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
Tego12 schrieb:
I am not a fan of fireplaces in new buildings; even in winter, the air they produce bothers me, including the extra strain on one’s lungs. The trick is to close the fireplace door again right after lighting it.
Knallkörper schrieb:
The simple "tin cans" do create a considerable airflow due to the thermals; they are specifically designed that way. “Tin cans”? I thought we were talking about a professionally planned and built fireplace. Where I come from, the person who designs and builds these is called a stove fitter or fireplace builder—not a tinsmith or a hardware store employee. Seriously, I wasn’t referring to store-bought stoves (aka “tin cans”), but rather masonry fireplaces plastered and finished, with a suitable firebox insert.
Steffen80 schrieb:
Have you ever heard of external air supply? That’s standard nowadays!Take it easy, of course you can have your opinion, but please let others have theirs too.
Yes, we had fireplaces in our previous house and the apartment before that... in the apartment we used the fireplace, but only because it was an old building with terrible insulation... in that case, radiant heat had a big advantage.
In the house, there was one with an external air supply... we just didn’t use it. For me, radiant heat no longer offers any benefit if I have a house that is perfectly climate-controlled everywhere. On the contrary, I find it disturbing. I enjoy consistent room temperatures and stable humidity levels that are adjusted to suit our needs optimally... if I want heat or other climatic conditions, I go to the sauna in the garden or take a vacation.
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Deliverer23 Mar 2018 14:50Tego12 schrieb:
I’m not a fan of fireplaces in new buildings; even in winter, the air produced by them bothers me, including the additional strain on my lungs.How should I understand this? What kind of air is produced, and what does the additional strain on the lungs consist of?
(I’m asking seriously. No irony.)
Deliverer schrieb:
How am I supposed to understand this? What kind of air is produced, and what exactly causes the extra strain on the lungs? (I’m asking seriously. No irony.)A bit confusingly written by me:
1) I’m not a fan of fireplaces because, overall, they release a lot of fine particulate matter into the air (not inside your personal home, but into the environment); this can be debated...
2) The phrase "the air produced" simply refers to the heat in this context. It gets warmer, which I personally don’t like at all in a home optimally climate-controlled for me by underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
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garfunkel23 Mar 2018 15:18It is correct that fine dust around the house could rise. It depends on the wind and weather conditions.
Isn’t it even the case that there are already filter regulations, or that they will be introduced soon?
Regarding the second point, I have to agree with Tego12 as well. If the house itself, with its heating and ventilation, already offers a level of comfort that is hard to beat, then such a fireplace doesn’t make much sense.
As a fan of fireplaces, I would probably look for an alternative for the cozy moments.
Isn’t it even the case that there are already filter regulations, or that they will be introduced soon?
Regarding the second point, I have to agree with Tego12 as well. If the house itself, with its heating and ventilation, already offers a level of comfort that is hard to beat, then such a fireplace doesn’t make much sense.
As a fan of fireplaces, I would probably look for an alternative for the cozy moments.
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