Your home is missing something special, the fireplace you’ve always wanted, and have recently decided you’d like to install one. Except you cannot decide between a traditional fireplace or a wood-burning stove.
There are benefits to both a wood stove and a traditional fireplace, but how do you decide which is the best fit for your home and your family?
Here are four aspects to help you decide which is best for your home:
Heating Efficiency
From an efficiency standpoint, wood stoves are hands-down better for heating. With a traditional fireplace, a lot of heat is lost through the chimney. Essentially, a wood stove is a controlled burn, which keeps the fire and heat from escaping.
Aesthetics
Aesthetically, wood stoves versus traditional fireplaces are a personal preference. We suggest you look at a wide variety of wood stoves and traditional fireplaces in different homes and settings to get a feel for which would be best suited for you home.
Safety
Safety is always our first concern! It’s important to know both wood stoves and traditional fireplaces burn at high temperatures and require both safety and common sense. One important thing to keep in mind when determining if a wood stove or traditional fireplace is the best fit for your home, would be that wood stoves can be deceiving. Sometimes wood stoves don’t appear as threatening as traditional fireplaces, but they are. Therefore, it’s important to always remember you are dealing with high temperatures and use the same precautions when burning a fire.
Smoke and Emissions
Oftentimes people make a decision between wood stoves and traditional fireplaces based on smoke and emissions. Since the smoke and emissions from a wood stove shoot directly up the stovepipe, there is less chance of smoke or harmful emissions channeling into your home.
Regardless of your choice between a wood stove or traditional fireplace, there are benefits and disadvantages that you will need to weigh for your specific situation. Just remember to have fun with the decision!
