My house has two real fireplaces and one fake gas log type one. I don’t use any of them. I’ve heard that burning wood in a fireplace actually cools the house through venting, even though it’s warmer right in front of the fireplace. Does the quality of the wood change that equation?
I don’t know if the type of wood changes the equation but a blower insert cuts down much of the heat loss. Also, some chimney designs have baffles and what-not to stop the warm air being sucked directly out of your chimney.
I had a blower in my last house, and on the coldest Michigan days I could leave the thermostat at 50 and with the bedroom doors closed, the main part of the house stayed toasty with a fire. Most hardwood burns slow and hot, so it was quite economical. That was a real small house though and it sounds like yours is larger, and possibly with vaulted ceilings or an open floor plan?
An ordinary fireplace lets house heat out through the open flue. A wood-burning stove or the fireplace insert I have are designed to maximize the heat from the burning wood.
We have a Napoleon wood stove insert. It can heat the whole house if we need it to. The SO won’t let me use the blower because she says it gets too warm in here. Of course, it’s different from a fireplace.
Glad to hear I’m not getting ripped off in the price. I spoke to the ones paying half of what I am and it turns out their guys are more the guys who clean up trees knocked down and just have random whatever, and my guy has a full business complete with a seasoning lot. He will also be happy to sell you specific specialty wood in addition to his standard firewood. All is seasoned at least a year and more often two.
I was also surprised that the few who complained were concerned with the smoke and breathing issues. The people I spoke to were more concerned with the ash, bark droppings, etc in their homes and a bit by the smell inside. Almost every home around here has at least one fireplace, but the debate was more gas v. wood (I am strongly in the wood camp). I’ve got three kids, two dogs and a good vacuum… do you really think I’m concerned with a little wood scrap on my hearth for a day? Plus I love the smell.
Got home today to find my “dump” of wood neatly stacked by my two teen aged sons. Coincidence that that both had places to go tonight and needed a car and some cash?
Burned a bit last night and just started a fire a few minutes ago. The Locust takes a bit to get going but then burns beautifully.
Yeah, price you paid is very appropriate around here–$125 stacked, most guys around here charge $115 for a half cord and $25 for stacking, so you paid less than that overall.
I love a fireplace, but it is mostly ambiance for me. If you want to actually heat a home with a wood fire you need something better than the typical fireplace that’s really designed more for decoration and to make the room you’re in a bit warmer. That might mean a wood burning stove, or may just mean one of the inserts mentioned above that can make efficient use of the heat put off by the fire.
I love, love, love sitting by and tending a fire. I mostly do it outside with one of those fire pan things, out in the driveway. My current house has a fireplace in the living room but I’m not sure it’s safe to use and it doesn’t have good doors so as the fire burns down it starts sucking heat out of the house long before it’s safe to close the flue.
I don’t buy wood, I have a patch of woods across the street with a bunch of dead ash trees and other fallen trees so I’m in good shape firewood wise. I actually enjoy splitting it by hand.
A lot depends on how your fireplace is set up, what inserts are in your fireplace, and if you can isolate that room from the rest of the house.
A fire-pit in the backyard is an amazing thing; works for the person reading solo as well as the person who has run a plasma TV to their shed, has cut out one wall of it into a bar, has a keg-cooler refrigerator stocked and powered-up, and has all-weather bar stools for each of the neighbors. Makes Monday Night & Thursday Night football down-right Fun. 
A living room fireplace is fun on those snowed-in days when you have power, but no cable & the roads are closed. Its good for books, snacks, and rediscovering your love for your old Nintendo game systems. 
Generator. TV, cable, Internet, light. 
I collect and split my own, and I’ll tell ya, I don’t know how anybody can make a living in that business. Lots of hard work. The price you paid seems reasonable.