New HomeownerHomeownerrenovation

December 19, 2024

By: Stacey Freed

Before you cozy up to your dream fireplace, explore the various types and options available to find the perfect fit for your home and lifestyle.

When’s the last time you chose to sit in front of your furnace for a romantic or relaxing evening at home? But snuggle up next to a cozy fire? Yes, please. Whether you’re a home buyer or a homeowner looking to remodel, you’re more likely to get a fireplace you’ll use and enjoy if you check out your options carefully. Start by exploring types of fireplaces, including the pros and cons of each one.

How common are fireplaces these days? More than half of all homeowners (57%) have some type of fireplace, wood-burning stove, or other hearth product in their home, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Given the number, you might imagine fireplaces are popular with most buyers. They aren’t currently one of the most in-demand features in homes, but they’re still seen as a plus, according to Angi. And that’s especially true if you pay attention to the type and value of the fireplace.

Whether you’re shopping for a new home with a fireplace or remodeling a current fireplace, you have myriad options that will fit your décor, maximize space, and offer an efficient heat source.

How to Choose the Best Types of Fireplace for Your Home

Whether you have a wood-burning fireplace, a gas fireplace, or an electric fireplace, it will quickly become a room’s focal point. You can choose to make it pop or blend into the surroundings. If you don’t like what you see, you can reface, paint, stain, or remodel the fireplace. But before starting the project, you’ll want to answer some questions to make sure you get what you want:

What design options do you like? You can choose from surround materials ranging from stone to tile to brick. Do you want painted or unpainted? Mantel or no mantel?
What design fits with your home style? Shiplap or reclaimed wood pair well with a modern farmhouse style home. Or do you prefer something sleek and modern — maybe white with a black insert and marble surround? If you don’t have a fireplace and like mid-century modern design, a freestanding fireplace with glass and metal may be a good option.
Do you want to refresh or remodel rather than replace your fireplace? If so, you could repaint the brick surround on the fireplace exterior yourself (using fire-resistant paint). For more-extensive remodeling, make sure the fireplace is in good working condition.
What are your options if you’re moving into a home with a fireplace? Get help to inspect and service the fireplace. A home inspector can do a thorough check. “[We] look at the firebox and the damper and make sure the bricking inside is not cracked,” says Tom Unverzagt, owner of WIN Home Inspection in Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y. Inspectors will look at any steel for buckling and check the chimney for creosote, he says. They’ll scope out the roof, including the chimney top and rain cap, and send a camera into the flue to make sure it’s clear. Another option is a hearth dealer, says Karen Arpino, executive director for three regional affiliates of the HPBA. “Many are chimney sweeps. They can do installs and service. They’ll check the chimney and can discuss remodeling options.”
What are your goals? Adding or updating a fireplace may or may not add value to your home, so make sure your goal is realistic, says Maureen Sweeney, incoming chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Real Property Valuation Committee and a working appraiser. “Don’t make a fireplace purchase based on what you think the return is going to be. It is 100% impossible to say, ‘This is your return on investment.’ Instead, install a fireplace because it will make you happy.”

Types of Fireplaces

Plenty of older homes in the U.S. still have a traditional open masonry wood burning fireplace. This type is what it sounds like: It works by burning wood in a firebox, creating heat through combustion. But that type of fireplace actually robs a home of heat, Unverzagt says. “You have draft; there’s smoke that goes up the flue and draws air from the house into the fire up the chimney and out.” The average wood fireplace operates between 5% and 15% efficiency, drawing almost as much heat up the chimney as it’s producing, according to Energy.gov.

If you’re in that situation, consider retrofitting by having an insert installed covered by heat-resistant glass doors. The change can double the fireplace’s efficiency rate and increase safety by keeping embers and ash in the firebox.

Your next decision is the type of fuel you want to use: wood, pellets, natural gas or propane, or electricity. To make that decision, start with the pros and cons of each.

Wood-Burning Fireplace Pros and Cons

Arpino offers these pros and cons of wood-burning fireplaces:

Pros:

Wood is entirely renewable and when burned “is super warm. You can heat your whole home.”
It’s economical.
The smell of wood smoke and the crackle of burning wood create the ultimate in romantic ambiance.
“The newly certified wood-burning fireplace products — a fireplace or a stove that burns wood or pellets — emit less particulates in the wood smoke per hour than one cigarette.”

Cons:

The heavy lift involved in stacking, loading, and carrying wood, and doing cleanup, isn’t for everyone. “It’s not as fun to do these things as you age.”
Countering those drawbacks are products like pellets, which look a bit like pretzel nuggets. They’re created from compressed dried wood or other biomass, and they burn like logs. They come in bags and are easier to bring into your house than a load of logs. They can produce “an aggressive flame. It’s not a sit-and-gaze kind of fire, but they’re incredible for warmth.” While you can retrofit your wood fireplace to one that burns pellets, you do need a pellet-burning appliance. You also need electricity, since pellets pour into a hopper that feeds them into the stove; the stove then blows out the hot air. EPA-certified pellet stoves are 70% to 83% efficient.

Natural Gas Fireplace Pros and Cons

Natural gas fireplaces are fueled by either natural gas or propane, both of which burn more cleanly than wood or coal. They’ve come a long way, Arpino says, listing these pros and cons:

Pros:

“The fire is beautiful, and the logs no longer look fake.”
They’re highly efficient. They may include a thermostat so the fire will turn off when the room reaches a certain temperature. You can also have a remote start, so there’s no need to even get off the couch. And there’s no ash to deal with.
They can come with a battery backup, so you don’t need to worry about a power outage.
“A gas fireplace is great for the shoulder months — maybe October or March — when you don’t need to heat your whole home but just want to warm your living space.”
If you don’t want gas or don’t have access to it in your home, you can also use propane, a clean-burning, nontoxic gas, as your fireplace fuel.

Cons:

With a gas fireplace you may need a plumber to run a gas line, and some municipalities are discussing whether to ban gas in homes. Locations considering bans are “mostly on the coasts, in places in New York State, California, Massachusetts.” But there are many exceptions in each state, and “at the same time, the industry is evolving when it comes to using propane and biogasses.”

Electric Fireplace Pros and Cons

These fireplaces run on electricity and are essentially electric heaters made to look like wood-burning or gas fireplaces.

Pros:

You can create the visual ambiance of a real fire — with options for heat or no heat. And you can choose your own adventure in the fire bed with faux logs, crystals, river rock, or pebbles.
They’re easy to install. You can put them nearly anywhere; you basically just need an electrical outlet.
With no chimney needed, this can be a less expensive option than installing a wood fireplace or gas fireplace.
Technology is improving the appearance of the flame, which is created with LED lights and reflective panels. New options include the ability to change the flame color.
They are highly energy efficient.

Cons:

Some think the flame, which isn’t real, is less attractive. However, advances have made some flames look more realistic.
You’ll need a backup power source if there’s a power outage.

Any of these types of fireplaces can be installed in a home that’s being constructed.

Modern Fireplace Types to Enhance Your Home

As technology evolves, so do our options for adding warmth and comfort to our homes. Modern fireplace innovations offer exciting new ways to enjoy the ambiance of a fire without the need for traditional setups. Here are some of the latest options available:

Ventless Fireplaces Pros and Cons

Ventless fireplaces — those with no chimney venting to they outdoors — have generated concerns about releasing unsafe emissions inside the home, and some cities have banned them. But some newer versions of ventless, like the alcohol-based fireplaces, are more environmentally friendly. These ventless appliances burn ethanol (made from renewable resources like corn) and isopropyl alcohol gel. You can put them in any location. There’s no gas line or electricity to contend with. They emit a minimum of steam vapor and carbon dioxide with no toxic smoke. They do create a flame and maybe a little heat, depending on the model.

Pros:

They can be placed in any location.
They don’t need for a gas line or electricity.
They’re environmentally friendly options (ethanol and isopropyl alcohol gel).
They emit minimal steam vapor and carbon dioxide.
There’s no toxic smoke.
They create a flame and may provide some heat, depending on the model.

Cons:

There are safety concerns based on the release of unsafe emissions indoors.
Some cities have banned them.

Water Vapor Fireplace Systems Pros and Cons

A water vapor system is sort of an illusion. The design is really for ambiance, as there’s no actual flame. It’s a fireplace where water that sits in a reservoir is used as the “fuel.” An ultrasonic atomizer uses high-frequency soundwaves to vibrate the device and turn the water into mist. It’s then illuminated with LEDs, which make the vapor appear to flicker. These are realistic and safe, since there’s no fire, smoke, or carbon monoxide produced, just water vapor. There’s no chimney, no venting, and little maintenance. Some of these devices offer a heating feature. You can find them at dealers that have electric fireplace options.

Pros:

They create a realistic flame-like appearance.
They’re safe to use (no actual fire, smoke, or carbon monoxide).
They produce only water vapor.
They don’t need a chimney or venting
They require little maintenance.
Some models offer a heating feature.
They add ambiance to any room.

Cons:

They’re primarily designed for ambiance, not heating.
They have a higher initial cost.
They’re available only through specific dealers with electric fireplace options.

How Much Do Different Types of Fireplaces Cost?

The costs of your fireplace project will depend on the nature of the work you want done and factors like material, labor, and fuel costs. Here’s a sampling:

Purchasing: The costs to buy a fireplace range significantly. An electric fireplace costs $200 to $2,200 depending on size, heat output, style, and labor cost (if you want it inserted into a wall, for example), according to Angi. A more- advanced type of fireplace, such as a water vapor fireplace system, costs $3,000 to $9,000.
Remodeling: The costs to remodel a fireplace are all over the map depending on your location and labor and material costs. Angi puts the average fireplace remodel at $600 to $4,500 for refacing, depending on the materials you choose. Refacing a fireplace means replacing the material that surrounds the firebox. Replacing the mantel alone costs $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the size and material, and whether it’s prefabricated or custom made.
Retrofitting: Retrofitting a wood-burning fireplace might cost $9,000 to $10.000, says Jennifer Deuel, co-owner of Cricket on the Hearth, a certified dealer in Rochester, N.Y. “It’s labor intensive; there’s roof work and heavy lifting.” She says 80% of her customers are turning their traditional wood-burning fireplaces into gas fireplaces. “With gas we may have to bring up gas from the basement or use propane from outside the house,” Deuel says. “We need an electrician and a plumber. This might cost between $6,500 and $9,000 depending on the quality of the unit and the length of the gas line work, as well as whether we need to take a lift to the top of the chimney.”
Using the fireplace: With a gas fireplace or electric fireplace, your utility bill will likely increase based on how often you use the fireplace. For a wood fireplace, consider that a cord (128 cubic feet) of wood runs from $150 to $500 depending on the type of wood and your location, according to Angi. If you have a wood fire twice a day, a cord would last six to 12 weeks. Wood pellets cost about $5 to $9 for a 40-pound bag. If you kept your pellet stove burning for 24 hours, you’d go through one whole bag. Natural gas prices in the U.S. are expected to rise sharply in 2025, according to Reuters. That will likely affect how often you use a gas fireplace.

The Impact of Fireplace Options on Your Home’s Market Value

Appraisers don’t usually attribute a quantifiable value to fireplaces, because what the amenity adds to a home’s resale value depends on what an individual buyer prefers. And that’s unpredictable. Instead, they encourage focusing on what you and your family will use and enjoy.

How Different Types of Fireplaces Can Offer Unique Tax Benefits

If you’re upgrading and creating a more efficient fireplace system in your home, you may qualify for a tax credit for biomass-burning products (wood and pellets). A 30% biomass stove tax credit is available for appliances installed between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 1, 2032, capped at $2,000.

Whether and how much to invest in a fireplace ultimately comes down to your goals, Sweeney says. “How often will you be using the fireplace? Is the fireplace intended to help heat your home during the winter months? Is it just for the holidays? What’s the cost of a wood-burning fireplace with a carved wood mantel that will be used once a year for the value of a family’s Hallmark moment? These are questions to consider before considering installing a fireplace.”