Factory Built Wood Burning Fireplaces

Factory built wood burning fireplaces first came on the market in the 1970s. The cost of a masonry chimney had gotten extremely expensive.

Since no one knew how they would perform in the long term, they were built like tanks… at least for a few years.

Today's factory built wood burning fireplaces are available in a wide range of sizes and interior looks. From this point on in this I will refer to it as a prefab. A prefab can range in fireplace opening size from 30" to 50" and are available in a wide range of fireplace heights.

Unless you have a custom home or purchased your fireplace from a specialty fireplace retailer, you probably have what is called a builder model prefab fireplace. 



You may ask… what is the difference between a builder model prefab fireplace and a specialty prefab fireplace?

Builder model prefab fireplaces typically have a actual opening that is about 4 in less in total than the black part of the fireplace that shows behind your surrounding material. In other words, many 36-in fireplaces have an actual opening of around 32 in. Also, builder model fireplaces usually do not have much height to them. Most of them have a height opening around 14 ½"to 19". The interior brick panels will usually be a whitish color. Also the quality of the damper assembly, grate, screen mesh, brick panels and thickness of sheet metal are just enough to pass the UL tests for safety. You can expect a builder model fireplace to last less time than a specialty prefab fireplace.

In contrast to a builder model prefab, a specialty prefab will feature an opening that is true to the name of the fireplace. They will have a true 36-50 in opening. The height of the fireplace will be dramatically higher than a builder model fireplace. This alone makes the fireplace look much more realistic. A typical brick chimney fireplace will have a height around 28 to 30 in tall. Specialty prefabs also usually have higher quality components and a choice of brick panels. Many times you can choose from standard stacked brick, herringbone brick or a colored fire brick. The grate will be of much better quality than a builder model fireplace and will last much longer. A larger specialty fireplace is always a good choice (36" to 42").

Factory built fireplaces are very affordable versus a true masonry or modular masonry fireplace. For instance, today the standard brick fireplace chimney will cost around $30,000.00. It will require digging down into the Earth two to five feet for a proper foundation. They are very heavy structures. 

Prefabs, both builder model and specialty units, do not require special foundations typically. This can change if you choose a real stone or brick profile on the fireplace. Not including the surround, installation of a factory built fireplace will cost around $10,000 to $18,000.

Both types of fireplaces are increasing in price at a rate that I have never seen before. Price increases are currently rising about every 90-180 days.

When choosing a prefab fireplace here are a few things you need to consider:

• How often will you use your fireplace?
• Are you going to burn wood or a gas appliance?
• Is the fireplace a focal point of the home?
• Do you want a small or large fireplace?
• How long will you be living in the home?

We almost always suggest that when building a home, if it is within your budget, to purchase a specialty fireplace. As mentioned above, they are built better. If you think you will not use your fireplace much, a builder model fireplace is extremely affordable.

Another thing to consider is if you plan on installing a gas product in your fireplace. Most builders as well as most people are not aware that some fireplaces are not allowed to have vent free gas logs installed in them. It will say in the fireplace manual and on the label that is attached to the fireplace what gas appliances can be installed in it. Many people find that after a year or so their fireplace is just not producing the amount of heat they would like. If you were fortunate enough to have installed a specialty prefab, you have many more choices on the different gas appliances that are available. As I mentioned before, builder model fireplaces have an actual opening size less than the size they were advertised at. Most builder model 36"the prefab fireplaces will only allow for an 18-in gas log set. Conversely, a specialty 36-in fireplace can usually handle a 24-in gas log set. Additionally, you may find over time that your fireplace is not producing the amount of heat that you would like and you could be averse to the odors from vent free or just not like the product. If you purchased a specialty 36 in prefab you can also install a direct vent gas insert inside your fireplace. Direct vent gas inserts are heating machines.

If the fireplace is going to be the focal point of your home, you definitely will want to select a specialty fireplace with a tall height. Some people want to make their fireplace look like a masonry fireplace with real fire brick inside the unit. There are several specialty prefab fireplaces that offer real brick panels for the inside of the fireplace. The only way that you can tell it is not a real masonry fireplace is by looking up the damper and seeing if it has a metal pipe.

Let me conclude by mentioning that both builder prefads and specialty prefabs are available in stainless steel for damp or high humidity areas. Unfortunately, in our area, many contractors install interior fireplaces on an outside patio, deck or balcony. This is a bad idea. In Alabama and Georgia we have very humid weather. Even if the patio, deck or balcony is covered, we recommend a stainless steel model for the fireplace. A standard fireplace will rust if placed out of a conditioned environment.

I hope this article helped you understand more about prefab fireplaces.

Stay safe and warm.