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A fireplace is a must have for me. Sealing up a fireplace will diminish the value of your home. Even if you never use it, it is a desirable thing to have in a home.
Get fireplace doors so that they are not open, don't just use a screen. My young kids never touch the fireplace and the doors keep the cat out. I have a double sided fireplace with doors on both sides and never had an issue in the 9 years I have been in my home. We love to use it in the winter.
Make sure the flu is closed when not in use and you should never have a rodent problem.
When the electricity goes out in the winter it sure is nice to be able to warm up at least part of the house with the fireplace!
I remember as a kid, one big hurricane knocked out the electric and my mother was cooking dinner in the fireplace! Yes, this was before gas grills. In the winter w/o electricity, we would all sleep near the fireplace too. Great memories.
Never had a problem with rodents or racoons - we put a cap over the top of the chimney. Grills on the front of the fireplace keep them safe for children and pets.
In days of yore - specifically when Sandy hit and knocked out all our power for two weeks, our real fireplace was the only thing that kept us sane! Other than that, I love an occasional evening in the colder months with just a few logs on the fire and a book in hand. And when we trim the tree our kids roast marshmallows for their hot chocolate.
OP - I wouldn't sweat it - just like someone people insist on a pool and some people insist on no pool. Not going to make a difference in the end unless you do a bad job of blocking it up.
btw - if you're worried about the flu there's a jab you can get for that. As for the flue - cap it if it isn't already.
I think they have no effect on home value these days. Actually, some might even detract from home value if they're poorly positioned or ugly looking. That was the case for me.
I noticed quite a handful of my neighbors use their fireplace.
I never used mines...except during the Sandy period....it was nice to heat up the LR area. I also have a Jacuzzi I never use..I assume these things add value to prospective buyers.
How would a gas fireplace work if you house got flooded? Serious question. Lets say your home got five feet of water, basement main floor etc. Would the gas fireplace that was underwater still work the next day.
My gas grill worked after it was underwater, I just had to use matches etc as the spark thing no longer worked, would that be the same for a gas fireplace?
How would a gas fireplace work if you house got flooded? Serious question. Lets say your home got five feet of water, basement main floor etc. Would the gas fireplace that was underwater still work the next day.
My gas grill worked after it was underwater, I just had to use matches etc as the spark thing no longer worked, would that be the same for a gas fireplace?
Every house, except for brand new constructions, has one. There are so many factors to take into account in finding the right place that it can't be the only thing. BTW, there must be at least one other person who agrees with me. See this column.
While I have nostalgic childhood memories as well, I knew I would never use one and I would prefer to have more storage, or wall space to put more shelves onto. Since I was/am planning to stay in this house for several decades, I didn't care about the resale value being affected by it, because the inconvenience of having to live with such a big thing in my house that I didn't want for 20-30 years wasn't worth the amount of extra money it would have in resale value. While it may be a plus for most people, and even a requirement for many, I reasoned that it wouldn't be as much of a deal-breaker to buyers as a bad kitchen or not enough bathrooms.
However, when I was house-hunting, I was disappointed to find that almost all houses in my area, new or old, had fireplaces. I ended up selecting one that had a fireplace after all, but it was one with a completely flat facade that was just a surround of tile on the floor and wall, with no mantel or other sticking-out parts. (Of course I picked the house for many other reasons, not just that, but it was definitely a selling point.)
I closed off the fireplace -- but that can be easily reopened by the next people if they so desire -- and placed a wall of shelving units in front of it. I had to shim up the shelving to make it even on the floor where it changed from the tile surround to the hardwood floor, but it was not a huge gap, perhaps 1/8". It's not noticeable, and the shelving is very stable.
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