A wood-burning fireplace can add warmth and charm to any home.
When you are thinking about getting a modular home, you should consider a wood-burning fireplace.
Can You Have A Wood Burning Fireplace in A Modular Home?
Can you have a wood-burning fireplace in a modular home? The answer is yes.
There are many modular homes out there with a wood-burning fireplace that not only helps to heat the home it also helps to add value and warmth.
Benefits of A Wood Burning Fireplace
There are many benefits to adding a wood-burning fireplace to your modular home, and they include:
Heat
Wood burning fireplaces provide great heat inside of your modular home. Using wood to heat your home helps to cut down your utility bills.
When you use an HVAC system, it can increase your utility bills in the winter months. By supplementing or using wood altogether, you can lower the bill.
Emergency heat
When the power goes out in the winter, you are not going to have any form of heat to heat your home.
If it is very cold outside, your house will cool down relatively quickly. If your power is going to be out for hours, this may be a problem.
Having a wood-burning fireplace will help you to heat your home during power outages.
Warmth
Having a fireplace in your home creates a warm cozy feeling that most people love.
Added home value
Adding a wood-burning fireplace to your modular home can help to add money to the value of the home.
It is also a unique selling feature that many people will love.
Choosing The Right Wood Burning Fireplace
If you decide to put in a wood-burning fireplace and once you learn the answer to can you have a wood burning fireplace in a modular home, you will need to consider several different things.
Size
Wood burning fireplaces come in several different sizes. The size you get will depend on how big your modular home is and your personal preferences.
If you want to ensure that your entire house is heated with a wood-burning fireplace, you will want to purchase one that is big enough.
If you are only going to use the fireplace for emergencies, you can get a smaller fireplace that will heat up one room nicely.
Budget
Wood-burning fireplaces can be expensive depending on the size and the manufacturer.
If you decide to go with an antique fireplace, you will pay a good deal more than you would a newer model.
Old or new
Many people love the look of antique fireplaces, however, these are not approved by the EPA and may not be very efficient.
Be sure to take that into consideration when looking to purchase a fireplace.
Installation of the Wood Burning Fireplace
There are several things that will have to take place in order to install a wood-burning fireplace.
1. The Chimney
Modular home chimneys can either be built at the factory or on-site.
There are different chimneys that can be built in a modular home, and they include:
Interior wall chimney
When a fireplace is installed, this requires a chase to extend from the wall into the attic space.
If the home is a two-story modular home, this can be a bit more difficult. In most builds, people will lose a closet to get an interior chimney space.
Exterior wall chimney
Putting your fireplace on the exterior wall of your home gives you a choice of the interior chimney or an exterior chimney.
An exterior chimney will be made at the factor, and they will consist of nodules that are stacked on top of each other. The chimney will then be constructed as part of the home.
Which chimney you choose will be determined by cost and where your fireplace will be set.
2. DIY Or Hiring A Professional
In some cases, your modular home may already come with a wood-burning fireplace.
However, if it does not, you will want to know if you can install it yourself or whether or not you should have a professional install it for you.
Woodburning fireplaces can be dangerous if they are not installed properly.
If you do it yourself, you will want to make sure that you look up the safety codes and put them in your fireplace accordingly.
You will need to ensure that you have adequate clearance and that the chimney is hooked up correctly.
Instead of doing it yourself, though, it is best to let someone that is experienced in installing a wood-burning fireplace do it for you.
This way, you know all the building and safety codes are followed and that you will not have to worry about your home being at risk by your wood-burning fireplace.
3. The Installation
During the installation, your contractor will install the wood-burning fireplace.
The installer will have to make sure that the fireplace is set in clearance with the wall.
The installer will also check the chimney for any issues and hook the fireplace up to the chimney.
During this time, if you want features like a mantel placed around your chimney, you can do so at this time.
4. Using Your Fireplace
If you are new to using a wood-burning fireplace, you will want to take your time to learn how to do it.
You cannot just toss any kind of wood in and light a match. You need to have wood that is dry, and that will burn cleanly.
Doing your research on how to use a wood fireplace will help to ensure that you are safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are wood-burning fireplaces safe?
Yes, wood-burning fireplaces are safe as long as they are installed correctly, and you use them correctly.
It is also a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector and a smoke detector in your home just in case something does go wrong with the wood-burning fireplace.
2. Are wood-burning fireplaces efficient?
Yes, the wood-burning fireplaces of today are made with specific EPA guidelines that help make them more efficient.
3. Can I have a mantle around a wood-burning fireplace?
Yes, you can have whatever kind of mantle you want around your wood-burning fireplace.
4. How do I maintain my fireplace?
You will want to maintain your wood-burning fireplace frequently.
You will need to empty out the ash frequently, and you should have your chimney inspected at least once a year to ensure that there are no issues with it.
Final Thoughts
Getting a wood-burning fireplace for your modular home is a great way to have heat, add warmth, and increase the value of your home.
Consider adding a wood-burning fireplace to your modular home today!
