Should you choose gas or wood burning to heat your home?
This is an easier question to answer in Northern California than it is in other parts of the country. With our year round weather, you can choose either to heat your home. Whether you want the convenience of gas or tradition of wood, we’ll provide you the pros and cons with each.
Ease of Use:
Advantage: Gas
Gas allows you the convenience of turning a switch on. Instant flame, instant heat. You can set it and forget it and enjoy steady heat.
Wood requires more effort. You need to store the wood, chop to your fireplace size, start a small fire with kindling, then add your logs. With wood you need to feed the fire, heat output will vary based on the wood and the amount in the fireplace.
Cost:
Advantage: Wood
Keeping in mind that you’re not going to your hardware or grocery store and buying bundles of wood. Wood is abundant if you know where to find it. In many cases, the cost to you is labor. You need to cut it and store it.
Gas on the other hand you have to purchase just like you would with a gas stove or electricity.
Ambiance:
Advantage: Wood
Nothing replaces the sound of crackling of wood logs as they begin to flame. Wood gives you the traditional feeling and experience that Gas can’t. Sure, gas now has beautiful logs that look like the real thing and provide the heat and flame such as wood but if you’re looking for the traditional fireplace like your grandparents and their parents had before them, wood is your thing.
Maintenance:
Advantage: Gas
Nothing is easier than maintaining a gas stove, insert or fireplace. Nothing to clean out. Wood fireplaces produce soot, ash and burnt logs. All of which are messy and time consuming to clean out. With wood you need to clean your chimney yearly to remove the build up that is left over from wood.
Gas units are maintenance free, other than having your fireplace store come out for a routine inspection to make sure the unit is operating efficient as possible.
The choice is yours
As you can see, Gas and Wood both have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you to decide what works best for your lifestyle.
If you have questions about what’s best for you, contact us to help guide you through the process.
