When we planned the design of our new home, I was insistent over having a wood burning fireplace.
I made the fireplace the focal point of the living room.
It turned out absolutely beautiful and was extremely expensive. The fireplace is constructed of fieldstones with a black walnut hearth and mantle. I envisioned a cozy fire burning on cold winter nights. Living in the northeastern part of the country, we rely on the heating system for more than half the year. I figured the fireplace would supplement the furnace, helping to improve comfort and reduce our energy bills. I never considered the work, time and mess involved with building an actual fire. Chopping wood is labor-intensive and just awful. Even if we purchased pre-cut logs, we still needed to haul the dirty wood through the house. Getting the fire started was difficult, and then we dealt with smoke, sparks and ash. The heat was concentrated right near the fireplace, forcing us to sit right up close to it. We’ve built a fire in the hearth twice, and we’ve lived in the house for eight years. The fireplace is nothing but a huge, expensive decoration. I’m now looking into converting it into a gas heater. The conversion isn’t overly costly and would make the fireplace an asset. We’d be able to start it up with a touch of a button on a cordless remote, and a fan would help to spread the heat throughout the room. We’d still get the appearance of a fire burning but avoid all the drawbacks. There’d be no work involved, and we’d finally get to enjoy having a fireplace.