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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PSK
Hello!
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
B
Baumfachmann21 Mar 2018 06:37A fireplace is definitely a bit of a luxury. I would do it again anytime.
House Kw40, timber frame house; if it gets too warm, I just open a door and turn off the heating.
I have a gas boiler and a controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
Others spend €35,000–40,000 on a heating system, while I kept it simple: €4,700 for an appliance-independent fireplace and €1,500 for the wood stove.
House Kw40, timber frame house; if it gets too warm, I just open a door and turn off the heating.
I have a gas boiler and a controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
Others spend €35,000–40,000 on a heating system, while I kept it simple: €4,700 for an appliance-independent fireplace and €1,500 for the wood stove.
We have a fireplace in our current house, the same problem as many others here. When the stove is on, you end up walking around in a T-shirt and it gets unbearably hot. Even more so with a water jacket. Our new property won’t have a fireplace anymore: dirt, stale air, and heat spoke against it. If there are allergy sufferers in the home, I wouldn’t recommend a fireplace anyway, as the dry air makes these people sick (from personal experience). It’s better to invest the money in a ventilation system.
I felt the same way as you; I also grew up with an open masonry fireplace, and to me, it was always part of a home.
If we had bought an older house, there would have been one "built in" as well.
In a new build, however, we decided to do without it for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
If we had bought an older house, there would have been one "built in" as well.
In a new build, however, we decided to do without it for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
We’re just going to see how things go with the fireplace. We’ve never had one before. Now we’ll have one in the living room (55m² (592 ft²)). It will be a "Schiedel Grande S" because it doesn’t take up space in the living area, works with a controlled ventilation system, and is open on three sides (with glass).
I think it will be quite nice for the transitional seasons in spring and autumn. But the additional cost of 10,000€ is definitely a luxury.
At least we are prepared for the end of the world :-p.
- We can heat the house
- We get electricity from the roof
- And we can power the car with it
I think it will be quite nice for the transitional seasons in spring and autumn. But the additional cost of 10,000€ is definitely a luxury.
At least we are prepared for the end of the world :-p.
- We can heat the house
- We get electricity from the roof
- And we can power the car with it
We deliberately decided against having a fireplace. We had one in our old house, but the effort of preparing the wood, collecting it, carrying it inside, and so on—it just stopped appealing to us after a few years.
If we were to have one in a new build, I would only consider it with controlled mechanical ventilation and without a water jacket. Controlled ventilation at least helps distribute the heat. The water jacket usually doesn’t pay off in 95% of cases. And you can still enjoy the "luxury" without a water jacket.
But $10,000... wow. I would really think twice about whether it’s worth it.
If we were to have one in a new build, I would only consider it with controlled mechanical ventilation and without a water jacket. Controlled ventilation at least helps distribute the heat. The water jacket usually doesn’t pay off in 95% of cases. And you can still enjoy the "luxury" without a water jacket.
But $10,000... wow. I would really think twice about whether it’s worth it.
Bautraum201521 Mar 2018 09:40We installed one!
Yes, we consider it a luxury! We have our own source of wood—that is, a forest—and my partner loves to make some noise in the forest with the chainsaw and physical effort every two years. We didn’t use it much last year, but this winter we use it daily and have turned down the underfloor heating overall. The savings are huge! I don’t notice any overheating.
There’s hardly anything better than sipping tea, cocoa, or red wine in front of a crackling fire. We love it.
We have a Schiedel Kingfire and paid €7,500. If future winters continue to have such cold temperatures, it will pay off soon. Although economic efficiency is secondary. When does solar power pay off? When do geothermal drillings for soakaway wells?
P.S. Yes, making your own wood is hard work! True physical work, which is good for you! Our society has become so soft, men included. Everyone should take a chainsaw course and cut down their own tree—it brings back the physical strength.
Yes, we consider it a luxury! We have our own source of wood—that is, a forest—and my partner loves to make some noise in the forest with the chainsaw and physical effort every two years. We didn’t use it much last year, but this winter we use it daily and have turned down the underfloor heating overall. The savings are huge! I don’t notice any overheating.
There’s hardly anything better than sipping tea, cocoa, or red wine in front of a crackling fire. We love it.
We have a Schiedel Kingfire and paid €7,500. If future winters continue to have such cold temperatures, it will pay off soon. Although economic efficiency is secondary. When does solar power pay off? When do geothermal drillings for soakaway wells?
P.S. Yes, making your own wood is hard work! True physical work, which is good for you! Our society has become so soft, men included. Everyone should take a chainsaw course and cut down their own tree—it brings back the physical strength.
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