I have never used a wood-burning fireplace. Is it a pain/awesome? Tell me all about it!
I have never used a wood-burning fireplace. Is it a pain/awesome? Tell me all about it!
Last edited by arivecchi; 01-07-2011 at 04:12 PM.
DS1 2006
DS2 2009
Gas. No cleanup. Easy to start so more likely to use.
Catherine
Wood. But we have a woodstove insert in our fireplace, which makes it a little easier to build and sustain a fire. Before it got it, it was a pain. That said, my ideal would be to have a gas fireplace to get it started, but use wood to continue. Unfortunately, no gas lines here!
Melinda
Mommy to
The Gift 10/01/05
Elfgirl 5/25/07
Sparky 6/27/09
"Sunset to Twilight, Our Family's Journey with Alzheimer's." http://maestramommi.blogspot.com/
Gas! Out east, everyone had wood. The smell is nice, but I think it causes indoor airpollution and doesn't really warm up the house. Plus, DH would like to burn a fire and then never clean up the ashes, so the house would end up smelling like ash and I'd eventualy have to clean it out. You can also get a lot of bugs that take up residence in wood piles. I know some people really love them, but I don't.
ETA: Actually wood buring and pellet stoves emit a lot of heat. I wouldn't mind one of those in my basement. Gas fireplaces are quite expensive to run.
Sally
My Joyful DS
My Lovely DD
Please excuse the typos. Getting used to a virtual keyboard
I'll say wood- we have cut huge firs down in our yard- that are still sustaining our wood burning!
We also have a FP insert- it has been priceless for when we have lost power to heat our home- we usually lose it 1-2 days every winter- hasn't happened yet (knock on wood!)
We usually get our FP cleaned annually too- and I have DH clean up the ash-
Wood with an insert all the way.
Gas. Wood fireplaces bother my asthma. They have to be cleaned and just generally maintained. Gas -- just turn it on and you are good to go.
Melissa
DD#1: April 2004
DD#2: January 2007
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." Jack Layton 1950 - 2011
We've had both. The gas one got a lot more use since it's so much easier to start and no clean up. The wood one seems more "romantic" and I love them, but it's a pin to get them started so we never used it.
DS 1/08
DD 7/2012
With all the quick light firewood available in stores, we enjoy our wood fireplace with insert. Dh dosen't seem to mind the clean up, it takes him a few minutes the next day.
DD 04/2008
DS 06/2012