FAQs

1. CAN I HAVE A NEW FIREPLACE INSTALLED IF I DON'T ALREADY HAVE ONE IN MY HOME?

Absolutely — with today’s technology, fireplaces can be installed in virtually any room in your home. Just because your house didn’t come with a fireplace doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one — or even two, if you’d like.

2. HOW EFFICIENT IS A GAS FIREPLACE?

The short answer is, they are much more efficient than they used to be. As a general rule, gas fireplaces or gas inserts are the most efficient, followed by pellet or wood inserts and high efficiency wood fireplaces. In many cases, a gas fireplace can lower your heating bill as it keeps the most-used room in your house warm, so you can lower the thermostat throughout the rest of the house.

3. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIREPLACE AND AN INSERT?

A fireplace is an opening in a wall that connects to a chimney. Generally, if you are having a new home built, you would want a fireplace. An insert is essentially a box that fits into an existing fireplace. It allows you to dramatically reduce the drafts of an open fireplace as well as increase the efficiency, or convert from burning wood to gas fairly easily.

4. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INSTALL A NEW FIREPLACE?

The actual installation process is rarely more than a day or two, though the transformation in that short time is dramatic. The entire process takes 3 - 4 weeks, mostly due to a careful design process where the homeowner has an opportunity to review a myriad of options, critique concept drawings, and make a number of selections that fit their style, space and budget.

5. DO I NEED A CERTAIN TYPE OF FLOOR OR WALL TO HANDLE A FULL FIREPLACE OR STOVE?

Most standard floors handle fireplaces and stoves. As to the wall, there needs to be a way to vent to the outside, so an exterior wall works best. If you are considering a fireplace on an interior wall, there must be a way to vent to the outside, but today’s technology makes this doable in most situations.

6. DOES MY FIREPLACE NEED TO BE TIED TO A CHIMNEY?

A traditional wood-burning fireplace is tied directly into a chimney. Gas or pellet burning fireplaces, or stoves, do not necessarily need a traditional chimney, but do need some way to vent to the outdoors. Ask our experts for more details and discuss the particulars of your home.

7. HOW MUCH FUEL DOES A GAS FIREPLACE CONSUME?

Gas fireplaces are extraordinarily efficient heating appliances. As you might imagine, there is a wide range of fuel consumption depending on the size, style and use of different gas fireplaces. Ask our experts about the efficiency of models you are considering.

8. CAN I HAVE A GAS FIREPLACE OR GAS STOVE IF I USE PROPANE?

Yes. Gas fireplaces and stoves can run on either natural gas, or liquid propane (LP).

9. HOW SAFE IS A FIREPLACE?

With a regular maintenance routine, today’s fireplaces are safe and efficient sources of heat. To learn much more about fireplace safety, visit the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s FAQ page here.