Fireplaces

By Kathy Flaxman

When the weather outside is brutal with sleet, snow, and cold, Sharon Cobban snuggles by the fire with a good book. "My fireplace gives a wonderful cozy atmosphere to our living room," she says. Homeowner Keith Kelley agrees. "The fire is really a comforting accent," he says. "There is something primal and historic about it that appeals to me."

Fireplaces are hot these days, and not just to the touch. As heating costs rise, homeowners are looking for opportunities to create alternative heat sources, from wood stoves to traditional fireplaces. At the same time, the desire for a warm and inviting atmosphere can override cost issues. Other rivals in the fireplace arena that addambiance include gas and electrical units.

A gas fireplace was installed to replace Cobban's original wood-burning unit and it's the pride of her home. "Our wood-burning fireplace gave me a headache every time we used it. It seemed to suck the oxygen out of the air," Cobban recalls. "This is clean and it's always there, [turned] on with the click of a remote control."

Kelley is installing three fireplaces in his Toronto home: two of the gas burning varieties and a wood-burning centrepiece for his living room. "The fireplace in the main floor living room is going to be a focal point of the room," he states. "It's there for coziness and romance. There is nothing I love more than the sharp crackle and popping of real wood burning in a fireplace. It will cost me over $25,000 to install. Does that tell you how much I love a really great fireplace?"

Enterprising Torontonian Michael Nelson has another viewpoint. When the price of running his gas furnace started to make a serious dent in his bank balance, he weatherstripped his windows, turned down his furnace's thermostat, and piled on the wood in his wood-burning fireplace. The result? A gas bill that was substantially reduced; well worth the effort in Nelson's opinion, even despite the fact that an old-fashioned wood-burning fireplace can take lots of heat up the chimney. "Newer wood fireplaces have fans that direct the heat down," he says. "But we're very happy. A quarter-cord of wood stored in our basement got us through the winter."

Howard Sparaga of Easy Fire explains that gas fireplaces offer excellent advantages, including the fact that they burn clean and leave no ash or dangerous creosote, the substance that sticks to chimneys and can cause chimney fires. Running one is inexpensive. "It costs about 20 cents an hour to run a gas fireplace and about 75 cents an hour to burn wood," Howard states. "Gas fireplaces can really throw off a lot of heat. They are perfect in a cool basement."

How does an electric fireplace stack up? "In an airtight home that's centrally heated," Sparaga says, "electric fireplaces can give the look without the heat. In a room that's warm, you can still create a cozy, inviting look."

Wood-burning, gas, or electric fireplace: which is best for you? Each has it's benefits and each provides a welcoming, attractive, and comforting quality. Wood burning fireplaces have been banned in some western provinces due to concerns about pollutants they emit, so it's worth looking at the alternatives. "A fireplace adds a considerable amount of charm to a home," Sparaga concludes.

Fireplaces: Facts to Consider

Safety: Gas fireplaces and certain wood-burning units with closed glass doors are considered safe, even passing muster with the insurance industry. Steve Zamrano of Murray Jackson Insurance Brokers Ltd. states that "as long as a fireplace, wood or gas, has cold-touch doors and is professionally installed, it won't raise the cost of your insurance."

A wood stove on the other hand, is another matter. Precautions such as keeping a fire extinguisher accessible are only common sense. "With a wood fire, it's important not to leave it blazing at bedtime, and to make sure nothing on it can fall and spill out," Greg Carducci of Bill's Garden Centre in Riverdale points out.

Cost: Wood in urban centres is not cheap. A quarter-cord of firewood will cost about $190, with additional charges for stacking. Howard Sparaga of Easy Fire estimates the cost of using a wood-burning fireplace at 75 cents an hour?more than three times the cost of a gas unit!

Maintenance: Regular chimney and fireplace maintenance is a must. Safety demands that chimneys be cleaned, and in the case of gas fireplaces, the various hoses and mechanisms be checked over yearly. "Creosote build-up in a fireplace chimney can cause serious fires," Joanne Duff-Crewe of Neighbourhood Chimney Services explains. "A huge crusty build up has to be removed by a fireplace technician. If a gas fireplace isn't serviced yearly, there could be situations where soot will build up on the glass doors."