A Fireplace For Your Cottage Basement

Is your basement in your cottage or chalet feel damp and cold. Does it feel like no matter how many heaters you put down there you just can't get it to feel more comfortable? Do you worry about people having to sleep down there because their always cold and uncomfortable?

Well there is probably a lot of reasons for this and to fix it right you will need a major renovation that takes time and a lot of money.

Now if you don't have the money or the time to do that type of major renovation right now then there is one thing that could help in the short term, something that will make your basement feel more comfortable while you save up for your major renovation.

You can add a fireplace in the basement.

Now you can't simply put any kind of fireplace in the basement. The simplest kind of fireplace to install with the simplest chimney venting is a gas fireplace.

Gas fireplace venting doesn't have to rise up and out of the roof of the building like a typical fireplace, gas venting can go out the side wall near the unit as long as it ends up being a couple of feet above the finished grade outside.

To make the installation of the gas fireplace simpler you can have a stand alone gas stove installed. This kind of fireplace does not require you to do anything to the walls or floors around it. It can actually be placed anywhere in the room and be perfectly safe.

Gas fireplaces work on remotes that have built in temperature gauges, that means that they work just like your furnace. You set the temperature and the fireplace will regulate itself to that temperature (if left on), your basement is turned into a space that has a regulated temperature that is warmer and more comfortable. It also gives a focal point to the basement, a gathering point where people want to be together. They come with built in fans to help push the warm air around the room as well.

If you have other problems like leaking foundations or flooding problems in the basement then this won't fix your problems and that should be addressed first, but if it's just a simply problem of a cold and damp basement then a fireplace could be an easy fix.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.