A fireplace is the one renovation upgrade that changes how a room feels, not just how it looks. But add one at the wrong stage of your reno — or pick the wrong unit for the space — and it gets expensive fast. Here's what we tell every homeowner who walks into our Aurora showroom before they start.
1. Pick your fuel type before the framing starts
Gas, wood, or electric? This is the first decision, and it drives everything else.
- Gas is the most popular choice for renovations — clean, convenient, serious heat, and no chimney required. Direct-vent models vent straight out the wall, which keeps things simple.
- Wood brings the crackle and the ritual, but needs a proper chimney or venting system and more clearance around it. Gorgeous, but plan early.
- Electric is the easiest retrofit — no venting at all. Great for condos, bedrooms, or accent walls where running a gas line isn't practical.
The key: your contractor needs to know which one before framing, because venting routes, gas lines, and electrical all get roughed in behind the walls. Changing your mind after drywall is where the money disappears.
2. Venting and clearances are not guesswork
Every fireplace has manufacturer-specified clearances to combustibles and venting requirements — and they vary by model. This is the part where "my contractor figured it out" goes sideways. We've seen it.
Direct-vent gas fireplaces are flexible. They can vent horizontally through an exterior wall or vertically through the roof. But every vent run has limits on length and elbows, and the path has to be mapped before anyone cuts a hole. If your contractor says "we'll figure out venting after drywall," that's your cue to talk to a fireplace specialist first.
3. Size the fireplace to the room — not to the Pinterest photo
A 60-inch linear fireplace looks incredible in a great room with 12-foot ceilings. In a 12x14 family room, it'll eat the wall and overwhelm the space.
Two numbers matter:
- Viewing area — the actual glass size. This is what your eye sees, and it's what makes a fireplace feel grand or underwhelming.
- BTUs — the heat output. A heater-rated unit like the Marquis Bentley (up to 42,500 BTU) can genuinely warm a large open space. A smaller decorative unit is mostly ambiance.
The rule of thumb we use in the showroom: the fireplace should feel proportional to the wall, and the heat output should match how you actually use the room. Bigger isn't always better — right-sized is better.
4. Design the whole wall, not just the firebox
The fireplace unit is the easy part. The wall around it is where renovations get interesting — and where most people under-plan.
- TV above the fireplace? Totally doable with the right unit and proper heat management — a mantel shelf, a recessed cavity, or a heat-deflection setup. But it has to be planned, not improvised after the fact.
- Built-ins and shelving? They need to respect clearances too. Your millworker and your fireplace plan need to talk to each other.
- Surround material — natural stone, tile, limewash plaster, wood? Each one has different framing and finishing requirements, and the surround often affects the budget more than the unit itself.
Bring your designer — or just your Pinterest board — to the showroom and we'll help you sort out what actually works together.
5. Budget the full project, not just the unit
The fireplace unit is only one line item. A realistic renovation budget includes:
- The unit itself
- Venting components and gas/electrical rough-in
- Framing and surround construction
- Finishing material (stone, tile, plaster, mantel)
- Professional installation and permits
Skipping any of these is how a "$5,000 fireplace" becomes a surprise $12,000 project halfway through the reno. We give free, itemized quotes so you know the real number before you commit — not after.
The bottom line
A fireplace chosen at the right stage, sized for the room, and installed by people who do this every single day — that's the difference between a renovation headache and the room everyone gathers in.
Planning a renovation in Aurora, Vaughan, or anywhere in the GTA? Come see the fireplaces burning in person at Flame Sensations Fireplaces — Saturdays, walk-ins welcome. Or send us a message for a free consult, and we'll help you plan it right from the start.