Do you prefer gas or wood-burning fireplaces?

[lmh2402]

we've got 3 fireplaces in our new place - converted them all back to wood

we love the smell and the crackling

very homey and cozy

we've been using the one in our family room at least 3 times a week. granted we've only been living here since sept, so perhaps the novelty will wear off

but i don't think so

[SnuggleBuggles]

Gas. No cleanup. Easy to start so more likely to use.

Catherine

PLus no lingering smell. I do like wood though and wouldn't turn it down.

Beth

[gordo]

We have two woodburning FP - one in the living room and one in our bedroom. I don't mind the wood in the living room but I would love to convert the bedroom to gas. I never use it because who wants their bed and clothes smelling like campfire all the time? I really wish I could make it a gas on!

[MelissaTC]

We have a gas starter and haven't converted to gas logs. We just burn the duraflame logs from Costco.

[doberbrat]

wood. part of the beauty of a fp for me is alternate heat if the power goes out and I like the smell though it does bother my asthma. but, I was up in VT a couple of weeks ago and went to one of dh's cousins - he has a wood stove in a shed type thing and a line that runs the heat to the house. apparently you only load it once a day, you can put any sort of wood in there and you get no smoke in the house. no idea what its called, but seems like win/win to me. They have a 'reg' fireplace in the lv for the ambience as well.

[mommylamb]

Gas because we use it. I don't think we would use a wood one nearly as often because it's a PITA. Also, when I was a kid, we had a wood fireplace (it was beautiful, all stone) and we kept a wood pile at the back of the garage. Well, a large termite infestation later and... I prefer gas.

[MommyAllison]

I was up in VT a couple of weeks ago and went to one of dh's cousins - he has a wood stove in a shed type thing and a line that runs the heat to the house. apparently you only load it once a day, you can put any sort of wood in there and you get no smoke in the house. no idea what its called, but seems like win/win to me.

My parents had one growing up. Not sure what the correct term is for it, we called it the TB1. Ours had to be started in the morning and re-stoked in the evening, but it did keep the house nice and warm with no heat bill! My parents converted to gas heat when all of us grew up and moved out - no more live in firewood-making-helpers.

Probably partly due to my childhood experiences of making firewood (a *lot* of firewood, to heat our house all fall, winter & spring), I definitely prefer gas. We had a living room fireplace for part of my childhood, and I had an allergic reaction to the wood smoke when we used it.

[ABO Mama]

We have gas, and it is so easy! It still works when the power is out (the fan just doesn't run to blow the heat around more effectivly).

[dogmom]

It depends, what are you using it for? Ambiance? Heating? We had a regular fireplace, ok for ambiance not heat. We converted to a wood burning insert and we can heat the house with hit. I like the heat better from it than my steam/baseboard system.

[lchang25000]

Gas. No cleanup. Easy to start so more likely to use.

Catherine

Love our gas fireplace!