I am considering installing a fireplace in the family room. We elected not to have one put in when we bult, simply because we didn't like what the builder was offering. Oh and the $7,000 pricetag was a bit much.

With that, I'm leaning towards a vent-free just because of the ease of installation. Anyone have a vent-free system? Are they efficient?

The local store carrier this brand: http://www.monessenhearth.com/

I was thinking of going with the 32", get a blower, remote, etc... Might as well do it right.

Any thoughts on this? Probably set me back about $2K or so.

 

Have you considered that something hot in the family room and a child don't mix?

 

Of course... But there are hazzards everywhere sans a fireplace.

 

I'd just as soon not have any fireplace than a fake one... Get a plasma and loop fire on it.

Mike

 

i too skipped having a fireplace in the family room, thought it took up too much room for something that i would never use. since then i have heard they can really add value to a home, we'll see in a few years

 

Don't waste your money. Our place came with one and we've used it twice in 2.5 years.

We have a coffee table sitting in front of it to keep the kids from getting near it.

 

Interesting... Doesn't seem like anyone is big on these.

 

I really, REALLY wanted to get a place with one when we were shopping. Initially we only made offers on places that had them.

In the end we are a lot happier that we didn't get a place with one. With the kid, I think we would have just blocked it off like NSXNEXT said. It would have ended up being a waste. Plus, it would have taken up a lot of space in our living room when you consider blocking it off from the kid(s).

 

Used ours 3 or 4 times in 5 years. Haven't used it once since we had a baby.

Although not sure why you have to block it if its not in use? Pilot still on?

 

Dirty, sharp metal and/or concrete edges, glass doors....take your pick. For us the big turn off were the sharp edges.

 

You fawkers are talking me out of this.



lol

 

Ya, wasn't really thinking about the possibilities. Mine is a simple gas insert. No sharp edges. Just a plain flat surface. Although the glass gets very hot when on.

 

Sorry boss. I felt the same way when my friends talked me out of it. But in all honesty, I'm not sure if we would ever really use it. And the space it would have been is my son't play space.

 

One of the places we looked at had those, and we decided that those would not be as bad, but we would still have to deal with the glass. I'm slowly trying to get rid of a lot of things with a lot of glass, just in case.

 

not to deviate, but what do you guys thinking of putting in a F/P on a 18-20 ft wall? It's a large wall and was thinking of doing a brink F/P in the center up to the ceiling....

 

Post a pic of the room. To me it sounds like a good idea doing brick, floor to ceiling.

 

The ventless with remote are great for ambiance. In gas there is no dirt, or sharp glass (assuming you get an actual set of glass fireplace doors). As for the kids, I have a traditional gas fireplace with ceramic logs and it is a great addition to the room-(It isn't blocked off, we just assure that if it is on we are around to monitor the kids). The ventless give you the opportunity to put it in the wall (2-3 ft off the floor if you wish) and that helps withthe kid issue also. 2K is not bad, and if you enjoy fires, it will be worth every penny.

 

I'll have my new computer hopefully by next week, so hopefully I can do some pics and sketches then...

 

we have two gas FP's in our house...one in the great room that comes on 2-4 times/year (always when we have guests over) and another in our master BR. That one has come on...maybe three times in 2.5 yrs. One of those times was to check to make sure it worked.

Despite that....I'd do it all over again. It just looks nice and adds a touch of class. Does crown moulding add anything? Not really...but it does suggest class and craftsmanship. Same thing with a FP...

 

We are getting one.

 

We had a fireplace in our townhome, and we also have one here. Only reason we optioned them in is for resale. Well, this place came with it, so we had no choice, but we opted against installing another one anywhere else.

In the townhome in NY we used our fireplace maybe 3-4 times in the 20 or so months we were in there.

In this house we've used the fireplace maybe 1-2 times since we've been here.

Had we been able to do wood-burning, we would use it all of the time... but gas is expensive and I'd rather just run the head which is much more efficient then using the fireplace...

 

I think they look nice, and the mantle is very useful

We use ours quite a bit when its cold out. Sitting down to watch TV in the dead of winter, coffee in hand, with the fireplace on is pretty nice.

 

Yea, head keeps you warmer too.

 

, but unfortunately I meant heat.

 

They do look nice, and that's why we got them for resale. When people are shopping they are all like, ooh, a fireplace... even though they'll hardly use it as well.

But yeah, the mantle is cool and my wife decorates it for each season and some holidays... so it gives her something to do!

 

i've a wood burning fireplace and i've yet to use it. i'm scuured.

 

we got one in our new house because the family room is much larger (plus it came std). We have used it several times - it is nice. I would not use it for heat so much as for looks etc. Nice ambiance. (sp?)
I would not be concerned about kids...uh, everyone has an oven or cooktop in their homes right? Chances are better that something would happen with that....course, I did work with a woman whose son would climb into the unlit fireplace and play. So to be a proper parent they put a rug in there so he would not get hurt - rather than use that awful 2 letter word - "NO"

Parent's these days....

 

We (I) use our fireplace a dozen times a year - I like the ambience and the smell of it - just brings back memories of when I was a kid I guess. Turn the lights off, nice fire with a glass of decent wine is high value downtime for me. Ultimately, there are people who like the burning wood (smell, looks, sounds) or those who don't give a damn. If you don't care, don't do it.

In terms of kids, I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old and there has never been a problem. Our only concern was one of the kids bonking their heads on the brick hearth but that never happened either. Guess it just depends on how closely you can watch them.

 

she put a rug in her fireplace??!?