I have lived in several homes with woodburning fireplaces/stoves.

My #1 piece of advice: put the fireplace on an exterior wall next to an exterior door. This will permit an exterior ash disposal hatch on the chimney and much closer access for carrying in wood.

My #2 piece of advice: Note to self - never again live in a house with a wood burner in my living space. What a PITA.

Your mileage may vary on piece #2, of course.

Redesign the ensuite. It needs it anyway.

I agree with bpath - there are all kinds of ways to improve the layout of the ensuite and allow space for the flu. I think the entire layout of the master suite and bedroom #2 needs a redesign. With all of that space there’s no reason for the two bedrooms to share a wall.

If you’re interested in alternate layout suggestions, please provide the dimensions of the master suite and bedroom #2, including all of the closets.

How would a chimney work in a half wall?

Are you working with an architect or is this a tract house? I ask because I see so much that could be improved even before worrying about a wood burning fireplace.

We actually love the layout of the ensuite. the bedroom sharing that wall will be a nursery so the closeness will be convenient (when the child grows it will be the spare room).

The half wall is a nib wall so floor to celing height but not overly wide. The design is Atlanta 48 from Coral Homes.

I see other issues more important than the FP one you need to talk to the company you are getting the FP from that and your architect are who gives that advice. IMO stock plans are never perfect and need constant tweaking all of which costs money so I never use stock plans .BTW if you have kids then a guest room next to the media room is certainly not ideal For me a FR would be where the TV goes so in this type space I would just do areally nice big LR since the TV has a home in the media room. Maybe a bit more info from you would help understanding the plans a bit better I do not like walk in pantries IMO a well designed kitchen does not need one and that is quite a hike with groceries from the car to the kitchen. The big issue with a wood burning FP is the actual hauling and storing of wood always. Hauling wood throught the house is mesy not to mention often brings critters best left outside. So mor einfo please . I do agree the master BR with tat tiny bedroom #2 is odd and will you actully need 5 bedrooms? Why a PR on the bedroom floor and IMO guest bathroom is nice when it is private so IMO a PR on the main floor is a lot more important .The good thing is you have time to really think about all of this .

Hey Patricia, the media room will be an office/library so there will not be a TV in there. The downstairs guest bedroom will also be used as an office - my partner and I both wfh full time. There will be wood storage built into the rendered concrete wall (I am really not concerned about sweeping up any mess and there are many solutions to the critter issue). I was hoping someone here would have tried something similar and would know if the fireplace in this placement is possible. My partner and I like the floor plan and have no issues carrying groceries to the kitchen (i have prev had to lug them upstairs so this really isnt very far in comparison).

The most direct solution is to close the wall between bedroom and bath to run the chimney. You can add a fireplace to the master! Maybe even a two-sided one. I know of houses that have a fireplace above another, so i know there is a solution to the flue. Perhaps they go up side by side?

There is already a door to the bathroom by the dressing room.

That is so clever! I have never heard of that but love the idea

Why do you want a wood burning fireplace?

Abbie, many older houses have stacked fireplaces. My grandmother’s, built in 1947, does, and it is still standing!

Since this is a tract home builder, you would have to ask Coral Homes if you can do that, and their architect would design it for you. The customization of tract homes may be different in Australia than what we typically see in the U.S.

Don't be put off by all the lack of love of wood-burning fireplaces on these forums. My husband and I wouldn't even consider a build without one (we have had in the past and use constantly).

Thanks Sheepla. I’ve always loved them myself and we will absolutely be including one in the build - its just a matter of finding the right placement that works with the design

I don’t think you will be able to have the fireplace where you want it without changing the master bedroom. Why not do just a single fireplace on one of the outside walls where you have one of the couches and flip the couch to face the fireplace?

I have a wood burning stove. Not a fan of gas fireplaces. Had them in previous houses and rarely used them.

I would however think twice about storing wood inside.

We may end up having yo do that but I trying to avoid it - having furniture there wpild detreact from the feature of the rendered concrete and potentially break up the flow of the room. The internal wall would keep it central to both spaces

As has been stated, close up the door from the Master bedroom to the bathroom and have a see through fireplace between the bath and the bedroom. Access the bath through the other planned door. Stack the fireplaces above each other.

I'm with the crew who has no great love of a wood-burning fireplace. I grew up with one, and -- yes -- it's a chore:

- Bringing in wood /storing wood near the fireplace is a chore. If you're going this direction, one of our fireplaces had a great set-up: a wide-wide fireplace with a built-in wood box next to the fire box ... the wood box opened from both sides, so you could load wood in from outside /not bring it in through the people door. That fireplace was MUCH less work than the other one.

- If you do such a thing, be sure to place a lock on the exterior door, or thieves could remove your wood and climb into your house.

- You're constantly sweeping up bits of twigs and bark.

- You're constantly cleaning out ash. Like the wood box above, a well-designed fireplace will have an ash-door so you can open a little hatch, push the ashes into it, and go outside to finish the job.

- Bugs come in on your wood.

- You must store your wood away from the house itself, or you'll get termites.

- We lived on a farm and spent several weekends every fall cutting wood for the next year. Even with five kids working, it was a big prospect ... but buying firewood isn't cheap.

- A wood fire takes the better part of an hour to get started /really give you some warmth. A wood fire doesn't "die down" immediately, which can be a concern if you're going to bed or leaving the house.

- You must have your chimney cleaned every year, or it's a huge fire hazard.

In contrast to this, a gas or electric stove -- while not quite the same as a real wood fire -- can give you an instant fire, and you can turn it off-off in an instant. Don't rule out wood stoves, which -- if you want real heat, not just ambiance -- are more efficient than fireplaces.

If you've never lived with a wood-burning fireplace (as an adult who's responsible for the thing), I strongly recommend you try to rent a weekend place that has one. I'm a huge fan of try-before-you-buy.

Hi Mrs Pete, I assure you I have lived and been responsible for my fair share of wood fireplaces. I understand the work involved and enjoy the process. I get free wood from my sister’s property as they give away trailerloads every season. If I am wanting to heat the house quickly and turn something off I would use the central AC instead. my question wasnt really concerning whether people like fireplaces, it was whether anyone had dealt with the particular logistical conundrum with the flu, though I know everyone likes to add their two cents. Wood burning is not for everyone but it is for me.

You could offset the two fireplaces, with the one in the master, for example, closer to the outside wall, which would give you room to put comfy chairs or pillows in front of it.

Would that still solve the issue with downstairs though?

yes, because you wall off the entire bathroom, so the flue goes up there. The master fireplace has its own flue.

Hi Mrs Pete, I assure you I have lived and been responsible for my fair share of wood fireplaces.

Good! Then you know what you're getting into.

You could offset the two fireplaces, with the one in the master

CAN you put a wood-burning fireplace in the masters? My source is very weak; I'm remembering something from an HGTV show.

You know what is interesting, 7% of residential energy use goes up wood burning fireplace chimneys. A crazy number to ponder but that is how leaky they typically are. That would also mean humidity comes in during the a/c season. Perhaps it is because people don't close flues.

We had one in our last temporary house. Still have the house as a rental with the whole thing sealed up. The primary reason - cockroaches. They love to climb down chimneys....

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/residential-wood-burning

This one talks about higher pollutants in your house and all the houses in your neighborhood - so effect your own health and the innocents around you.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484716300026

This one reports a 31% increase in heating energy use in houses with wood burning fireplaces which is probably where the 7% of total residential energy use comes from.

So it really is a fairly selfish thing to build into a new house. When most were built, we didn't realize the harm they do. Ignorance in 2022 is not a valid answer.