Pros and Cons of Traditional Wood Burning Fireplaces

• Posted by Thomas Kholer March 23, 2021 - Filed in Business - #wood burning fireplace  - 1,509 views

  Fireplaces offer warmth and comfort during the intense winter days. These days, there are many fireplace options to select from – each coming with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. One of the popular types of fireplaces, is the wood burning fireplace which has now become a necessity at homes. (Information source: https://www.theoriginalflame.com/fireplaces/)

  These fireplaces come with necessary specifications, that are designed to help ensure the appliances are successful in generating heat, when a traditional masonry fireplace is installed. Getting a wood fireplace in your home would be worth it, if you do not mind all the measures involved in keeping a stock of seasoned firewood handy for cozy fires.

  Let us go through some of the pros and cons of using a wood burning fireplace.

  Pros:

  • The type of firewood you burn can be selected according to your choice, which means that you can make your fire quick-burning, long-burning, or especially aromatic.
  • With the crackling logs and woodsy scent, the atmosphere of the fire becomes unbeatable.
  • You can keep warm by gathering around the fire when the winter storm hits. It will keep you warm, protected and comfortable.
  • Wood-burning systems, if designed with proper engineering, would release comparatively less contaminant into the air than coal and oil.
  • Over the winter, you can expect to pay less in utility costs if your home has a wood-burning fireplace. Central heating is costly, whether it is electric or gas. However, instead of relying solely on central heating, you can use your fireplace to compensate for this expense. Wood burning fireplaces do not consume electricity or gas to build warmth. It just uses wood to create heat that warms your house.

  Cons:

  • You would require buying or cutting your own set of firewood and then have to properly store it to keep it dry until and unless you’re prepared to burn it.
  • Yearly maintenance is essential or it can affect your home insurance, not to mention that using your fireplace without annual inspections may be dangerous.
  • The damper also does not close sufficiently, which implies that there are drafts in and out throughout the year around the chimney, which on the other hand results in higher energy bills.
  • Leaving a fire unattended is dangerous, since a fire can be re-sparked even at times when the ashes are warm.
  • To keep your fireplace working, you're going to need steady supplies of wood. If you don't have a lot of trees in your yard, you're going to have to buy some firewood as well. It can take a lot of time and money to keep a large supply of wood on hand. Plus, you would also require having a dry place to store all those wooden cords.
  • Wood systems need a larger boiler to handle the fuel compared to traditional gas or oil boiler systems.

  These were some of the many pros and cons of having a wood-burning fireplace at home.