Gas (natural and propane) is one of the most inexpensive fuels you can choose to warm your house. And with winters being what they are in Ottawa, the more you can save on your monthly heating bill the happier you’ll be.
Another cost-benefit offered by a gas fireplace is in its inherent flexibility and low cost of installation. Whether we’re talking about new construction or a retrofit, a gas fireplace can be integrated into a floorplan for a price far lower than a wood fireplace. And if you choose a vent-free gas fireplace, you’ll have a super-cost-effective solution that can be installed pretty much anywhere in your house.
Not only is gas cheap, it’s also more environmentally-friendly. With a gas fireplace, your home will be responsible for a far lower quantity of harmful emissions than with a wood fireplace. Moreover, every gas fireplace contributes to less deforestation, which also boosts ecological health.
For as attractive as a traditional fireplace is, there’s a lot of ongoing maintenance involved. Cleaning up ash and buying, storing, and bringing fresh wood into your home are all things to be concerned with. Also, your chimney must be cleaned periodically to prevent health and fire hazards. On the flipside, a gas fireplace demands little in the way of maintenance.
As mentioned in the previous section, a wood-burning fireplace leaves behind ash that must be removed before another fire is started. And as anyone who’s ever lived in a home with a traditional fireplace can attest, it’s virtually impossible to clean this ash without leaving some semblance of residue or a trail. After all, we’re talking about a substance that’s more or less a fine dust with a penchant for sticking to clothes and furniture.
Even worse than the inconvenience ash presents from a cleaning standpoint, it is also harmful to allergy sufferers and asthmatics. In a home with a wood-burning fireplace, ash (and to a lesser degree, smoke) will always be present to some degree. If you live with someone with allergies or asthma, a gas fireplace is a much healthier choice for everyone.
No doubt about it: gas fireplaces are far more convenient than their wood-burning counterparts. Many gas fireplaces can be lit and extinguished with the simple push of a button – either on the fireplace itself or on a handy remote control that you can use from the comfort of your bed or couch. Moreover, some gas solutions allow you to set your preferred temperature, a perk unachievable by even the most veteran of wood-burning fireplace owners.
For more information about our fireplace services or to schedule a diagnostic or fireplace maintenance service, call us at (613) 822-7974 or visit our Contact Page.
For more information or to schedule service, call us at (613) 822-7974 or click the button below to contact us online.
