Do You Want a Gas or Wood Burning Fireplace?

When you’re in the market for a new fireplace there’s an important decision you have to make: Do you want it to be gas or wood burning? If you aren’t sure, here are a few pros and cons of each to keep in mind:

Wood

Pros:

• Wood is more reliable. In an emergency you won’t need to worry about your gas line. Just grab your wood and get that fire going.
• Wood is often the least expensive way to heat your home, at least here in the Last Frontier.
• Wood also provides a more authentic fireplace experience. What’s better than sitting in front of a warm cozy fire?

Cons:

• You have to go out and collect your wood, or buy it from someone. And even then, you’ll have to stack and store it. 
• You have to start and tend to your fire. Wood fires require a bit more time and effort, and you must remember to throw a log in every once in a while. 
• Chimneys must go straight up. Wood fires require a natural flow of air, which means you have to run pipe directly above your fireplace. Sometimes it’s no problem, but it can be a hassle depending on your home. 

Gas

Pros: 

• You can control the temperature. With a remote thermostat, you can set your fireplace to whatever temp you like and forget about it.
• Easy to maintain. Once you’re all set up, gas fireplaces are easy. Just flip a switch and- voila!– fire.
• Forced drafts allow for easy venting. Your fireplace will blow exhaust away, so you can place your fireplace almost anywhere using direct vent pipe.
• Customizable look. With ceramic fiber logs and a large array of fireplace glass media, you can build your fireplace to match your home.

Cons:

• Gas is less reliable in emergencies. Even in daily life, if there’s a problem getting gas to your home, there’s not much you can do.
• Although today’s gas logs are more realistic than ever, nothing will ever burn quite as good as the real thing.

Whether you choose a gas or wood fireplace largely comes down to how much work you want to put into heating your home. Both will warm you up safely and efficiently, require venting from your home, and are sold at the highest quality and similar low prices from Alaska Stove and Spa. So, which will it be?