The reassuring sound of a roaring fire on a snowy winter’s night, the life-giving heat that holds back the cold and envelopes you with its soft touch, the deep, rich smell of burning wood, the rock fireplace that radiates heat from its once-cold heart. Ahhhhh, the memories.

They’re not my memories, of course, and probably not yours either, if you grew up in the city. But if this is what you see when you look back, then I’m positive you can also remember spending hours cleaning out the stove, cleaning the chimney, splitting and stacking the wood, and inhaling the fumes, smoke and ash. I start hacking just thinking about it.

These negative memories can be a thing of the past, and only the feel-good ones will remain, if you start using ceramic gas-burning logs in place of real wood. Since they are ceramic they will last for a long time while using either natural gas or propane.

There are two basic types of logs: vented and vent-free or ventless.

Vented gas logs are “stacked” in the fireplace just like normal wood logs. Their flames enwrap the logs and frolic along the edges like flickering sprites. That is, at least, until you get bored watching the fire and shut the flames off with the remote. Vented gas logs offer a gorgeous alternative to wood burning, but this works only if you have a fireplace in your house, or the additional space to have one installed.

What about those of us who are more ft²-challenged?

Well, apartment-dwelling city folk can have memories, too, by using vent-free ceramic gas logs. These fireplaces can be portable and give off a small but pleasing blue flame. A great thing about vent-free gas logs is they put out more heat than a wood burning stove with the same capacity. The reason is the logs are made of a material that allows heat to radiate outwards after it reaches a certain temperature. The dense, refractory material used to make these logs so they are believable in appearance and effective in heat output, also allows you to enjoy your stove without the cleanup of ash, wood dust and messy debris. Because they are self-contained (that is no vent), all of the heat produced stays in the room. The drawbacks to vent-free logs are the increase in humidity, necessity of having oxygen and carbon monoxide detectors (which sometimes come with the unit), and the requirement for fresh air (an open window) if the fireplace has been on for a long time.

The type of gas logs you decide on will depend on a compromise between aesthetics, efficiency, and convenience. The vented log will look real and set a cozy ambiance, but not give off much heat since most of that goes up the chimney. The vent-free gas-burning logs are easier to place and more “green”, but the flame is small and blue and the logs require more attention to guarantee safety.

Realistic ceramic gas logs are a more efficient replacement for traditional wood logs

Compare ____________________________________________________________

Pile of Cut Logs for Fire Wood $29.99 Pile of Cut Logs for Fire Wood - Photographic Print

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Logs on Ice $24.99 Logs on Ice - Photographic Print

Logs in Water $34.99 Logs in Water - Giclee Print

Hauling Logs $34.99 Hauling Logs - Giclee Print

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