A gas fireplace...or a wood burning fireplace...what is your choice??
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
United States
October 12, 2009 1:49pm CST
Its getting cold here in the Midwest...some areas around us here in Michigan have even gotten snow!! 
I was looking through the sales papers this weekend and they had this gas fireplace on sale for $300.00 which was a really good deal considering the brand/quality etc... not that I could afford it but it would be great to get one and have a fire anytime... just flick a switch and you have a fire in your own living room!!! 
My husband growing up in one of there houses had a real wood burning fireplace and the smell was always wonderful and it was nice and warm when he would start a fire for us when we were still dating.
So this got me thinking... what do you prefer... a gas fireplace or a wood burning fireplace?? and why??
happy mylotting!!
I was looking through the sales papers this weekend and they had this gas fireplace on sale for $300.00 which was a really good deal considering the brand/quality etc... not that I could afford it but it would be great to get one and have a fire anytime... just flick a switch and you have a fire in your own living room!!!
My husband growing up in one of there houses had a real wood burning fireplace and the smell was always wonderful and it was nice and warm when he would start a fire for us when we were still dating.
So this got me thinking... what do you prefer... a gas fireplace or a wood burning fireplace?? and why??
happy mylotting!!5 people like this
25 responses
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Oct 09
hi bookreadermom08 I love a real wood burning fireplace as the
odor of burning wood is so great and the room gets all warm
and comfy. we had a house with a real wood burning fireplace and'we really enjoyed it. back in Tempe Arizona we had only a gas one as they had strict rules about what you could burn in your'fireplace and what you could not. a lot of redtape. you could not just burn ordinary wood. so when we came to Ca we had a real fireplace that burned real wood.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
5 May 10
hi I still love a real wood burning fireplace but I am now living in a retirement center so no fireplaces. thanks for the best response always nice to get one much appreciated.
@suzzy3 (8341)
•
13 Oct 09
Have you plenty of wood around if you have then go for a woodburning stove.I personally would have a gas fire,one easy switch,no messing around with ash and mess,every morning cleaning up the mess and all that dust.I think I must be getting lazy in my old age.Open fires are a lovely feature of a room its just all that messing about puts me off.
@bestmommy (92)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I prefer a gas log fireplace for the sake of keeping the ashes and smoke out of the house. We had a wood burning pot belly stove in our first house in the mountains and it was wonderful for heat but a nuisance to clean out the ashes. Now we live in a warmer climate and have a gas log fireplace with a blower built in and have used it too offset the electric heat on the few very cold days we get each year. The fire is realistic looking and you can't tell until you get very close to it that the logs are not real. If you go with gas logs and want to use them for heating purposes you definitely need to add the fan blower to circulate the heat.
@StonedEmoKid (65)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I would go with the gas fireplace... with the wood you have to cut the wood yourself (unless you can afford it) but I absolutely hated living with a wood fireplace.
@dbrandt4 (3)
• United States
31 Oct 09
It's kind of like the choice between gas or charcoal grill. Gas is more convenient, while charcoal yields better results (in my opinion). Likewise, a gas fireplace is more convenient, while a wood burning fireplace yield better ambiance. I must admit that if I had a wood fireplace in my home, I would use it, but not before I converted it to something more energy efficient and less polluting by using a wood burning fireplace insert. Learn more at http://wood-burning-fireplace-inserts.com.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
13 Oct 09
Although the gas fireplaces make less of a mess, I still prefer a good old wood burning fireplace. The smell is so nice and inviting, and it really does help save money. Unfortunately, we do not have either in our house. There used to be one, but it has been sealed off long ago, before we evre moved in. I think that a good, old fashioned wood burning fireplace makes a house feel cozy and warm, especially on those cold nights.
@biman_s (1060)
• India
13 Oct 09
I live in India an during the winter its not that cold here. I don't like the concept of burning wood as it leads to deforestation. I like an environmentalist so I would prefer a gas fireplace instead of a wooden one. Just because wood can be availed pretty easily doesn't mean we should keep burning it to add to earth's destruction. Using natural gas is a more educated choice. Go for the gas fireplace.
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I would probably prefer a wood fireplace since this was what I grew up with. The gas fireplace sounds very nice. It probably wouldn't be as much work as a wood fireplace. However, like you, I like the smell of a wood burning fireplace, myself. Kathy.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I am one that prefers the wood burning fireplace. I had a gas fireplace in my bedroom when I lived with my mother and I never used it. I just wasn't very fond of the thing. However, at our house, we have a wood burning fireplace and we've used it quite a bit already because we've had a few chilly nights and it helps to cut the chill in the house. Plus, I like the fact that it is so beautiful. Additionally, it doesn't run up the cost of gas in the house and heats it very well. Our fireplace is a masonary one that was built with the house and it is beautiful in addition to being very functional.
@millertime (1394)
• United States
13 Oct 09
Wood fireplaces are a lot of work. You have to cut the wood, split it, stack it, then carry it into the house and stack it on the hearth and then afterward you have to deal with the ashes. You know what? I love every minute of it. There is nothing like tending a real wood fire and as a native Michigander transplant to S. Florida, I really miss my fireplace and to me, having a gas fireplace, while convenient, is sort of missing the point. It's not a real fireplace without burning wood. And on a side note, I miss Michigan!
@zkapfo123 (319)
• India
13 Oct 09
Hi bookreadermom08, i also live in a place, where winter is cold and harsh. Here we don't get the sort of luxury as a gas fireplace, we burn wood to warm us. I would say that given the alternative, i would definitely choose the gas fireplace. As there would be no mess (ash, unburnt wood chips, leftover embers) to clean and the fireplace could be switched on and off at a flick of knob. Wood burning fireplace has a distinct smell and feel, which no other option can replace. If you're in a romantic mood and want to light up your past pleasant memories, there nothing like the good old wood burning fireplace. Thank you.
@UCantSeeMe (116)
• United States
13 Oct 09
neither i use a pellet stove and it heats my house quite well and a bag of cherry pits burn for quite a while and being in michigan myself they are not expensive at all since the cherry farm is down the street i dont really pay lol. but when the stove burns there is verry little ashes to clean which makes it great as well.
@Bliu911 (22)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I LOVE a wood-burning fireplace! The warm smell of the wood burning is wonderful, and reminds me of Christmas Eve back when I was child.
However, I'm technically "grounded" from having one, since, as an adult, I accidentally tried to burn my house down (twice!) by not putting the fire out completely. So, whatever you choose, make sure you do it safely! Hopefully someday my hubby will unground me and I can enjoy the wonderful fireplace again! :)
@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Oct 09
I personally prefer wood, but I think it depends on one's priorities. Wood warms a house better and smells good and I think it looks better. It's cheaper if you have wood on your property or can get a good price for it, but it can be as expensive as gas if you have to buy every stick you put in it. Gas doesn't take any work to get it going or to adjust the heat. Really, that's about all the difference I can think of.
@rmuxagirl (7548)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I personally prefer a wood fireplace. There is nothing like sitting in front of one smelling the wood burning. I love it.
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I do love the smell of real wood burning in a real wood burning fire place. It's a scent that can't quite be duplicated. But for practical purposes, I think a gas fireplace is the way to go because you don't have to buy wood or go out and chop your own wood. There be black widow spiders in the stacks of firewood and they are scary! Could just be me, they scare me witless. Then there is all the ash from the wood that has to be cleaned up periodically so, put me down for a gas fireplace. There's just so much less work and cost involved and it's so much tidier plus you do get the same (sort of) fireplace ambiance. I love a fireplace, at this point, I would just love to have one though we don't get snow here.
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
12 Oct 09
I think that burning logs on a fire, this is very attractive to look at and it's quite romantic too I think! I visited the Lake District once on holiday and I remember renting a wooden cabin for the week up there. Anyway, it had a huge log fire and it was wonderful and it kept the place so warm. I did travel at the height of winter then so it was very cold. I don't know how to explain it but there's something very nice about having a wood fire, it has strong relations to the countryside and I would choose the countryside over the city anytime! I'm thinking that a gas fire could prove to be very expensive. I don't like the idea of a gas fire at all. Andrew
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
12 Oct 09
I have had both wood burning and gas fireplaces. My choice is most definitely the wood burning variety. Nothing looks prettier than the glow of a wood burning firelog in the fireplace. You can not beat the heat that is given off. It'sa extra toasty for those cold winter nights. It certainly saves on the furnace bill. Gas fireplaces are all right, but it just isn't the same. You are still using gas so you might as well be lighting the furnace. This is just my opinion though.
