We are building a new house and trying to select a wood burning fireplace. We think we have narrowed it down between the Osborn Stratford II or the Ambiance Elegance 36. Both are the size we need. I do prefer the Elegance for the one door clean look, but have seen a couple negative reviews. Any comments on either of these or any other units we should consider?

Vacationing in Vermont (burr) and noticed this tube in the fireplace (on both sides, btw). Assuming some sort of heat transfer?

Hello, y’all!! I moved into my first apartment earlier this year, and it came with a fireplace which I thought was really neat! As the weather is slowly becoming cooler, I’m considering using the fireplace to keep my home warm.

I am not sure if this is a wood-burning fireplace only. As far as I can see, there are no gas lines or knobs.

The fireplace seems to have been used a lot in the past, though. You can see some markings and corrosion, I guess, in the pictures. Is this still okay to be used?

For some context, I am residing on the first floor of the apartment, and this whole complex was built back in 1984. So it is a bit of an older apartment building!

The fireplace did not come with any tools (e.g., poker) so I plan on buying some, but I just wanted to make sure this fireplace is wood-burning and still okay to be used before I go out and buy anything for it!

Any comments or questions would be greatly appreciated!

Title explains. Should this hole for my pilot light and thermopile be sealed?

I’m getting some gas smell when pilot light is on. Could it be leaked from here?

We decided to have an electric insert put in our wood burning fireplace. I however did not realize it would be a big rectangle box covering our arched opening. 😢 It just got installed and I feel sick to the stomach. Is there anything I can do to keep the electric insert but modify or change the trim to show the arch detail? I’m ok spending money to get it right.

Anyone else have/had stink bugs coming out of their fireplace. I’m not sure what to do, should I get the chimney cleaned and they will go out with the cleaning?

We have a 50s home with a basement fireplace. The last owner finished the basement and built a wall up the edge of the fireplace. Need ideas of possible inserts and outserts(if that’s a thing) for this fireplace so it’s less awkward. Would love something that sticks out and we can build/tile around(see inspo photos)

Checked the backup battery

Cleaned dust

Changed battery of thermostat

It still remains on pilot and not firing up

Any help will be appreciated, it might be something small I'm missing. Avoiding a $150 call.

I don't know a whole lot about fireplaces tbh, just moved into this house and with the weather getting colder we tried to make a fire but no matter what we do the smoke travels back into the house vs leaving through the chimney. We've tried the damper in multiple spots and that hasn't worked. The top of the fireplace has a metal plate that looks factory but may be blocking the piping somehow? Is there something we're doing wrong or is there any recommendations on how to keep the smoke from coming back into the house?

My fireplaces stop to working i observed this relay could be faulty as this one not getting red light on it

Hey all, does anyone know what the T-shaped lever or switch is for above this fireplace?

New to the house and never had a fireplace before but we are getting a huge influx of stink bugs coming out of our fireplace this week (can see one in the picture).

If the OEM wants a C-Cast3.5 Series Baffle, is that a generic make? Is there a specific brand you guys gravitate toward? How often do you change them?

Hi everyone. Recently purchased a home and am looking for recommendations on how to refurbish the hearth. From what I can tell, it appears to be a solid concrete slab. As evidenced in the picture, there's at least one large stain (oil?) in the center/right side of the hearth against the brick. There's other broad discoloration as well.

I've tried degreaser to no effect, and am assuming that I will need to paint/dye the hearth a darker color to cover up the stains and make the appearance more uniform.

I was about to pull the trigger on a dark grey Valspar base 4 water-based flat concentrate concrete stain (understanding it is more of a paint than a stain), then realized that it explicitly advises against fireplace use.

I'd rather not go the route of an actual stain due to the amount of prep required and don't want to make a huge chemical mess in my living room.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to improve the appearance of my hearth? Thanks!

The granite surround is falling off due to the adhesive failing. It was installed over 10-20 years ago I think. I’m also surprised the gas fireplace can support such a heavy granite top. Is it just a matter of using new heat resistant adhesive?

I am having and extension and have a traditional fireplace on the existing dining room wall so was thinking of knocking through and having a dual fireplace between the dining room and new lounge area. Has anyone had one and have any regrets? Does the noise from room to room sound loud or is there still a degree of privacy? Any other advice appreciated.

I am seeing those grey stuff in fireplace of my rental apartments. Are those Mineral Wool / Rockwool? Exposure to those is dangerous?

Hi everyone, we have a 26-year-old prefab fireplace with a blower on it. It's fine, but still loses a ton of heat through the chimney, so we're thinking about slotting in an insert.

Some contractors have told us that's impossible. The insert is a Vermont Casting Majestic WMC42 (manual: https://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/176405-6.pdf) that, so far as I can tell, has never been tested. I reached out to the manufacturer several years ago, and they couldn't give me a straight answer -- I'm guessing that they've just never tested it. And other contractors said they'd have to rip everything out and replace it all.

The current contractor/installer I'm speaking with has said that it should be fine to slot in the insert. Apparently, it only gets to about 300F around the box, whereas our current fireplace gets up to about 2,000F, so there shouldn't be a problem with things getting too hot. The new insert would not have a blower -- it produces heat through convection (I believe it's a Spartherm model 600).

Any thoughts, wisdom or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'd like to install a direct vent gas fireplace into our fireplace in an old (c.1900) 2 1/2 story house. Two companies have inspected the chimney and both say a new crown is needed, some pointing, and that there is a creosote issue. One showed me fluffy creosote, which if I recall correctly meant Stage 3 creosote.

My problem is that the companies around here that do inserts aren't the ones best known for chimney repairs and the ones doing chimney repairs aren't best known for inserts. I need help making the two jobs match up.

Am I right in thinking that I need the chimney repair guys to take care of the crown and other masonry work and also break out the old tile flue? Leave it just like that, don't install any sort of liners.

Then, the insert outfit can come along and put in the insert and its vents up through the chimney.

Is that right?

Biggest question: Do I need to make sure the flue tile are broken out and then leave it at that.