where the TV is supposed to go”

Dafuq? My house was built in the 90’s and they forgot the fireplace so I put one in myself... where the TV was, ya know

 

It's a supplemental to my oil heater. It's not my main heat source. It's great to cook a nice steak in too if it's too cold to start up the grill.

 

I love watching a fire burn in my fireplace (on the cold winter holidays) BUT -- what I love more is the add-on blowered/jacketed woodstove in the basement that has virtually eliminated my nat-gas heating bills for the last 35 or so years. The wood gathering/cutting/splitting/stacking process has given me plenty of needed exercise. I am 73 years young and plan to do this stuff for as long as I am able. I am about to finish my next years supply soon -- I cut a year ahead to avoid creosote problems -been there done that. Figuring loosely I have saved a lot of money over the years, (17K plus) even figuring in the stuff needed to pull this off.
To each their own -- but this is my preference

 

BS -- this depends so much on the stove/ heating source

 

FIFY

 

I love everything about burning wood in a fireplace. I like cutting down trees, splitting and stacking wood, the crackling, the whiff of a little smoke, etc. That being said, the burning laws are getting harder. I live where there are inversions and there are less and less days I’m allowed to burn wood.

 

Please explain

 

My guess (thats what it is) is they took some model of stove and monitored the air content for a period of time. Does this represent every possible type of wood burning device in use these days -- NOPE!

 

Did you actually read it or just read my comment?

 

Yep, you and me both brother. First thing I did moving into this place was to put in two, a smaller one upstairs and a bigger one to heat the whole house downstairs. It's our only heat source, and come winter the one downstairs is usually going 24/7. We go through about 4 cords every year. Hard work to be sure but I see it as a great workout, and at 66 I’m always looking for ways to help fend off that guy with the scythe.


edited to address the OP question.....if I bought a house with a fireplace I would add a wood stove insert. You can still see the flames and much MUCH more heat efficient. I would never build a fireplace (although river rock fireplaces are VERY cool!), but just do as I did, put in a wood stove(s).

 

Upstairs.....
.....and downstairs.....

 

For free firewood delivered as well as free chip mulch for gardens create an account on this site to allow local arborist to have a free drop site. It’s not permanent and you can request the wood to be dropped as log or chip and then sort the rest yourself.

https://getchipdrop.com/