Fireplace Installation near you

The choice usually depends on what the house already has, such as a masonry chimney, a gas line or neither, and on whether you want real heat or mostly the look of a fire.

Health Canada warns that wood smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, cause headaches and make asthma and other breathing problems worse. It advises choosing appliances certified to the CSA standard or by the US EPA, because certified models give off fewer harmful particles and use wood more efficiently than uncertified ones. In Montreal, certification by the EPA or to CSA B415.1-10 is part of the legal requirement.

How you burn matters as much as what you buy. Health Canada recommends dry, seasoned wood that has been cut, split and stacked in a dry place for at least 6 months, and never burning garbage, cardboard, painted or treated wood, driftwood, plywood or particle board.

Montreal's by-law covers stoves and fireplaces that burn wood logs or other solid fuels such as eco-logs, pellets or coal, and the city summarizes its main rules as listed below. Other municipalities set their own rules, which may include permits or limits on wood-burning, so check with your city before buying and keep the appliance's certification label and documents.

The installer starts with a site visit to see where the appliance can go and how it will vent. A wood stove or insert needs a chimney suited to the appliance, which often means a stainless-steel liner in an existing masonry chimney; if the chimney itself needs work, see our chimney repair page. Distances to walls, floors and furniture, floor protection and the vent layout follow the manufacturer's installation instructions and the building code, and the installer should be able to show you where each requirement comes from.

A gas fireplace must be installed and connected by a licensed gas technician: in Ontario, through a fuels contractor registered with the TSSA, and in Quebec, through a contractor holding the appropriate RBQ licence. Natural Resources Canada notes that a permit is required in most areas, and that vent-free gas fireplaces, which release their combustion gases into the room, are not approved for use in Canada.

For wood-burning appliances, home insurers often ask for an inspection by a technician trained through WETT, the Wood Energy Technology Transfer program, and want to be told about the new appliance. Call your insurer before the work so you know which documents they will need.

Any appliance that burns wood or gas can produce carbon monoxide if the chimney is blocked, the draft is poor or the vent is damaged. Health Canada advises installing smoke alarms and at least one carbon monoxide alarm in a home that burns wood, and Natural Resources Canada suggests a carbon monoxide alarm near a gas fireplace that isn't a sealed direct-vent model. Test the alarms regularly, keep a fire extinguisher nearby, never leave a fire unattended and don't close the damper while embers are still glowing. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the house and call 9-1-1 from outside.

Health Canada recommends having a wood-burning appliance inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year and cleaning the chimney and flues regularly, following the manufacturer's instructions; our chimney cleaning page covers sweeping. Natural Resources Canada advises having a gas fireplace inspected before its first use and serviced regularly after that. Electric units need little more than dusting and a check of the cord and outlet.