How to Buy Prefabricated Fireplaces

Prefabricated units offer an inexpensive and convenient way to add a fireplace to your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring Tapes
• Prefabricated Fireplaces
• Pencils
• Pencils
• Spiral Notebooks
• Pencils

1. Decide where you would like to install your fireplace.

2. Check out the units available from various manufacturers. You can go to a fireplace dealer or a building-supply store. You can also search the Internet.

3. Investigate several contractors to install the unit. Ask friends or relatives for a recommendation or inquire at the supplier (some suppliers may even offer installation services).

4. Discuss the installation requirements with the installer. Can you use a wood-burning fireplace (usually requiring a 12-inch vent to the roof) or will a gas unit fit better into the desired location (generally allowing venting right out through a wall)?

5. Consider your preferences. Will you enjoy a gas fireplace or is it important to you to have a wood-burning unit? Is the wood-burning unit worth the added installation costs? (Don't forget to consider damages and repairs to the house as the installer runs the chimney to the roof.)

6. Consider the finish work for the surround, hearth, and mantel. You can use tile, marble, or stone for the hearth and surround. Pre-made wood mantels generally come in sizes to match prefabricated fireplaces.

7. Make sure you have your installation and finish costs calculated and contracts signed for the work before you finalize the purchase.

8. Finalize the purchase, either through the installer or directly from the supplier.

Tips & Warnings

• Gas-only fireplaces do not burn logs. They often have a ceramic or other imitation log arrangement placed in the firebox, but the combustion is solely from the gas. Gas fireplaces are valued because the fire can be started with the flip of a switch and they are much easier to vent, reducing installation hassles.
• Wood-burning prefabs are essentially factory-made versions of standard masonry fireplaces. They are more difficult to vent than gas fireplaces, and while the unit prices are similar, the installation cost is generally higher. Wood-burning units are prized by those who enjoy the look, smell, and feel of actual logs burning and who do not mind the greater inconvenience of starting the fire.
• Expect to spend approximately $1,000 for a typical gas or wood-burning unit. Installation costs will vary widely with the difficulty of the job. The mantel, hearth, and surround will also vary in costs depending upon the materials used.
• Always make sure that your fireplace is installed completely in accordance with all applicable building codes. If in doubt, check with the municipal building department.