Which is Better Gas Logs or Firewood?

While, I love both types of fireplaces, traditional wood-burning or gas fireplace; each alternative has its positives and negatives. If you’re thinking of remodeling and you’re not sure whether you should install a traditional wood-burning fireplace or a gas fireplace here are some reasons why a gas fireplace that uses gas logs might be a better fit for you.

While all those great pictures of everyone getting cozy in front of the fireplace are heartwarming;  the pictures don’t show you all the work of getting firewood delivered to your house each year (or chopping it yourself), fireplace and chimney maintenance and so on. Installing gas logs means more time to enjoy your fireplace and less time chopping and stacking firewood or cleaning up ashes and debris every time you use the fireplace.

If you have pets, kids, or you don’t have that much living space then gas logs might be more convenient. When you burn wood, special attention has to be paid so that pets and children don’t get too close. It’s always preferable that a wood-burning fireplace have fireplace doors or screens to ensure that people and pets don’t get too close. You also have to consider that real logs may produce flying sparks which can come into contact with nearby objects.  The advantage of gas logs is that they produce a low flame and put less matter into the air when burned.

And if you are concerned about environmental consequences gas logs are more environmentally friendly than burning firewood.  Burning firewood produces a particulate matter which pollutes the air as well as creating a thick tar in the interior chimney walls.  You don’t have this problem with gas logs since they burn propane or natural gas.  Gas burning fireplaces and stoves have significantly lower levels of particulate emissions than wood and pellet appliances; reducing air pollution in your home, area, and community.

While some people feel that wood is a more environmentally friendly fuel source, because it is a renewable resource, gas has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than wood. Burning wood contributes to greenhouse gases and many of the environmental issues associated with global warming. Unlike wood, natural gas is clean burning and does little to affect air quality.

Sometimes it comes down to dollars and cents. Gas logs are a cheaper alternative to burning firewood once you take into account all of the time and money spent on wood and cleaning up the leftover debris. Within a couple of years, a gas fireplace practically pays for itself.

Gas logs come in a variety of sizes and styles and at PCS we carry or have access to most of them including Heatilator the leading manufacturers of gas logs. And you can even choose the type of wood you want your gas logs to look like. PCS, your Houston wood-burning and gas fireplace experts!