¶ … Gas-Burning and Wood-Burning Fireplaces Now that colder weather is bearing down, many people are turning to their fireplaces for warmth and comfort, as they have done for centuries. But while building a fire was once a necessary skill to achieve the glowing warmth of a blaze in the fireplace, modern technology has now made creating a roaring fire as easy as flipping a switch. Homeowners now have the choice between gas-burning and wood-burning fireplaces in their homes, but what are the differences between the two and is there a clear advantage of one over the other?

The essential difference between the two is obvious: the material used to build the fire. Wood-burning fireplaces rely on cured fire logs and kindling, whereas gas fireplaces are filled with fake logs and rely on a connection to a gas line for burning fuel.

Because of the difference between the burning materials, the construction of wood-burning and gas-burning fireplaces is quite different. Because of the combustible gases and smoke created by burning wood, wood-burning fireplaces require direct venting through a vertical chimney constructed of strong, thick, and sealed fireproof material. For that reason, wood burning fireplaces are often a major piece of construction, and are general included in the instruction of the building itself. Gas-burning fireplaces, on the other hand, do not produce nearly as much combustible by-products. Though they still need some ventilation, more options are available for...

For this reason, it is often easier to retrofit an existing building with a gas fireplace rather than a wood-burning one.
Another key difference is the process involved in lighting the fire in each of these fireplaces. Wood-burning fireplaces require a bit of skill and effort to successfully start a fire. One must have the proper logs and kindling on hand, as well as some means of ignition like a match or lighter. One must also know how to assemble the kindling and logs so as to achieve the proper balance of fuel and oxygen circulation. The process of building a wood-burning fire can often take quite a while, and success is not always guaranteed. A gas-fireplace, on the other hand, takes very little effort to light. The gas line is connected to a pilot light, which is often regulated by a lever or a switch. Lighting the fire can be as easy a flipping this switch.

It is also much easier to regulate the strength of the fire in a gas fireplace as opposed to a wood-burning fireplace. Controlling a wood-burning fire involves either adding wood or manipulating the airflow around the fire. In order to extinguish a wood fire, one must either wait for it to die out or dampen it with sand, ash, or water. Gas fires, however, are regulated by a dial which controls the flow of gas into the fireplace. Getting a bigger or smaller fire involves merely turning a dial, and extinguishing the fire can be…