Anonymous wrote:Wood. I would never buy a house without a wood-burning fireplace or stove. If you’re burning seasoned hardwood and getting your chimney inspected and cleaned annually, you shouldn’t be smelling smoke in your house.

I've never been in a house that actually uses a wood fireplace that doesn't smell like smoke. The problem isn't so much when the fire is going. The draft mostly keeps the smell out of the house. The problem is after you let the fire go out, and the stale smell from a previous fire is much worse than the smell of an active fire.

A stove insert with with a tight seal would mitigate that, but that's not what most people with wood-burning fireplaces have.

Wood all the way.

Wood is far too much hassle and may hurt resale because it's generally unpopular. No production houses are built with wood burning fireplaces because few buyers prefer them. The cost and hassle of acquiring and storing wood to burn, the need to clean the flue and chimney regularly, the steps needed to start and extinguish a fire, and the potential for soot inside the house all argue in favor of gas.

A wood fireplace sounds romantic and all that, but, really, it’s a hassle. Push the button on your gas fireplace whenever you want, and push it again when you’re done. The best.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had both - each have their pros and cons. We had wood burning fireplace for at least a dozen years before converting it to gas. We settled on gas fireplace inside for ease and true warmth with fire pit outside for to appreciate wood burning. Been very happy with this.

+1

This is the way.

Agree 100%

Wood

Wood. I would never buy a house without a wood-burning fireplace or stove. If you’re burning seasoned hardwood and getting your chimney inspected and cleaned annually, you shouldn’t be smelling smoke in your house.

Only wood. I would never buy any home without a wood fireplace.

Realize that they are both just for looks. Fireplaces that vent outside create a vacuum as the hot air rises. This pulls heated air up and out of the house. Since the house now has negative pressure colder outside air is pulled in from any air gaps around windows, doors, etc.

If the main purpose is actually heating the space a wood stove insert or gas stove insert is the best system.

If the main purpose is looks get a big old fireplace that can handle any possible smoke from wet wood. My wife would much prefer a gas system with a remote control and fake wood though.

We converted our wood to gas. The gas is awesome. I can use it for 10 minutes if I choose vs a wood fire that has to burn out fully. It actually radiates heat, I don’t have to worry about dogs getting too close to sparks, and it doesn’t require any forethought. Literally push a button. I use it almost every day vs a half dozen times a year for the wood.

Anonymous wrote:I have had both - each have their pros and cons. We had wood burning fireplace for at least a dozen years before converting it to gas. We settled on gas fireplace inside for ease and true warmth with fire pit outside for to appreciate wood burning. Been very happy with this.

+1

This is the way.

I have had both - each have their pros and cons. We had wood burning fireplace for at least a dozen years before converting it to gas. We settled on gas fireplace inside for ease and true warmth with fire pit outside for to appreciate wood burning. Been very happy with this.

Anonymous wrote:Wood. The crackling, the smell, the ambiance... nothing compares.

Hear, hear!

yes, it's more work but there's nothing like it.

People love to fetishize a wood burning fireplace, but the BEST home upgrade we did was making our huge living room fireplace gas. I run it daily and it creates a wonderful ambiance. Get a fire pit for wood.

Anonymous wrote:Wood hands down. There is just no comparison and the hassle is overrated IMO. You can have wood delivered and it's as simple as sweeping up the ashes from time to time.

+1. We have seasoned wood delivered each fall and I build fires probably 3-4 times per week. As another PP said, if the whole house is smelling like smoke, there's something wrong and you need to have your chimney inspected. You should have it inspected before using it for the first time anyway in an existing house. Ours was very old and we had it lined with an aluminum liner. Once you get experienced at building and starting fires, it's really easy and fast.