Removing fireplaces - worth it?

[jeromedawg]

So we're in SoCal and there's really very little need to ever use our gas-starter/wood-burning fireplaces (yea, plural... we have TWO lol). Do you guys think it's worth it to remove one or both fireplaces? Is it a "value-add" in any way particularly if you're in a warmer climate where these aren't really necessary? I don't know why they have TWO fireplaces in the floor plan, of all things to have multiples of hahaha.

[Dancin'Dog]

Sounds like a lot of work for very little return.  Don't you already have a long list of repairs to do?  After you finish those I bet the idea of knocking out all the brick & masonry, then hauling it all away, then cleaning up, then filling in the hole in the wall & floor, with drywall, flooring & trim, then painting, and then cleaning up again....won't seem like such a good idea.  Besides the labor, how much would it cost?




I'm pretty sure fireplaces are considered a valuable architectural feature.  I agree you probably don't need two of them.  You can brag about them and/or joke about them.  What kind'a big shot needs 2 fireplace in SoCal? 





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[jeromedawg]

Sounds like a lot of work for very little return.  Don't you already have a long list of repairs to do?  After you finish those I bet the idea of knocking out all the brick & masonry, then hauling it all away, then cleaning up, then filling in the hole in the wall & floor, with drywall, flooring & trim, then painting, and then cleaning up again....won't seem like such a good idea.  Besides the labor, how much would it cost?




I'm pretty sure fireplaces are considered a valuable architectural feature.  I agree you probably don't need two of them.  You can brag about them and/or joke about them.  What kind'a big shot needs 2 fireplace in SoCal? 





[size=78%] [/size]

Yea, that was my thought. It just crossed our minds as we were considering future improvements and remodeling (beyond existing repairs that we have to take care of). In one room that has a sunken floor, we were talking about filling it in and raising it so it's level with the rest of the place. The sunken floor is a tripping hazard and already my mom tripped and bruised her knee while visiting. I think my MIL also may have done the same thing. I'm not sure how much it would cost to remove a fireplace.

[nereo]

Removal isn’t terribly hard or time consuming - two people can do it over a weekend without much more than some sledges and a chipping hammer.  What’s  the bigger challenge is filling in all the holes and making it seem “like it was never there”. That take some carpentry skills and a lot more time.

We removed our chimney in two stages - first below roof line and then all the way into the basement.  The reason we removed it was because they are a big energy leak and we were no longer using ours (it had previously been the chase for a boiler, but no longer). We also were able to 'gain' enough space in the kitchen for another 30" cabinet and double the size of our daughter's closet - both areas were space was at a premium. 

The removal was the easy part.

[Uturn]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas.  My first house had a wood burning fireplace.  I was still in my 20's and in that time of life where someone would call and say, "Uturn, we are all at <some place> come over."  And I couldn't because I just started a fire.  Anywhere I lived after that had gas, which is convenient but the bill definitely showed when I used the fireplace. 

My last house, in TX, I can recall using it maybe 4 times in 12 years.  I thought about removing it when I had the roof replaced, but between the cost of the plumber for the gas line, extra cost to the roofer to fill the hole, then having the wall filled in, it was too much and I just ignored the fireplace.

My current house in NC has a rather small living room and there really isn't a good way to arrange the furniture around the fireplace.  Luckily it has a hearth level with the floor, so the couch sits in front of the fireplace.  I'm again toying with the idea of removing it. 

[ChpBstrd]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

[Greystache]

I too, live in SoCal and also bought a house with two fireplaces. Both were wood burning with gas starters.  One was brick and the other was "Catalina stone" which is a brown and beige rock that I found absolutely ugly.  Instead of removing the stone, I built an enclosure around it and finished the new enclosure with tile. I put glass doors over the opening and have never used it since. I thought this was easier than removal and probably better for resale value.  In the other fireplace, I put in a gas insert. I use it for additional heat a couple times a year.

[Dancin'Dog]

We recently bought what's commonly referred to as a McMansion.  It's loaded with design features that give you the feel of something impressive, but a number of them aren't as functional as they should be.  (We didn't really need or want this type of house, but when we began house hunting it quickly became obvious that the home that you "really want" isn't for sale, so all the compromises must be weighed.) 


In a couple of rooms there are just too many windows, I guess because they're pretty, but they're placed too close to a corner which makes drapery placement awkward.  Another thing that bugs me, from one step inside the main entrance you can see directly into the master bedroom to the left, and to the right you can see directly into a guest bath, if their doors are left opened.  Oh, and that view of the guest bath is through the dining room, which has no doors from either side. 
Then, of course it has a the super steep roof that is unwalkable and a huge attic that could house another family.  (As a kid I'd have loved playing & exploring up there.) 


Those are just some of the little things that bug me, but overall it's a beautiful home that we feel really fortunate to have.  I'm sure even if we'd worked with an architect and built a home it would still have some things that ended up being a "little off". 


We purchased it in 2019, so it's definitely been a great investment.  No complaints about that.  :)

[Dee_the_third]

Gosh, I was just reminded that the house I grew up in (in the hot part of California, mind you) had TWO gas fireplaces. Why?? We literally never used them in the 20 years we lived in that house. The paper instruction manuals stayed on top of the burners.

Anyways OP, the painted fireplace is kind of en vogue right now, if they're brick. Otherwise use it to display decorative objects.

[nereo]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

AKA - Architectural Skeuomorphism!  One of my favorite things to hate!

Shutters that can't shut. Columns that aren't load-bearing. Covered porches too narrow to be functional.

[Sandi_k]

I grew up in SoCal, and our house had two fireplaces as well. A couple of notes:

1) They are great for Christmas so you have a place to put stockings. Seriously.

2) CA has now outlawed wood burning fireplaces in new construction. So tearing it out means it's permanent, as no permits could be issued to repair or replace it once removed.

3) We actually used our wood-burning fireplace quite a lot the first year, when the heater went out, and it took two weeks to get parts during the holidays.

4) Some folks don't share your disdain. My DH made a wood burning fireplace a MUST HAVE on our house-hunting list.

All this to say - I would update the facade, but I wouldn't go to the trouble of tearing it out.

[lthenderson]

I require a wood burning fireplace for any house I own. This house had a wood fireplace that the previous owners butchered the brick surround to stuff in a cheap looking gas log fireplace which forced me to go through a lot of effort and expense to convert it back to wood. We love the ambiance during the winter months and spend lots of time in the room where it is located downstairs. Occasionally it has come in handy during power outages in the winter so I don't have to mess with generators to keep pipes from freezing.

California is a different state but I'm guessing there are a segment of the population that still would love to have one in their home and by tearing it out, you are reducing your market exposure when you go to sell your house.

[Villanelle]

I doubt your home will be worth more without them, so if that is the reason for removal, I'd skip it.  And even though they aren't functional, some people love a fireplace, even in a warm climate, so they may actually add value.   But I can't see anyone really seeing a fireplace as a meaningful negative, so it seems removing them could lose value or make you less desirable, and keeping them might make you more desirable.    At worst, they will just ignore them like you do. 

[beekayworld]

I live in Southern California and put an electric fake fireplace insert into the fireplace.  It has one setting that generates the look of flames but doesn't generate heat. It gives a wonderful ambiance.

The funny thing is that when I first moved here from Dallas I searched for a home with a view within a certain radius of my kids and a price range and had so many hits that I narrowed it down with some "nice to haves" like jetted bath tub and fireplace.  In Dallas I had used the fireplace a lot.  Especially when we had power outages.

While going over the check list (this was a rental), I couldn't the A.C. to turn on (this was January. I was just checking everything).  I called the leasing agent and told her. She said "You don't have air conditioning." I was floored!! It never dawned on me that AC was a "nice to have".  At this price point, and well below, any house in Dallas would have had air conditioning.

The point is that having a fireplace may appeal to future buyers coming in from other states and do not quite understand the climate yet.

It's not a big negative, but only a positive or neutral.  Unlike a swimming pool that is a must-have for some and an absolutely-not for others.

[BudgetSlasher]

I grew up on FL and there were plenty of fireplaces that. Either never used or used once or twice a year like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In a warm climate I would not hesitate to remove one, but only it there was a benefit for me now. Removal to improve resale probably won't do much and will not be worth the time/cost.

But I would take the time to seal off the chimney if they were not in use. I have a fireplace right now that I do not use and I have put a piece of rigid foam at the top of the firebox and sealed with with some peel-n-seal to the fire brick. I am in a climate that you can use a fireplace, they placed one in the master bedroom and if you light a fire in there it gets too hot. I have a plan to one day install an electric fireplace in the opening.

[cchrissyy]

i agree with keeping it for looks

in my area, tall brick chimneys are an earthquake risk and some people with nonfunctional fireplaces remove the section above the roofline for safety, keeping the part inside the house that looks nice.

[Hadilly]

We removed a corner fireplace. Our living room has many doorways. The corner fireplace always made furniture placement a talent. We did it when we were also replacing the floor. I believe it cost about $6000 to have it taken away and then the ceiling and walls sheet rocked, primed, and painted.

For us, it was well worth it to gain for 25 ft.² of floor space.

[sonofsven]

Yes. Knock the chimneys down strategically and you could bust up your driveway and pre soften your ground for trenching. Maybe even take out your electrical panel!

[FLBiker]

Wow, it's wild to me that houses in California have a fireplace (or two).  We moved from Florida (no fireplace) to Nova Scotia (still no fireplace).  We have a pellet stove, which I really like, but I am tempted by a wood stove (for a hypothetical power outage).  We haven't lost power for any meaningful amount of time in the 2 years we've been here, though, so I haven't pursued it.  I did get a UPS for the pellet stove, though, so that we can shut it down properly in case we do lose power.

My favorite plan (admittedly a bit odd) is to convert our beautiful shed (wood framed, vinyl siding, windows, french doors) into an insulated cabin with a small wood stove.  I really like the idea (DW is on the fence) but I currently lack both the time and the skills to pull it off.  One for once I've down-shifted, perhaps.

[TomTX]

Yea, that was my thought. It just crossed our minds as we were considering future improvements and remodeling (beyond existing repairs that we have to take care of). In one room that has a sunken floor, we were talking about filling it in and raising it so it's level with the rest of the place. The sunken floor is a tripping hazard and already my mom tripped and bruised her knee while visiting. I think my MIL also may have done the same thing. I'm not sure how much it would cost to remove a fireplace.

Sounds like a perfect place to dump the broken brick and mortar from fireplace removal, then pour concrete to fill the gaps between the rubble fill and level it off!

[Malum Prohibitum]

2) CA has now outlawed wood burning fireplaces in new construction. So tearing it out means it's permanent, as no permits could be issued to repair or replace it once removed.

Wow.  Even for houses up in the mountains that get snow?

[iris lily]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

I have resisted the urge—so far—to put up ornamental shutters on my 1941 cottage because I know how fake they are. I moved from an historic district where the shutters were real although they were usually affixed as open, but they had to be affixed to the house with working hardware.

What about the plastic nostalgic fake window muntins? Ugh, my cute cottage has those, new windows throughout. Probably they replace double hung windows.

[BudgetSlasher]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

I have resisted the urge—so far—to put up ornamental shutters on my 1941 cottage because I know how fake they are. I moved from an historic district where the shutters were real although they were usually affixed as open, but they had to be affixed to the house with working hardware.

What about the plastic nostalgic fake window muntins? Ugh, my cute cottage has those, new windows throughout. Probably they replace double hung windows.

I love the fake shutters that installed upside down.

[Dicey]

We've done it. I have more thoughts than time today, so I'll be back later. The biggest question IMO is addressing how you will patch the hole in your roof.

[nereo]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

I have resisted the urge—so far—to put up ornamental shutters on my 1941 cottage because I know how fake they are. I moved from an historic district where the shutters were real although they were usually affixed as open, but they had to be affixed to the house with working hardware.

What about the plastic nostalgic fake window muntins? Ugh, my cute cottage has those, new windows throughout. Probably they replace double hung windows.

I hate skeumorphic carry-overs in architecture.  Fake shutters are the worst offender, as are the window munitions.
https://thecraftsmanblog.com/why-fake-shutters-make-me-angry/

[iris lily]

I have never really understood why fireplaces are so common in warm areas. 

Residential architecture is full of various "nostalgic" but not-really-functional things that waste our money.

How about those plastic fake window shutters that are tacked onto homes everywhere? They don't have any function but to recall a time before air conditioning and window screens were invented! Strangely, no one who remembers such times is alive, but there they are!

How about lawns, which are supposed to be miniature farms for the residents to mow and weed and water and fertilize? No suburbanite is a farmer and grass has no utility without livestock to graze on it, but the majority of most suburban real estate is devoted to this look. The backyard functions as a vestigal animal pen for sheep, goats, or chickens - and our dogs have become stand-ins for these productive animals. 

Many newer homes have front porches, but these aren't functional front porches where you could hang a porch swing and drink an iced tea with the neighbors. These vestigal front porches are only two to four feet wide, not six to eight feet wide like a real porch. They're nearly useless - essentially a covered sidewalk to nowhere or a place to put seasonal decor. They're supposed to be a postmodern architectural tie back to the victorian, arts and crafts, or craftsman styles, but if you like those styles why not just build them?

I have resisted the urge—so far—to put up ornamental shutters on my 1941 cottage because I know how fake they are. I moved from an historic district where the shutters were real although they were usually affixed as open, but they had to be affixed to the house with working hardware.

What about the plastic nostalgic fake window muntins? Ugh, my cute cottage has those, new windows throughout. Probably they replace double hung windows.

I hate skeumorphic carry-overs in architecture.  Fake shutters are the worst offender, as are the window munitions.
https://thecraftsmanblog.com/why-fake-shutters-make-me-angry/

I’m sitting here in my hundred-year-old condo in the city happy that I have original double hung windows with weights. Oh I have real plaster on the walls too.

My other houses have been gutted and rehabbed and yes they are somewhat handier as far as electric plugs go and plumbing systems that will not fail,  but neither did they have original windows, plaster, etc.

[TomTX]

2) CA has now outlawed wood burning fireplaces in new construction. So tearing it out means it's permanent, as no permits could be issued to repair or replace it once removed.

Wow.  Even for houses up in the mountains that get snow?

It appears that the ban is regional, not statewide.

[JupiterGreen]

So we're in SoCal and there's really very little need to ever use our gas-starter/wood-burning fireplaces (yea, plural... we have TWO lol). Do you guys think it's worth it to remove one or both fireplaces? Is it a "value-add" in any way particularly if you're in a warmer climate where these aren't really necessary? I don't know why they have TWO fireplaces in the floor plan, of all things to have multiples of hahaha.

Yeah I agree, that is strange to have 2 especially in CA. This is personal, but I LOVE a fireplace and am glad we have one even though we live in a warmish area. If you don't want the hazard/smoke you can get those fake fires that actually look really good and are cozy or go with candles if you don't mind flame, don't underestimate the ambiance (even fake fire) can bring to an evening.

I'm not surprised that as @TomTX said they are being outlawed in CA with all the wildfires, so would that make them more or less valuable from a real estate perspective? Obviously all that is worth considering from a financial point of view. I don't see any detail regarding where they are located in your home, but if it makes sense you could always superficially cover them with a lower cost solution like a screen or even drywall rather than remove them (and then they could be revealed by future owners if they wanted).

[NorCal]

2) CA has now outlawed wood burning fireplaces in new construction. So tearing it out means it's permanent, as no permits could be issued to repair or replace it once removed.

Wow.  Even for houses up in the mountains that get snow?

It appears that the ban is regional, not statewide.

My recollection from living in CA 5 years ago is that the ban is based on whether the particulate matter would influence the air quality of areas with severely bad air quality. This included LA, the Central Valley, and anything west of the Central Valley where the smoke would blow into the Central Valley.

[Sandi_k]

2) CA has now outlawed wood burning fireplaces in new construction. So tearing it out means it's permanent, as no permits could be issued to repair or replace it once removed.

Wow.  Even for houses up in the mountains that get snow?

It appears that the ban is regional, not statewide.

My recollection from living in CA 5 years ago is that the ban is based on whether the particulate matter would influence the air quality of areas with severely bad air quality. This included LA, the Central Valley, and anything west of the Central Valley where the smoke would blow into the Central Valley.

Also the Bay Area.

[GuitarStv]

You don't need to remove it.  Just block up the flue with insulation and you don't have to worry about air from outside leaking into your home.

[nereo]

You don't need to remove it.  Just block up the flue with insulation and you don't have to worry about air from outside leaking into your home.

Sorta/kinda/not-really.
Air infiltration from the chimney comes in a few forms.  There's the obvious - air coming down the flue and into your home.  That can be solved by stuffing it with insulation, but you can't (or shouldn't) do a complete air-sealing this way (e.g. rigid foam plus + spray foam, like you might do with rim joists0 unless you are capping the top of your chimney, as some precipitation and condensation will find its way into the chimney and pool inside your now dammed-up flue.

But in addition to the air coming down the flue, there's also a lot of air infiltration which happens along the chase of the chimney itself.  In most homes you'll have the chimney poking through the roof into an unconditioned attic space (which seems to be the OP's situation), and then the brick chimney carries down through multiple floors into the basement.   The sealing of the chimney at the roofline is generally good until it's not (and you'll know when your roof starts leaking).  But the sealing between floors is rarely good, and unless your house was build with green building standards it's common for the chimney to intentionally have an air gap all around.