Gas Fireplaces

While there is something to be said for the sounds and smell of a wood burning fireplace, a lot of homeowners are instead choosing gas.  Today's gas fireplaces look realistic, are easy to operate, and require very little maintenance as compared to wood burning fireplaces.

In general, fireplaces can also add value to your home.  According to the National Center for Real Estate Research, fireplaces can increase the value of the average home by 6-12%

It is also not very expensive to operate a gas fireplace.  Based on national averages, a natural gas fireplace consuming 27,000 BTU's per hour will cost less than 20 cents per hour to enjoy.

In our own home, we have three different types of gas fireplaces.  On the screened porch, we use a vent free gas fireplace which produces a robust 60,000 BTU's per hour of heat and allows us to enjoy the outdoors on cool evenings.  

In our keeping room we use a direct vent which is vented out the back.  It has a glass front, but you can hardly notice it.  

For our living room, we decided on a B-vent which gives us an open flame and a more formal look.  The one thing that all three have in common is that they can be turned on and off any time by just flipping a switch.  This way, we can enjoy a fire even if it is for only 20 minutes before dinner in the evening.

If you would like to learn more about gas fireplaces, such as: the costs, types of gas used, types of venting, etc., I found an excellent article online at This Old House.  Here is the link below:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20431996,00.html

To return back, please click here: Hask Custom Homes - Articles

If you would like to learn more about Hask Custom Homes and Renovations, please visit our web site at www.haskcustomhomes.com.