ᐅ Is having a fireplace still practical in new construction homes today – any experiences?
Created on: 20 Mar 2018 23:34
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PSKHello!
My wife and I are currently in the planning phase for our single-family home and are wondering whether a fireplace still makes sense today, although we would like to have one.
To give some background: we both grew up with a fireplace and have always found it very appealing. There is just something special about a fire, and the “pleasant warmth” is great. For that reason, we always intended to install a traditional wood-burning fireplace with an open flame in our house. Specifically, we would like a real eye-catcher integrated into a wall, visible from two or three sides.
Almost every homebuilder we spoke to said that this no longer makes economic sense in modern houses and is more likely to cause overheating. However, it would be possible with all of them. Even a fireplace installation company advised against it. We are currently planning a system with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house (about 155m² (1,670 sq ft)), built to KFW55 standard (timber frame). A wall-integrated fireplace would have around 8 kW output, which is far too much. If at all, they recommend installing only a small freestanding fireplace with a maximum of 2-3 kW if we absolutely want one. But we don’t like those due to their size.
Thinking it over, I see the point of these arguments. In this setup, you have a consistent indoor temperature of about 21°C (70°F). You don’t really need a fireplace anymore. The companies estimate heating costs of around 500 euros. A cubic meter of firewood costs roughly 80 euros if you buy it prepared. So, potential cost savings are almost zero. And the chimney along with the fireplace and all the accessories would cost about 8,000 to 10,000 euros. Visually, it would also never quite look how we imagine it. Without a fireplace, we wouldn’t have an intrusive edge in the rooms and could position the doors more freely.
We also had a striking experience: about a year ago, we visited friends who had recently built a house and also have a fireplace. They proudly lit it even though it was already 22°C (72°F) inside, thanks to house automation and pellet heating. Although they barely put any wood in—so the fire was mostly smoldering—the fireplace kept running at full power. After two hours, the temperature reached around 26°C (79°F), and we were sitting in T-shirts (with -10°C (14°F) outside) in the living room. Another hour later, at 29°C (84°F), just before overheating, the friends opened the windows. The takeaway: expensive heat, a poor fire that I then effectively blew out the window!
What are your experiences with or opinions on fireplaces in modern homes?
Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Steffen
My wife and I are currently in the planning phase for our single-family home and are wondering whether a fireplace still makes sense today, although we would like to have one.
To give some background: we both grew up with a fireplace and have always found it very appealing. There is just something special about a fire, and the “pleasant warmth” is great. For that reason, we always intended to install a traditional wood-burning fireplace with an open flame in our house. Specifically, we would like a real eye-catcher integrated into a wall, visible from two or three sides.
Almost every homebuilder we spoke to said that this no longer makes economic sense in modern houses and is more likely to cause overheating. However, it would be possible with all of them. Even a fireplace installation company advised against it. We are currently planning a system with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house (about 155m² (1,670 sq ft)), built to KFW55 standard (timber frame). A wall-integrated fireplace would have around 8 kW output, which is far too much. If at all, they recommend installing only a small freestanding fireplace with a maximum of 2-3 kW if we absolutely want one. But we don’t like those due to their size.
Thinking it over, I see the point of these arguments. In this setup, you have a consistent indoor temperature of about 21°C (70°F). You don’t really need a fireplace anymore. The companies estimate heating costs of around 500 euros. A cubic meter of firewood costs roughly 80 euros if you buy it prepared. So, potential cost savings are almost zero. And the chimney along with the fireplace and all the accessories would cost about 8,000 to 10,000 euros. Visually, it would also never quite look how we imagine it. Without a fireplace, we wouldn’t have an intrusive edge in the rooms and could position the doors more freely.
We also had a striking experience: about a year ago, we visited friends who had recently built a house and also have a fireplace. They proudly lit it even though it was already 22°C (72°F) inside, thanks to house automation and pellet heating. Although they barely put any wood in—so the fire was mostly smoldering—the fireplace kept running at full power. After two hours, the temperature reached around 26°C (79°F), and we were sitting in T-shirts (with -10°C (14°F) outside) in the living room. Another hour later, at 29°C (84°F), just before overheating, the friends opened the windows. The takeaway: expensive heat, a poor fire that I then effectively blew out the window!
What are your experiences with or opinions on fireplaces in modern homes?
Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Steffen
PSK schrieb:
Here’s a life-changing experience: Well, then you’ve already experienced it yourselves. You might light a fireplace during the Advent season, but it’s hardly worth it. Fireplaces were popular about forty years ago, when walls were built with 30cm (12 inches) thick solid brickwork and double-glazed windows were already considered cutting-edge. Back then, a blower door test would have resulted in a hundred percent failure rate.
PSK schrieb:
whether a fireplace still makes sense, which we would like to have So, you need to decide whether you want to satisfy your mind or your emotions. Consulting a purely factual perspective will appeal only to the mind, while the emotions will be disappointed. Just go ahead if you really want it—but from an efficiency standpoint, it’s simply a luxury today.
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Hello,
I have a fireplace at my place, but it’s actually a masonry heater with a water jacket. It takes quite a long time to warm up (about 2 hours) but then retains heat for a very long time (around 24–36 hours). Once it’s hot and I want to add more fuel, I simply switch to the water jacket to transfer the heat into the buffer tank, which helps support my gas heating system for warming the rest of the house through underfloor heating.
The advantage of a masonry heater is its massive thermal mass. This prevents the room from overheating because the stored heat is released gradually into the living space.
Only about a quarter of the energy comes directly through the glass into the room, so it’s easy to control the heat output. However, my living area is quite large, so it’s acceptable to have some direct heat. I wouldn’t install this in a 20sqm (215 sq ft) room.
My conclusion so far is that I would do it the same way again. Nowadays, I might probably skip the water jacket. I installed it mainly to be able to heat in summer because the ambiance and the soothing view of the fire are simply priceless for me.
As for the cost discussion, if this is something you really want, the usual argument about whether it’s economical doesn’t really apply—you can always say, “why build a house at all” since that’s never truly cost-effective. So IF this is a “must-have” for YOU, go for it, or you’ll regret it forever. For everyone else, there’s always a solution!
I have a fireplace at my place, but it’s actually a masonry heater with a water jacket. It takes quite a long time to warm up (about 2 hours) but then retains heat for a very long time (around 24–36 hours). Once it’s hot and I want to add more fuel, I simply switch to the water jacket to transfer the heat into the buffer tank, which helps support my gas heating system for warming the rest of the house through underfloor heating.
The advantage of a masonry heater is its massive thermal mass. This prevents the room from overheating because the stored heat is released gradually into the living space.
Only about a quarter of the energy comes directly through the glass into the room, so it’s easy to control the heat output. However, my living area is quite large, so it’s acceptable to have some direct heat. I wouldn’t install this in a 20sqm (215 sq ft) room.
My conclusion so far is that I would do it the same way again. Nowadays, I might probably skip the water jacket. I installed it mainly to be able to heat in summer because the ambiance and the soothing view of the fire are simply priceless for me.
As for the cost discussion, if this is something you really want, the usual argument about whether it’s economical doesn’t really apply—you can always say, “why build a house at all” since that’s never truly cost-effective. So IF this is a “must-have” for YOU, go for it, or you’ll regret it forever. For everyone else, there’s always a solution!
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