To install an open fireplace?

[Arrrghh]

Just bought a victorian terraced house and want to open up the fireplace. We always had an open fire when I was a child and I love it, it feels like a presence in the room. I live alone and I find it comforting.

I know heat-wise it is inefficient, but I actually don’t want it for the heat, it’s having the open flames that I like. I also know that there are rules coming in about what we’re allowed to burn due to air pollution, and am more than happy to only burn approved fuel.

But do you think iabu? Is this a really backward thing to do?

They look pretty it they are really bad for your health and for the environment.

We opened our fireplace up in our 30s semi and it cost £500 to put the new fireplace, grate and hearth in.

I absolutely love our fireplace and in the winter it's so comforting. I buy coffee logs from Amazon as they're really efficient and take ages to burn through.

The fireplace is one of the things I love lost about our house and when it's cold outside and the fire is going I don't want to be anywhere else!

I have had log burners in last couple homes and love them. However, the recent press about the harmful emissions (which are worse in open fires) means I won't be getting one in my next home. It has a gas fire though, and I'm happy with that.
As for new regulations about gas in the future- it will be like electric cars. New systems will have to be electric, but you won't have to get rid of gas if you already have it (eventually they will stop selling it though, forcing you to change)!

When had to have the house re-roofed we were at the same time advised to either rebuild top of chimney or remove. We went for the remove option. We still have the chimney breast and fire surround etc and don't intend to remove that.

A shame you removed it IMO - I always think an older house without a chimney looks odd, especially when neighbouring houses still retain theirs. I also think it's rather strange to keep the fire surround when you don't have a chimney!

Get a multi fuel stove instead. These allow you to burn smokeless fuel and you can put the odd seasoned log on for effect as well if you like.

They're cleaner, less dusty and more efficient than open fires.

I think the harmful emissions are more to do with what you butn, aren’t they? I’m happy to burn ethanol logs or whatever is eco friendly!

@farawayplanet that sounds like a good idea!

@TheSmallAssassin

I want one to just look at the flames too, so we were thinking of a gas flame effect fireplace, but given that gas will be going in the next decade, I am wondering about a bio ethanol grate, anyone got one of those?

Gas isn’t going to go in the next decade. Millions of people rely on it for their heating and hot water and they can’t all afford to replace it with an air source heat pump.

@Arrrghh - from 2025 new build homes won't be allowed gas boilers, I think there will be a move to heat pumps? Not sure, but we will have to start using less gas to meet our emissions targets so I am thinking that we shouldn't be adding more gas appliances to our house.

We got rid of an old school Art Deco fireplace and put a multi fuel stove in at start of year. I'm used to an open fire too as my folks have one, they also have a multi fuel in another room. We found less mess and it's shut off so no draughts but as PPs have said you can get things to block...chimney plates for open fires. Happy hunting :)

We live in a Victorian terrace and reinstated the open fire. It cost us approximately £2k for a flue liner, slate hearth, reclaimed cast iron fire surround and we got a mantle from friends. I can honestly say it’s the best thing we’ve done and we don’t regret it at all- it’s lovely to have although we don’t actually need it for heating. I do worry about it from an environmental point of view and am unsure if we would do it now for this reason but I don’t regret it in any way.