By Teri Silver
Building a new home is an adventure. With so many options to consider, do you really need a chimney in a modern home? The short answer is no. Or yes. Or no, depending on the house design, heating system(s), and ambiance you’re going for.
If the house design includes a fireplace, you may — or may not — need a chimney.
Reasons for a Chimney
Chimneys arefluesor vertical ducts that allow passages for smoke, air, and gasses. A chimney draws combustible air out of the house — even if the home does not have a fireplace. Heating systems do need venting (but not necessarily by a chimney).
Beyond having functional value, chimneys are also thought to add to the outdoor aesthetics and charm of a house. Imagine dark green ivy vines crawling up a stately chimney!
Houses don’t necessarily require masonry chimneys but, at the very least, buildings need insulated stove pipes and holes in the roof.
Do No-Fireplace Homes Need Chimneys?
Houses that don’t have fireplaces still may have chimneys, especially if there are wood burning stoves built into the structure. Wood stoves are more than just decorative — they provide heat, especially in a small room. Many modern home models showcase wood burning stoves into classic architecture.
Propane and oil furnaces usually require a chimney to vent gasses and smoke. Many gas-heating appliances vent with exhaust pipes. Chimneys with large heating systems, boilers, and gas furnaces are recommended for safe venting.
Wood Burning Fireplace
Wood burning fireplaces are cozy and ideal for those who love the “outdoorsy” scent of campfires, and they’re great for snuggling up to on a cold winter’s night. Wood burning fireplaces are perfect for roasting marshmallows over the embers.
Do you want a wood-burning fireplace in your new home? Then yes, the house needs a chimney. When it comes to wood-burning fireplaces, masonry chimneys are safer than anything else.
Gas Burning Fireplace
Fireplaces using natural gas are cleaner sources of heat — no wood chips or flying embers. There are pros and cons with installing a natural gas fireplace. Two of the benefits are that they can be installed almost anywhere in the house and they look like wood-burning fireplaces, but without the smoke. Because you can easily turn the fireplace off and on with a flip of a switch (or tap of a cell phone app), it’s a convenient way to get the feeling of a “real” wooden fireplace. Builders can install a gas fireplace without a chimneybut the house still needs a venting system. Chimneys or stovepipes will usually work with gas-burning fireplaces.
If a “real” wood-burning fireplace isn’t in the cards, other types of fireplaces are available that do not need a chimney. Check out these options for your new-build home.
Ventless Gas Fireplace
Big airy rooms with high ceilings and lots of windows are best for ventless fireplaces. The benefit of a ventless fireplace is that it burns a small amount of gas. But there are safety issues with ventless systems because combustible gas byproducts (propane, ethane, butane, etc.) are floating around in the home. Not all homes are suitable for installing ventless gas fireplaces.
Electric Fireplaces
Electric fireplaces create the sense of a real fire by usingLED lighting or “realistic” video. Electric fireplaces often come with a built-in heater, giving off some warmth. The benefits of installing an electric fireplace in a modern home include affordability and that they stay cool when turned on. The negative? It’s not a real fireplace.
Water Vapor Fireplaces
Water vapor fireplaces do not need a chimney. They are visual three-dimensional pictures that look like fire, but are not. Water creates a misty flame-like image that reflects light. Water vapor fireplaces run on tap water and electricity.
Ethanol Fireplaces
Real flames shoot through this ventless fireplace, by using clean, alcohol-basedethanol. Ethanol fireplaces can be installed just about anywhere or set up as free-standing systems.
To chimney or not to chimney? That is the question –– but it’s an easy answer. If you opt for a no-fireplace or “fake” fireplace, you don’t need a chimney (as long as there is a good venting system built into the house).
But for woodburning and gas fireplaces — and that classic and cozy home look — gowith a chimney. However, always remember that fireplaces and chimneys need proper maintenance to work effectively, soprevent damage to your chimney and add chimney inspection to your annualhome improvement checklist.
Teri Silver is a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. She and her husband live on 5 acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm, a pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work! The best parts of the year are summer and fall when home-grown veggies are on the dinner table.