Our Fireplace Guide gives you hundreds of ideas and tips on wood and gas burning fireplaces, vent free fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace surround and mantel design and much more. Below you can view all of our fireplace design photos. Click on any image to view a full-size picture.

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Freestanding, a wood stove can heat a large area and can heat a home where the kitchen and living rooms are on the lower floor, with an open loft above. The radiant heat produced by an efficient wood burning stove is well suited to this kind of floor plan.

The wood stove is a flexible and economical home heating option. It can be located anywhere a chimney can be installed to vent combustion air out through the top of the roof and connected to the unit by a stove or flue pipe.

Wood stoves are a type of space heater really; instead of using ducts to route warm air throughout the home, a space heater warms the air within an unobstructed area, making it ideal in a small home with a very open floor plan, such as an A-frame home.

Wood Burning Stove Function and Form

Historically used to heat many homes throughout the United States, the popularity of wood stoves declined as new technologies like central furnaces and forced-air heating systems were introduced, replacing wood stoves, which do admittedly take away some living space in a home.

But wood stoves remain popular and the technology has evolved significantly over the last couple of decades. Materials such as natural stone, porcelain, steel and cast iron are used to create functional wood burning stoves that also add style and appeal to the home interior décor.

A range of styles from the ever-popular antique wood stoves to more modern and contemporary units, a range of designs, colors and finishes are available today. Wood stoves burn fuel cleanly and evenly, conserving and maximizing fuel use and reducing emission of combustion by-products versus less-efficient, open wood burning fireplaces.

Wood Burning Stove Benefits

• Cost-effective home heating solution
• Reduces dependence on heating oil, liquid propane or natural gas fuel sources
• Firewood is a plentiful and relatively cost-effective fuel source throughout much of North America and with today’s timber industry planting more trees that are harvest each year, wood is becoming more recognized as a sustainable resource.
• Adds rustic warmth and old world charm to a home or cabin interior.

Wood Pellet Stoves

Introduced in the 1980s, wood pellet stoves burn recycled sawdust and wood by-products from lumber mills. The by-products are compressed into pellets which are used for combustion inside a hopper. A mechanical auger feeds the pellets into the flame as needed to keep the fire steady and even, improving heating efficiency; efficiency ratings for wood pellet stoves can be as high as 80 percent.

The qualities make wood pellet stoves an attractive home heating option, although as with other wood burning fireplaces, building codes and local regulations in some areas have prohibited wood burning units, so be sure to check your local building codes before buying a wood pellet stove or insert.

The main benefit of advanced wood pellet stoves is the cost of fuel; if you have easy access to pellet fuel, it can be as low as $5 for a 40 pound bag! Most units are non-catalytic. Advanced pellet stove models with catalytic converter combustion are more expensive and operation is slightly more complex.

Advanced Wood Stove Benefits

Due to more stringent emissions standards, wood stove research has led to the development of wood stoves that are EPA-certified to be a third more efficient that the old pot belly and box and step stoves of yore. This ain’t your granddaddy’s pot belly stove!

While an EPA-certified unit can run $200 more than a non-certified stove, you’ll be glad you spent the extra. Benefits of advanced wood stoves include:

• Up to one-third more efficient; savings recover the higher unit cost within 2 years.
• Up to 90 percent less particulate emissions; this also means less maintenance and reduces the chance of a chimney fire since there is also less creosote build up in the flue.
• Easier to ignite and tend than older wood stove designs.
• Many units have an air-wash feature that provides self cleaning glass doors.

Wood Stove Features and Characteristics

Location for a Wood Stove – A wood stove is designed to be a space heater. To get the most heat possible from your wood stove, try to locate it centrally in the main living area of your home. You also want to be sure that heat can pass into other rooms as freely as possible, so if you are designing a new home with space heating in mind, make the floor plan open and strategically locate the rooms in which you spend most time (kitchen, bedroom, living or family room). Try to have as little separation between rooms as possible and avoid chopping the living space into many small rooms; fewer, larger rooms will make your home’s floor plan more suitable to space heat with a wood stove.

Wood Stove Materials – Very little functional difference exists between a wood stove manufactured with cast iron or steel plate construction methods. Painted or enamel finishes also have not real affect on performance.

Stove Appliance Shielding – All wood stove units are shielded on the back and bottom sides to keep floors and walls from overheating and so they can be installed close to combustible walls.

Some units have top and side shielding; this improves warm air convection in the living space for greater efficiency.

Stove Sizing – Wood stove size greatly affects its heating capacity; do not choose an overly large unit for a small room and conversely, if you want to heat a large living space, bigger is better in this case!

Some homes use multiple wood stoves or a combination of a wood stove and gas or wood burning fireplaces to heat bedrooms or other rooms that may not receive enough heat from the primary wood stove.

Wood Stove Installation and Venting Tips

One myth is that wood stoves do use a chimney; in fact all wood stoves vent through an approved “chimney” which is a sealed “hole in the roof” with a liner inside; the chimney must be either lined masonry or Class A insulated metal.

The chimney is connected to the stove with a stove pipe or flue pipe. This gives them a much different appearance than what we typically think of with masonry or factory-built wood fireplace chimneys; the stove pipe is visibly exposed. Proper installation, fitting and flashing is necessary to install the chimney safely without damage to the roof that could result in leaking or fire danger.

As with any chimney, the flue pipe and chimney must be properly designed and installed in order to promote a good “draft”; this reduces fuel use, retains more usable heat and improves the safety and low maintenance qualities of a wood stove.

Installation Affects Efficiency and Safety

The EPA recommends professional installation by a certified technician for safety and proper performance. If you decide to try installing a wood stove yourself, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions completely and consult with them if you have any questions. Installation factors to consider include:

• Adequate clearance between the wood stove, venting system and any combustible floor or wall materials; installing a non-combustible hearth and surround for protection of combustible materials is required with some models and depending on clearances.
• Proper assembly and configuration of wood stove appliances, venting systems and other components is critical to ensuring the proper operation, efficiency and safety of any wood stove product; assembly or installation mistakes can’t always be seen and the problems which result may not be evident until its too late (meaning a home fire)!
• Determining the correct size and heat output is something with which you should consult an expert to ensure optimal heat distribution and wood stove fuel efficiency.
• A stove or flue pipe can not be run out the window, although in some cases it may exhaust through an exterior wall at a proper height. A chimney without proper vent clearance over the roof is unsafe and could cause a fire and/or poisonous gases to enter your home. Be sure to consult your local building codes and if in doubt, make the chimney higher than specified.
• The inside and outside diameter of the flue pipe must be correct and fitted properly to both the wood stove appliance and the chimney; the venting system is the core element that determines how efficiently your wood stove burns.
• The straighter the path between the stove and the chimney the better; long runs, joints and bends in the flue pipe decrease efficiency.
• Stove and Flue pipes must also have proper clearances to keep them away from combustible walls or other objects!
• You really should have an expert at least review your plans and completed work if you plan to install a wood stove and venting system yourself.

How far you go with this process depends on your budget and how important your fireplace is to the overall design of the room. If you intend to make the fireplace the focal point or even integrate it with your media center to create a dual-purpose focal point, then it probably deserves attention to details such as the materials and design of the hearth, mantle and firescreen.

There are three main components to a fireplace; the hearth, the firebox and the type of opening. The hearth is the area directly around the firebox; the firebox, as you would imagine, is where the fire actually burns. The hearth and mantel should have function and form appropriate to the room décor and design style of the room. The opening acts as a transition “buffer zone” between the fireplace and the room, using an insert, glass doors and/or firescreen to help keep sparks and burning embers from escaping the firebox.

Fireplace Hearths and Mantels

We will discuss fireplace hearths and mantels in more detail later in the fireplace guide, but a brief overview is in order when considering the heart as a part of overall fireplace design. Hearths may be flush with the floor, lower than the level of the floor, raised several inches or even built up a foot or two from the floor to create a hearth seating area. Some fireplaces have no real hearth and are simply flush with the wall. Many times a decorative mantel will be installed over the fireplace opening to enhance the look of the hearth and surrounds.

Fireboxes

The design and materials used to construct fireboxes depend on the type of fireplace and chimney or venting system used. Traditionally, fireboxes are often set flush with the level of a home’s floors; other design options include raised fireboxes and dropped fireboxes. The style and scale of your hearth and mantelpiece will often guide the decision what height to set the firebox.

Fireplace Openings

A standard rectangular fireplace opening is the norm, but you can find many interesting styles such as arch top openings, flared openings, double-sided fireplaces, two-sided corner openings and others. Perhaps the most unique design, and one which generates excellent heat radiation, is the U-shaped opening with a firebox that has three exposed openings!

Fireplace Efficiency

Many homes built in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries have at least one wood-burning fireplace. However, as we learn more about conserving our resources, health questions about wood smoke and home fire safety, the growing trend is moving toward the alternative fireplace fuels.

If your home has a wood-burning fireplace or you are building a new home, consider the following fireplace efficiency factors:

• Does the air supply to the fireplace come from inside or outside? Ventless systems can be more efficient since they are heating air which is already inside your home, but the drawback is increased humidity.
• Does the chimney effectively reduce heat loss (sometime called stack loss)? Especially if you have an older home, hire a chimney professional to inspect the cap, liner, etc. for ways to reduce this loss.
• Does the firebox, opening and hearth maximize heat coming into the room? While its tempting to think of the form and design aspects of a new or updated fireplace, there are very good functional reasons for traditional fireplace and hearth designs. Stone or ceramic tile hold heat very well, which can enhance a fireplace’s capacity to help heat your home.

Fireplaces Need a Good Air Supply

If your fireplace is externally vented, then air supply can be a challenge in today’s ultra insulated and air sealed homes. Since your fireplace draws cooler air from inside the home and expelled up through the flue, it needs to be continually replaced by more air.

A conventional fireplace without glass doors or without outside enough air passing into the home, below about 35 degrees F, it can actually become an energy drain as well as causing problems with smoke entering the room. With glass doors and a supply of outside air, the energy gain should be constant regardless of outside temperatures and resulting in positive heat gain. In a modern home with good insulation and window and door seals, a fresh air duct connected to the cold air return can be used to provide enough air for the fireplace to operate efficiently.

Updating an Older Fireplace

If your home already has a fireplace but needs a little facelift, you have plenty of options to update it with new surrounds, hearth and mantel materials. Consider a range of materials including stone, brick, ceramic tile, precast concrete or manufactured stone, wood and metals such as copper, stainless steel and copper.

The extent and style you choose largely determines the budget and how much of the work you can do yourself. You can purchase an inexpensive pre-made mantel for under $200 USD. A complete kit, including a mantel and surrounds can run from $300 to $500, but the sky is the limit, depending on the materials used and the intricacy and complexity of the trim work, finish, etc; you can easily spend several thousand dollars on a custom fireplace hearth, surrounds and mantel if your budget and tastes are toward the high end!

Most people decide to give their fireplace a facelift when redesigning a room. This is sensible, since the colors, textures and materials should be consistent between your fireplace design, furnishings, artwork, and other design elements.

It is common for such a project to begin simply enough; “we’ll just install a new mantel” and then you realize that adding glass doors or a new firescreen is in order. From there, you may decide the surrounds and hearth also need updating. You might also want to consider adding a convenient gas fire starter while you’re at it!

For a complex fireplace redesign, hiring a designer and contractor will be the way to go for most homeowners. If you are handy at setting tile and installing wood trim work, then you can probably handle some or even all of the project yourself.

If your room is already decorated, then designing the fireplace to match the décor is a logical choice. Remember to think in terms of whether or not you want the fireplace to be the room’s central focal point; this will guide your thinking in terms of how unique and intricate to make the design.

You will, of course, have far more design flexibility when updating an entire room and your existing fireplace together. In this case, you might even consider designing the room around the new fireplace, in which case the fireplace sets the tone for the colors, textures and other design elements you use throughout the room décor.

Getting Ideas for Your Fireplace Design

Visit showrooms, look at lots of photos and talk to designers and fireplace retailers to get ideas for your fireplace design. A unique fireplace using materials such as copper can be made to look aged with a natural patina and imperfect finish, giving your fireplace a rustic appeal. Or, you can go with something modern like stainless steel and a painted or stained mantelpiece.

If your older fireplace uses brick or other quality materials, consider how you might update the look rather than replacing them; a faux paint finish could be used for instance to give a white-painted older fireplace the look of natural brick. Stonework and masonry is very labor intensive these days, so if your existing fireplace has stone or brick work, you should seriously consider how to update and freshen its look without tearing it out or covering it over!

If you want the traditional look of masonry on a new fireplace or existing one without stone or brick work, there are a number of manufactured or “faux” stone and brick facing products you can use to achieve the look of real masonry without the expense. These products will be attached to the fireplace surrounds using construction adhesives and the pieces come in a variety of shapes and finishes to create a wide range of appearances, from rough stone to natural brick or smooth marble.

Many new homes use precast concrete mantels, which are an inexpensive solution. Tearing one out and replacing it with a custom made mantel will go a long way toward giving your fireplace a unique and more appealing look. This is one of the simplest fireplace updates and gives a lot of bang for the buck!

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If you are like many homeowners who own an older home, you may have a fireplace with a traditional masonry chimney. While nothing beats a real wood-burning fireplace for authenticity and ambiance, most of these older fireplaces are extremely inefficient for heating purposes. And with today’s high cost of home energy and heating fuel, every bit of efficiency counts!

In the 80s it seemed like wood fireplace inserts were all the rage and then they kind of disappeared from the home improvement radar screen. Today’s fireplace inserts are true heating units, made to retrofit a fireplace to greatly improve efficiency and add a more stylish and up-to-date design. A fireplace insert is a good option to consider if you need to update an older fireplace in your home.

An older, masonry fireplace without an enclosed firebox can be inefficient since much of the combustion air simply escapes up through the chimney. An open fireplace draws the air in too quickly, wasting precious fuel and up it goes! Learn about the key benefits and characteristics of fireplace inserts, wood stoves and pellet burning units in this section of our fireplace guide.

Fireplace Insert Benefits

While wood and pellet-burning fireplace inserts have been around for a long time, today’s high tech units offer great heating efficiency and enhanced design options so they will look attractive in your home; matching that country, modern or other decorating style you’ve gone to great lengths to give your home! Wood fireplace insert benefits include:

• Enhanced fireplace efficiency
• Clean burning and easy operation
• Cuts home heating costs
• Improved fuel efficiency and fuel options
• Lower combustion air emissions, environmentally friendly
• Helps heat a home during power outages

A well-designed insert is very efficient. These units are made to heat the house; not just provide a pretty flame in the fireplace! Fireplace inserts can be retrofitted to fit almost any existing masonry or factory-made fireplace. Inserts may burn gas, wood or wood pellets made of wood by-products.

Depending on the existing chimney and fireplace vent design, most fireplace inserts are easy to install and have a fan to help move warm air into the living space. Inserts are generally made of steel or cast iron, with insulated glass doors for enhanced performance.

While they are generically referred to as “wood fireplace inserts”, these heating units are available for a variety of fireplace fuels including coal, oil, natural gas, liquid propane, wood and wood by-products or pellets. This makes fireplace inserts quite versatile in an uncertain time of increasing fuel prices and regional fuel availability.

The insulated glass doors on a fireplace insert are designed to slow the fire and increase the temperatures for more complete combustion inside the combustion area. This can cut heating costs and helps the home feel warmer, since inserts are also designed as heaters, optimized to maximize radiant heat flowing into the living space.

An EPA-certified insert can reduce the emissions from a wood burning fireplace to nearly zero, making them more eco-friendly than a traditional wood fireplace.

Attractive Modern Fireplace Inserts

I remember as a kid during the 70s, a friend’s parents installed a fireplace insert with a blower in their family room fireplace. The room was always warm, but the cast iron, glass-door insert looked like an antique automobile and was about as large too!

But, despite the stigma some of us may feel toward inserts, today they are widely available in a variety of styles, colors and finishes from modern to traditional and everything in between. In some cases, adding a stylish insert with matching surround and glass doors can give your fireplace an updated look without spending thousands of dollars on a complete custom fireplace.

Style is a always a personal choice, but choosing a fireplace insert that matches the décor, materials, colors and textures in your room is easy with so many models on the market today. Metal finishes include stainless steel, brass or another gold-toned metal finish, painted finishes from neutral black or dark brown to white, off white or even a brighter color finish like burnt orange or cobalt blue.

The easiest way to add accent color to your fireplace is to use materials such as ceramic tiles to give your insert and surround a custom look. Natural stone, wood or brick will also work well if you decide to build a custom surround and hearth around your fireplace insert.

For ease of installation, many fireplace inserts include options to easily add the surround and mantle of your choice, in which case a custom hearth and surround are not needed.

Fireplace Insert Heating Efficiency

Older wood-burning fireplaces often have an efficiency rating as low as only 5 or 10 percent. Adding an insert can increase efficiency by 50 percent or more, while reducing emissions to almost zero!

By enclosing the combustion area, an insert allows the fuel to burn more slowly, increasing the amount of heat output and greatly improving heating efficiency. Most units also include a blower or fan to further enhance heat output and comfort inside the living space.

Fireplace Insert Features and Characteristics

Types of Inserts – Categorized by fuel type; natural gas, liquid propane, EPA certified wood, wood by-products or pellets and coal.

Fireplace Insert Size – Units range from small to quite big, depending on the size and shape of the fireplace opening; be sure to measure the height, width and depth of the opening and also at the back of the opening, as well as the size and depth of the hearth.

Fireplace Insert Applications – These units are designed to be installed inside an existing fireplace with a chimney.

Insert Venting Options – Depending on the fuel used, may work directly through the existing chimney or may require either a direct vent or vent free venting system. The chimney liner is another factor; not all liners are suitable for all fuels, so check with your manufacturer.

Fireplace Insert Materials and Fabrication – Units are made of cast iron or steel, doors use self-cleaning glass, fans and blowers are optional, along with options such as remote control flame regulators and thermostatic controls.

Insert Styles – Fuel choice may determine some aspects of design, but most models are available in many styles, finishes and colors.

Fireplace Insert Installation Tips

• In most cases it is advisable to consider having your fireplace insert professionally installed by a licensed contractor or installer.
• If you do decide to install your own fireplace insert, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and consult with them if you have any questions. In some areas, a building permit may be required, so check your local building codes first.
• The installation must be airtight and oftentimes adjustments are needed to give the flame a realistic appearance.
• Since you still have a chimney, you will need regular inspections and chimney cleaning as with any traditional masonry or factory-built fireplace chimney.

Factoring Fireplace Insert Cost Savings

To determine your savings and return on investment of buying a fireplace insert:

1. Add together the costs for the fireplace insert, delivery, installation; your total up front investment cost.
2. Calculate the projected annual fuel and maintenance costs moving forward (lower costs once insert is installed).
3. Subtract the new annualized cost figure from the previous annual expense to calculate annualized savings.
4. Divide the up front costs by the annualized savings to calculate how long it will take to recoup your investment.

Fireplace insert savings calculation example:

• Up front cost = $1,000
• New projected annual fuel and maintenance cost = $300
• Historical annual fuel and maintenance cost = $500
• Net annualized savings = $500 – $300 = $200
• Time to recover costs = $1,000 / $200 = 5 Years

Proper fireplace ventilation affects the heating efficiency and safety of your fireplace. The correct choice and installation of a fireplace venting system requires an understanding of the options and techniques involved when installing or updating fireplace venting. This is doubly true when converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas or pellet fuel types.

If updating an existing fireplace or retrofitting a new fireplace in an existing home, you may have limited venting options due to the desired placement of the fireplace, local building codes and regulations and the type, design and style of the fireplace.

Fireplace and Wood Burning Stove Venting

Generally speaking, a natural wood-fueled fireplace uses a masonry or stud-supported metal chimney to vent combustion air outside, over the top of the roof; the vent should be three feet above the roof or at least two feet taller than any structure located within a ten foot radius.

The stovepipe of a wood burning stove serves the same purpose but may be exposed if it runs directly from the stove to the roof opening through which it extends. This significantly reduces costs versus building a chimney structure. Gas B-Vent fireplace venting systems also work off this “stovepipe” concept.

Either a brick and mortar masonry or a Class A type all-fuel chimney system is needed to properly vent most real wood-burning fireplaces.

Venting a Pellet Burning Fireplace

Pellet-burning fireplaces require a mechanical exhaust system, with a fan designed to forcefully pull the combustion gases and by-products out of the unit. A flue is needed as with wood-burning fireplaces; although the design may vary from a traditional chimney flue depending on the unit and whether you are installing a new fireplace versus converting a wood-burning fireplace.

Gas Fireplace Venting Systems

A gas vent pulls air into the firebox to be combusted and also emits exhaust; where the air comes from and where it exits is largely a function of the venting system, which is specified based on the unit itself.

With gas, there are a variety of types and designs, so venting depends on whether the gas fireplace unit is B-Vent, Direct Vent or Ventless:

B-Vent

In a “B-vent” system, combustion air is drawn from the firebox and vented outdoor through an economical pipe instead of a chimney (the B-Pipe of course). Features and advantages of a B-vent include:

• Inexpensive and easier to install since a full chimney is not needed; less expensive than direct venting.
• Zero clearance to combustibles.
• Draws air from inside the home for combustion and vents above the roof like a furnace or regular chimney.
• Fireplaces look like traditional wood-burners and come in a wide range of sizes, styles and options.
• Less restrictive placement of the fireplace; can go anywhere the B-Vent can be installed.
• Due to changes in regulations and building codes related to fireplaces, many builders install either B-Vent or Direct Vent fireplaces now instead of the traditional wood-burning fireplace with a gas starter.

Direct Vent

A direct vent system draws air from outside into the combustion area of the fireplace unit and vents combustion air back outside. No chimney or B-Vent is required! These units are very efficient at heating your home, do not affect the air quality inside the living space and are less expensive than most vented fireplace systems.

Direct venting varies from one manufacturer and model to another, but a coaxial pipe system is commonly used; small inner pipe vents combustion air to the outside of the home while the larger outside pipe draws fresh air into the fireplace. Pretty slick! Characteristics and benefits of direct venting include:

• Can be vented out the top or the back, depending on installation needs.
• Can be vented horizontally through the outside wall or vertically through the roof without needing either a chimney or B-Vent.
• Direct vent fireplaces are an efficient way to heat a room and most are rated as gas wall furnace units.
• As with B-vent units, direct vents are zero clearance to combustibles.
• Easy to install and saves space; some units are designed so that you can custom design the surround, hearth and mantel as you would a more traditional fireplace unit. Others are available with options such as the hearth, surround and/or mantelpiece, all designed for simple installation.
• With an enclosed front, the characteristics of a direct vent fireplace makes it well suited to buttoned-up, modern homes with tight seals and plenty of insulation.

Vent-Free or Ventless

When even a direct vent fireplace is not appropriate, you can use a ventless unit if all else fails. These fireplaces are unique in that air is drawn from inside the house into the combustion area and vented back into the home after combustion! This is enabled by a design that burns gas very cleanly that the only by-product flowing back into the living space to be concerned with is carbon dioxide (water).

While there were once concerns about the emissions into a home’s living space with direct vent fireplaces, direct vent technology has continued to improve as a very viable option to installing a fireplace in a home or room where previously no other real options exist!

The main combustion by-products from ventless units that might affect living space air quality include:

• Carbon monoxide
• Carbon dioxide
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Oxygen
• Water vapor (humidity)

Of these, the main by-product to be worried about is the last (humidity); a ventless fireplace can introduce up to a gallon of water for every four hours the unit is in operation. Allergens and dander from humans and pets will be carried through the system, so people with severe allergies may be of concern when choosing a ventless system.

Since there is no chimney, flue, B-vent or a even coaxial pipe with which to be concerned, a vent-free fireplace can be installed in almost any location in the house. Characteristics and benefits of vent free include:

• Affordable to purchase and operate, up to 99 percent energy efficient
• Most do not require an electric fan, so they can operate even during a power outage.
• Burn clean and relatively cool at 40 thousand Btu per hour of heat output.
• Clean and safe, but should be installed along with a carbon monoxide detector; you really ought to have them in your home regardless!
• Different models can run on either natural or liquid propane gas.
• Not good in cold, damp climates, where increased moisture and humidity can be a problem if you use a ventless fireplace regularly; this can be a problem if you are in a “wet state” like Oregon, where I live.
• Blue or yellow flame burner or ceramic plaque burner may not always produce the most realistic appearance of a wood fire; varies from model to model.

One of the primary functions of the chimney is to properly exhaust fumes and particulates containing harmful, poisonous gases; if your chimney does not draw or vent properly, not only will the normally soothing fragrance of a wood fire become overwhelming, it can present potentially serious health concerns if not addressed!

Common sense tells us that wood fire particulates, creosote and soot build up inside the chimney, but we often neglect to count the number of fires burned inside the firebox since the last time the chimney was inspected or cleaned!

A chimney that normally draws fine, but begins to emit strong fumes inside the living space, is often a sign that the chimney has built up excessive creosote and soot inside. Do not wait to have a look or cal in a professional anytime you smell a strong odor of wood smoke coming from any fireplace.

Chimney Structure and Components

A fireplace chimney is a relatively complex system; structure, size, diameter and other factors will determine how well it draws, providing a steady fire in the firebox and expelling the harmful gases produced by combustion.

Traditionally, most wood-burning fireplaces were built using masonry materials such as bricks and mortar and surrounded with tile or stone. Today, many fireplaces are prefabricated for easy installation, without the need for an expensive masonry chimney foundation and structure.

Built using a stud-framed metal flue, these modern fireplace units are much easier and affordable to install in new homes or fireplace retrofits. They also are not susceptible to structural damage in an earthquake, making them very popular in the western states.

There are several components most wood-burning fireplace chimneys have in common:

Chimney Flue and Liner – The flue of a fireplace is an inner layer that allows hot air and gases to rise from the firebox and effectively vent up through the roof. It must be lined properly and kept free of debris and creosote to allow proper venting.

Chimney Damper – The damper allows you to close up the fireplace chimney when not in use, keeping out unwanted moisture and cold air. Typically, the chimney damper will be a metal spring door near the top of the chimney. A long metal rod or chain lets you open and close the damper; many of us have made the embarrassing mistake of starting a fire with the flue closed, so be sure yours is easy to check whether it is in the open or closed position!

Chimney Cap – The chimney cap or chimney cover prevents downdrafts and protects the chimney from rain, snow, pests, etc. from entering the chimney. In some cases a cowl or helmet-shaped, wind directional chimney cap is installed. The cowl is designed to rotate with the changing wind direction and help keep smoke from being blown back down into the chimney.

Chimney Flashing – A chimney must be adequately flashed where it extends through the roof to prevent moisture from getting under the roofing material.

Firebox Cleanout Door – An ash pit at the base of a chimney is typically covered with a metal door to make removal of ashes easier; remember that ashes from a wood-burning fireplace may remain hot for a very long period, even if you do not have a fire for some time!

Wood-burning Fireplace Operation

The type of wood you burn will affect how often your chimney needs inspection and cleaning; pine for instance leaves more residue than slower burning types of wood such as oak.

Masonry chimneys can suffer cracking and fatigue over time. "Spalling" is a problem that can occur when moisture seeps into a brick chimney and freezes, causing the mortar seals to flake, crack or come loose.

Especially if you have an older masonry chimney, seek the advice of a professionally trained, certified chimney expert if you have any doubts whatsoever about the condition of your chimney! This is often a topic of discussion in the sale of homes having older masonry chimneys.

Types of Chimney Liners

Most chimney liners are made using clay, metal or concrete. Each type has specific pros and cons, depending on the type of chimney and other factors:

Clay Chimney Liner – Clay is popular due to lower cost, durability and effectiveness. A clay liner can last as long as 80 years and works well on an open fireplace chimney. One disadvantage of clay chimney liners is that ceramic tiles can crack or split if a chimney fire does occur; in this case they will likely need to be repaired before you can use the fireplace again. Clay also is not suitable for a gas fireplace as the liner will not adequately contain the combustion byproducts of a gas flame.

Metal Chimney Liner – A liner made of stainless steel or aluminum is commonly used these days when repairing or upgrading an older chimney. Stainless steel is a good option with fireplaces that burn wood, gas or oil; aluminum is only suitable in some cases. Metal liners are not used for open fireplace chimneys and must be insulated properly for safety and performance reasons.

Concrete Chimney Liner – A concrete or cast-in-place chimney liner is also used sometimes. A special heat resistant concrete is poured inside the chimney to form a vent path for rising smoke and gases to escape. Concrete liners may be used to strengthen older chimneys and can be used with most fireplaces and fuel types. The primary disadvantage is that a concrete liner is permanent and requires demolition should it need to be replaced!

Home Fireplace Tips and Precautions

• Test a new fireplace and chimney by lighting a few small fires; don’t build a raging bonfire in your new fireplace until you are sure it drafts well and the mortar has cured.
• Use well seasoned wood in your fireplace; wet wood that is still green only causes a more rapid buildup of creosote in the chimney.
• Never leave an untended fire in your fireplace.
• Close the damper as much as possible without impeding good draft; the slower your fire burns, the less wood you burn and the more heat you enjoy inside the house!
• Too much creosote buildup in your chimney can cause a fire to ignite inside the flue; not only is it embossing to have the neighbors see flames shooting up out of your chimney and call the fire department, but this is a very dangerous situation which can cause a home fire! Cracks in masonry chimneys or corrosion in metal flues can also result in a home catching fire.
• Install carbon monoxide sensors in your home; this is the only way to be sure your family is safe from potentially harmful gases a poorly drafted fireplace can cause.
• Only the heartiest and most seasoned do-it-yourselfer should attempt to perform fireplace and chimney inspection and cleaning; unless you really know what you’re doing, leave this one to the experts!

How to Inspect and Clean a Fireplace Chimney

If you are prepared to get real dirty, you can make your own periodic chimney inspection. A good compromise might be to hire a professional to inspect every fall before the cold weather comes and then inspect and clean it again yourself in the spring to determine if a second cleaning or other repaired may be needed so that you can rest easy if you still like to have a fire once in a while during the warmer months!

Tools and materials you’ll need to inspect and clean your chimney:

• A steel chimney-sweeping brush or very stiff brush; the type sold at home centers for acid washing and such
• A heavy duty shop vac
• A drop cloth or cardboard to protect the hearth and area around the fireplace
• A length of PVC pipe the same diameter as the shop vac hose to extend down the flue
• Sealant and nails or screws to reattach the chimney cap if it is removed
• A Ladder tall enough for safe access to the roof
• A Flashlight (or several)
• Safety goggles or other protective eyewear and a good pair of work gloves you don’t mind ruining.
• A desire to fit into tight spaces and walk away covered with thick, black soot!

Get ready to get dirty and remember; inspecting and casually cleaning your fireplace chimney is not a substitute for having it done professionally. Don’t do this project the morning after you have had a fire in your fireplace; give things some time to cool off first! Put down plenty of drop cloths and/or some cardboard to keep your hearth and flooring clean. Here we go:

1. Start by taking out the andirons (if not attached) and removing the ashes and loose debris from the firebox, using the chimney brush to clean the sides and bottom.
2. Time to make a visual inspection; put on your safety goggles and, with the firescreen out of the way and fireplace louvers or glass doors as wide open as possible, lie on your back and slide your head into the firebox (again not if it’s very warm in there!) and shine a flashlight up into the flue. Look for any signs of masonry cracks or problem areas if your flue and/or insert are made of metal.
3. Get a helper to open and close the flue so you can check it for good and secure operation; the damper should not be loose or have excessive soot or creosote coating. Leave the flue in the closed position when inspection is complete.
4. Put a large piece of cardboard down in your firebox with one edge folded up at the front of the fireplace opening and close the glass doors or otherwise close up the fireplace opening for this next step; its time to climb on the roof!
5. If the chimney has a cap or cowl covering the top, you’ll need to remove this first; be sure you have the flashing and/or hardware needed to close it back up afterward.
6. Use your flashlight to look down into the flue; as you did from the bottom, you’ll be looking for a build up of creosote and soot, as well as any cracks or problem areas inside the flue.
7. Unless you have a proper chimney brush, about all you can do is use your steel brush to clean the inside of the flue as far down as you can reach; this is not the right way to clean the chimney so don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve accomplished much without the right equipment and skills; complete chimney cleaning and sweeping are outside the scope of this article.
8. You can use a length of PVC pipe to extend your shop vac hose so that it reaches down into the flue; you want to be sure you remove the debris that will have fallen from the sides of the flue. The damper door and smoke shelf will catch most of the debris and keep it from falling all the way to the floor of the firebox.
9. After cleaning, shine your flashlight down into the flue and inspect everything again; it will be easier to spot any problems now that you have cleaned the inside of the flue!
10. Put the chimney cap back into place; replacing the flashing if it is corroded to be sure things are well waterproofed.
11. Once you are done on the roof, its time to go back down to the fireplace; vacuum up the loose ash and debris before removing the cardboard and drop cloths carefully to keep ash and soot from ruining carpeting or scattering everywhere!

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The clean, blue flame produced by a vent-free gas fireplace enables almost complete fuel combustion. This means that a ventless fireplace produces far less soot and particulate matter, not to mention carbon monoxide, than vented fireplaces.

These ventless units are easy to install either in an existing masonry firebox or a specially designed firebox designed to work with the vent free fireplace. Many builders offer the vent free fireplaces as an option.

Our house has a wood-burning fireplace in the great room living space, which is a main focal point. However, in the smaller living room, as well as our master bedroom, we had our builder install gas-burning units that vent directly outdoors; these units are actually very efficient home heating sources!

When planning a home, choose locations to install additional fireplaces where outside ventilation will be easy to accommodate the exhaust vent.

Vent Free Fireplace Benefits and Advantages

• No chimney, flue or fireplace venting required; easy to install, simple direct outside exhaust vents.
• Ventless fireplaces usually vent the exhaust out the back or top of the unit, in which case they either vent exhaust up through the roof or, more commonly, use an elbow to exhaust out the back of the wall a few feet above the unit.
• Pipes inside the unit vent the exhaust out the top or back for more versatility in terms of installation options.
• Efficiently heat a room; many vent free fireplaces are certified as gas wall furnaces!
• Do not require as much space as traditional fireplaces, since a “true” firebox is not required and the design is typically quite narrow in depth and are “zero-clearance”, giving them a huge advantage over traditional fireplaces and chimneys!
• Some units can be purchased including the surround and mantle and a hearth may not be required depending on the type of unit and height at which it is mounted on the wall; these units must be completely free of any combustible materials.
• Ventless fireplace units have an enclosed opening on the front.
• A vent free fireplace is eco-friendly, emitting almost no particulate matter into the environment and heating your home far more efficiently than a traditional wood-burning fireplace.
• No hassle; you won’t have to worry about chopping and splitting wood, hauling it in the house to make a fire and you’ll never have to clean cinder and ash from the firebox!

Ventless Gas Fireplaces and Humidity Levels

A drawback of this approach is that, since the byproducts of combustion from a vent free fireplace enter your living space, they also increase humidity since another byproduct of combustion will of course be carbon dioxide. In a dry, cold winter climate the moisture from a vent free fireplace may be a plus, helping to moisturize the living space. But in a cold, wet climate an airtight, well-insulated home may be subject to unwanted moisture, condensation on windows, etc.

Since a vent free fireplace produces intense heat, keep any combustibles away and leave the doors to your fireplace open when it’s in use. Many of the gas-burning vented and ventless units have fans; the units in our home use fans to both cool the fireplace and surround, as well as improving their heating efficiency. Be sure you understand the specifications for venting, installing any outside venting and other details before selecting a ventless or direct vent fireplace unit!

Most manufacturers recommend NOT letting your vent free fireplace burn for long periods of time; you wouldn’t want to turn it on and leave the house or go to sleep. Install carbon monoxide sensors in your home to ensure levels inside the living space are below any level that might be harmful; these are a good idea regardless what type or whether you have a fireplace(s) in your home.

Another drawback is the question of how realistic a vent free fireplace looks; does it really feel like a natural fire? Well, the answer is no, not completely. But how realistic the flames look depends on the quality and type of artificial logs your unit uses and how much engineering has gone into the burners in order to simulate the look of a real wood fire!

Vent Free Gas Fireplace Styles Galore!

Check to be sure the unit(s) you buy are lab-certified and meet your local building codes; regulations may also specify where and what type of unit meet code.

The price of ventless fireplaces vary greatly, dependent on the size, style, materials and finishes, quality of the burners and artificial logs and available options such as surrounds, hearths and mantels. You can find some vent free fireplace models as low as several hundred dollars, while others can run to several thousand, including installation and custom surround, hearth and mantelpiece.

Regardless what interior design style you have, you can select a ventless fireplace to match. Ventless fireplaces can be contemporary, country, traditional and even modern in style. If you don’t have access to a gas line to run a ventless gas fireplace, don’t worry; you can get a ventless fireplace that’s also flameless.

Electric Fireplace Options

There are also electric fireplaces that simulate real flames using a project light optical illusion. Some of these units also have an electric heating element to give the warm feeling of a true fireplace. These units are very easy to install (availability of electricity is the only real challenge), inexpensive, require no maintenance and emit no particulates or carbon monoxide fumes since no combustion takes place.

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As the patio and garden evolve into outdoor entertainment rooms, many people are looking for ways to add outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, or fire bowls to their outdoor spaces.

Before you purchase your outdoor fireplace, there are some things you should think about.

Consider what you want from your outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Are you looking primarily for heat to take the chill off the evenings so you can enjoy your outdoor space for more of the year? Are you mainly looking for a fire everyone can gather around for socializing? Do you also want the ability to cook over the flames of your fire?

A fire pit in or on the ground gives a real campfire feel.  Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits that elevate the fire bowl place the fire closer to eye-level viewing yet usually low enough to see over from a seated position.

Do you want to be able to visit easily with people sitting on the other side of the fire? If so, you will probably prefer an outdoor fireplace or fire pit that you can see over when seated.

If you think you might want to take your outdoor fireplace anywhere, then an outdoor fire pit or fireplace that you can move may be more appropriate for you.

Some have wheels, others are lightweight enough to move easily, and some even fold for portability and come with carrying cases.