Montigo Delray Direct Vent Gas Fireplace - 36"

No chimney required. A direct-vent fireplace is sealed behind glass and vents through an outside wall or up through the roof using a co-axial pipe: the outer pipe draws combustion air in from outdoors and the inner pipe pushes exhaust back out. Because it never uses room air, it does not affect your indoor air and it is accepted in every state.

Plan on a licensed professional for the gas work. In most jurisdictions connecting gas is permitted work that has to be done by a licensed gas fitter and signed off at a final inspection, and doing it yourself can void both the manufacturer warranty and your homeowner insurance. Manufacturers say the same thing — FireRock, for example, instructs installers to "consult with local building and zoning authorities regarding the need for proper permitting" before construction starts. Framing and finish work is often owner-supplied; the gas connection and the final inspection are not.

Work from the framed opening rather than the finished wall. Manufacturers publish a framing dimension and a minimum enclosure height, and both have to be right before the finish material goes on — Napoleon, for example, specifies a framing depth range and a minimum unobstructed enclosure height for its multi-view units. If you send us your rough opening we will check it against the manual for that model.

Sometimes, but it depends on the model and how you finish the wall. There is no blanket ban — manufacturers frame it as a clearance and heat question. Napoleon's manual puts it plainly: keep clearances to combustibles when building a mantel or shelf above the unit, because "elevated temperatures on the wall or in the air above the appliance can cause melting, discolouration or damage to decorations, a TV or other electronic components." Check that model's mantel-clearance chart before you commit to a TV location.

It can carry a room or an open living area very effectively, which is why direct-vent units are popular for zone heating. Whether it can heat a whole house depends on your layout, insulation and climate — a fireplace heats the space it can reach, not the rooms around a corner. Tell us your room size and we will tell you honestly whether the output matches it.

A gas supply line run by a licensed gas fitter, and the vent kit that matches your run — the pipe, elbows and termination cap depend on whether you are going out a wall or up through the roof, and each model has a venting table with maximum lengths. Framing and the finished surround are yours or your builder's. Ask us for your vent configuration and we will confirm the parts before you order.