There was a time when nearly everyone had some sort of chimney, but those days are long gone. Now days most homes don't have actual chimneys, so there had to be a new type of fire place, which is known as a zero clearance fire places. This sounds very high tech and futuristic, but in fact it's actually a very simple concept.
Granted you will probably need to call on a professional to have it done, but essentially the zero clearance fireplace is just a fireplace that literally allows you to shim directly to the wall allowing no clearance between itself and the wall. In addition to that, it has another feature that many people are going to find rather useful.
The zero clearance fireplace has the ability to provide a home with a roaring fire without the use of a chimney. That's right, this fireplace can hook directly into the house's ventilation system allowing the smoke to escape without being built up within the chimney. If you don't have a chimney then you can obviously see the benefits of installing something like this!
You can much sooner dry you by such a fire as you can make in the woods than in anybody’s kitchen, the fireplace is so much larger, and wood so much more abundant.
— Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
One of the cool parts about this is that you can move the fireplace anywhere you want in the home. This is definitely a great move for the woodburning fireplaces, and remember that while the fireplace looks permanent, you can move it anytime you want, anywhere you want, with no issue whatsoever.
Though you might be able to get yourself a zero clearance fireplace at a discount, you're going to find that for the most part these are incredibly expensive. They can run from $500 to $3000, depending on what model you decide to purchase.
One of the best that you can purchase is the Napoleon BGD42CFN. This is a great zero clearance fireplace that has reflective panels and is able to create four great fires in the huge fireplace. This model costs around $2000 and you can expect years of great service from it.
Any one who knows what the worth of family affection is among the lower classes, and who has seen the array of little portraits stuck over a labourer’s fireplace ... will perhaps feel with me that in counteracting the tendencies, social and industrial, which every day are sapping the healthier family affections, the sixpenny photograph is doing more for the poor than all the philanthropists in the world.
— Macmillan’s Magazine (London, September 1871)
It is unfortunate that the days of the roaring fire are pretty much gone, but it's not a horrible thing, because now your chimney won't be stationary, and you can place it wherever you feel like it. You could probably even put it outside the house if you really wanted to, but why would you want to?
Now that you know you can experience the warmth and glow of a great fireplace without having to abuild a big red chimney, you'll probably be wanting to get one, and who can blame you? Look online for great deals, or head over to your home improvement store to get information on a great zero clearance fireplace.