# Building house, wood burning insert or masonry fireplace?



## Jdsmitty10 (Jan 4, 2015)

Hello all,
New to the forum. We are going to break ground on a house in the spring. We want a wood burning fireplace for the ambience and supplemental heat.  I originally planned on having a traditional masonry fireplace built but have been looking into the wood burning inserts such as the quadra fire voyageur grand. If we want the "real fire" look and feel would an insert suffice? I know the inserts are way more efficient and will heat the home a lot more but how much of a difference in "feel"(glass door) are they compared to a traditional fireplace? Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Jon


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## pen (Jan 4, 2015)

I vote for another option, freestanding stove with a great looking wall / heat shield behind it.  Better heater in the event of a power outage and less money than building a whole chase for an insert that may only be used intermittently.

I grew up with wood stoves that didn't let me see the fire.  So when I had the chance to view a fire in an open fireplace, I was always in awe and thought for certain I wanted one in a home.  When I bought my own home, I wound up with a double door fisher grandma stove that could be burned with the doors closed, or with a fireplace screen in it to be able to have that traditional feel.  In the time we used that stove, I think I used the screen 3, maybe 4 times as putting it in place made the fuel consumption go through the roof and the heat output down the pooper.

After that, I bought a modern stove with a big glass window and love the sucker like no other.  Not only does it out-heat the fisher, but I get to see the fire at any given moment and can make it burn more efficiently with that extra bit of sensory info as well as enjoy the fire's view like you can with an open fireplace. 

The extreme savings in efficiency, and no smoke in the house, and much less of the home's warm air going up a chimney overnight as an open fireplace has while it is dying out, means the only thing missing with my stove is getting to hear the "crackle" of the fire...... and I don't miss it a bit.

Just food for thought.

Welcome to the site!


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## Bad LP (Jan 4, 2015)

Free standing stove.
I built a fully custom designed house for ourselves with a masonry fireplace that now has an insert living in it. Could have better spent 15K elsewhere.


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## begreen (Jan 4, 2015)

If you are building new it is excessive to build a masonry fireplace just to house a modern insert. There are excellent Zero Clearance EPA fireplaces that will let you have your cake and eat it at a lower cost and possibly with better performance. For example, a ZC fireplace can be ducted to distribute heat in the house while still giving you the look and feel of a great fireplace.The alternative is a beautiful hearth with a freestanding stove on it. Both options have their strengths. 

We'll need to know more about your project to make guiding comments. Tell us more about the house size, ceiling height, fireplace location, etc.. If you can post a sketch of the plans all the better.


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## Poindexter (Jan 4, 2015)

I'm with the previous posters as well.  

Instead of telling you what I like, might I suggest you visit a couple free standing wood stove dealers near you to see a few burning with the big glass doors on them?

I imagine as a group we are kinda biased here, but if you do just a hearth and rear heat shield around a modern woodstove you could have several thousand dollars left over for some other kind of ambience, like a chimenea and a built in BBQ/smoker on the patio, and a really nice piece of framed artwork and a trip to Hawaii for two.

Just saying.


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## Jdsmitty10 (Jan 4, 2015)

We definitely want a fireplace look(stone with a mantle). The fireplace will be located in a great room(two story ceiling) adjacent to the kitchen. The house is about 3k square foot and will be primarily heating with geothermal. The fire place would just be for looks and some extra warmth(not really planning on heating entire house with it). I definitely don't want a wood stove so that is out of the question but thanks for fhe suggestions. Primarily comparing a traditional masonry fireplace to a wood burning insert option(which I would think in new construction could be a stick built fireplace with stone veneer which I would imagine is a lot cheaper than pouring a footer and having masonry work done). Thanks


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## begreen (Jan 4, 2015)

There's a big difference between "stick built" ZC fireplaces and a good EPA ZC fireplace. You will burn less wood, get a longer burn and still have a very satisfying fireplace experience. Take a look at units like the Kozy Z42, BIS Traditions, Quadrafire 7100, RSF Opel3.


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## Grisu (Jan 4, 2015)

Jdsmitty10 said:


> Primarily comparing a traditional masonry fireplace to a wood burning insert option(which I would think in new construction could be a stick built fireplace with stone veneer which I would imagine is a lot cheaper than pouring a footer and having masonry work done).



Just to clarify some of the confusion that you will be able to shop for the right product. A fireplace insert has to be installed into a full masonry fireplace built according to local building codes. It is very expensive to go that route and inserts are therefore usually only installed in older homes with a pre-existing masonry fireplace. What you are thinking of is building a zero clearance fireplace which is a steelbox that is installed in a wooden chase. You can buy a builder-grade ZC fireplace which is solely for ambiance but does not heat, or install a very efficient, EPA-approved ZC fireplace like the ones BeGreen listed. Those heat essentially as well as woodstoves but give you the look and feel of a "real" fireplace. Some units can also be ducted to move some of the heat to other parts of the house. Knowing the plans for your home (size, layout, insulation or heat-load analysis, primary or supplemental heat etc.) will help in giving you recommendations about which units would serve you best.


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## Jdsmitty10 (Jan 5, 2015)

So with a zc one I can install in a stick built hearth? Thanks for the clarification as I thought any "insert" could be. The wife is pushing for a masonry one because she doesn't like the glass doors. Can any of the zc be burns with the glass doors open? I'm trying to have the "real fireplace" without the expense of the masonry work. Thanks again and keep the ideas coming!


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## Bad LP (Jan 5, 2015)

Jdsmitty10 said:


> We definitely want a fireplace look(stone with a mantle). The fireplace will be located in a great room(two story ceiling) adjacent to the kitchen. The house is about 3k square foot and will be primarily heating with geothermal. The fire place would just be for looks and some extra warmth(not really planning on heating entire house with it).


 
We were standing in your shoes. We have RFH in light weight concrete throughout the first floor, full basement below. Open concept expanded cape 2500sqft. The problem I had/have was that after spending the money to heat the house with the wind blowing in single digit temps I had a hard time allowing the fireplace so suck it all out of the house. Rockland 550 in brown enamel that goes very well with the Santos Mahogany floors was the best of both worlds. Flush to the stonework as we have a flush hearth for a reason. Fire viewing, love watching the secondary burn. Provides a tremendous amount of heat but does need the fan.


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