A fireplace is an opening in a wall that connects to a chimney. Generally if you are having a new home built, you would want a fireplace. An insert is essentially a box that fits into an existing fireplace. It allows you to dramatically reduce the drafts of an open fireplace as well as increase the efficiency or convert from burning wood to gas fairly easily.

Fireplace Masters sells & installs fireplaces for wood and gas fuel sources.  All of our gas fireplaces are shipped  standard for natural gas, but if you have liquid propane (LP) at your residence a conversion kit can be purchased to use LP.

It is important to know where you would like the fireplace installed when you begin the shopping process.  If you have an existing wood burning fireplace that you want to convert to gas, you will be looking for an fireplace insert.  If you do not have a wood burning fireplace currently, you will be shopping for a zero-clearance gas fireplace, these provide options for installation on flat walls, in corners, elevated, etc.

Zero clearance is a term used to explain how close the fireplace can be to combustible material (framing etc).  It doesn’t necessarily mean the firebox itself, it could be zero clearance from the standoff.  Many fireplaces have a standoff, which is a distance needed before you can have combustible material installed.

Radiant heat is the heat you feel coming off the front of the glass. Another way of thinking about radiant heat is that is what you feel from the sun on a sunny day.

Convective heat is the warmth you feel when the fans are running pushing air out the top of the grill or louver.  A example of convective heat is say, a hair dryer.