Andrelaplume2, a few comments. You do not state where you live. I have a similar situation. I have a 20 year-old, 1700 square-foot, all-electric, split foyer home in Baltimore. I have been in the house for 5 years. The heat pump is original Trane (we should count our blessings that they have lasted 20-plus years). I have a masonry fireplace in the below-grade family room. I have allergies (dust, pollen, grass, weeds, cats, etc - I get an allergy shot every 3 weeks and have been doing so since childhood). I have been using my fireplace w/one-of-a-kind wood-burning insert to suppliment the heat pump. The insert raises the temperature of the family room from 65 to 72 degrees. The thermostat is in the living room and set at 68. The layout of the house is not open so the heat does not directly go to the second floor living area (where the thermosat is located) and bedrooms, but it does add BTU's to the house and heats the floor of the living room. The fireplace does not affect my allergies. Neither does mowing the lawn. Are you so sure of the effects of wood-burners on your allergies that you write-off the best sources of heat from your masonry fireplace (wood/pellet insert or stoves)? Propane and electric resistance heat are the most expensive sources of heat - and by a large margin as compared to other sources of heat. I run the house fan in the summer only. This does 2 things. First, it helps to move air in the summer (I have ceiling fans also). Second, the wife doesn't know when the A/C compressor cycles off so there is less of a chance that she is playing with the thermostat. You can run your house fan in the winter with your new heat source and see how it works. I find that there is cold-feeling air blowing out of the vents in the winter time when the firepace is going in the family room (there are no return vents in the family room in the ceiling). Is there a return vent in the ceiling near your fireplace? I agree with Bob Brown from the HVAC Forum that your basement heating should be done with your current HVAC system. When you replace your current heat pump, you can increase it's capacity if needed and add ductwork to your basement. My opinions.

Kiki, So happy to hear you are commissioning an artist for your daughter's portrait! Actually, an artist in general!! If your f.p. is gas, there should be no problem with hanging the art above. But, you will need to have it professionally framed. This is very important if you want the painting to last. You will need to use archival mats and museum glass. The archival mat is so that no acids touch the w.c. paper. Even the tape used to hold the art to the mat needs to be acid free. The museum glass does 2 things: it will cut down on glare when viewing the art, and it will reduce UV rays hitting it, too. Sunlight is a huge enemy of any kind of art, too. And then, depending on the frame you choose, this is not cheap. Nor is it the place to cheap out. You may also want to look into lighting for the art. Although a cathedral ceiling and stone may be an issue...just something to think about. Finally, you can't decide placement until, like you said, you know the finished size or orientation. Will the artist be providing sketches? Or maybe a *sneak peak*? I don't do portraits, but when I am commissioned, my process is always to present sketches, sample of colors, etc. Of course, once you unveil that beautiful piece of art, those things don't matter. And, if you do hang the portrait over the f.p., and maybe add a mantle shelf, (that metal grate above the firebox is where the heat will come out of) the amount of stone may not bother you. It's always good to get your stuff into the space before making any big decisions. Looking forward to seeing the portrait!!

The only reason I didn't go with a masonry fireplace with a gas log set and instead went with my last choice of a vented gas fireplace was one of cost. Here in SW FL, I couldn't justify the added expense of adding a masonry fireplace which would have been double what the vented fireplace cost was. If I was in an area that had an actual winter season, I would have done so.

Thank you for your note. We tried to return it, unfortunately, they will not let us return it. Our interior designer chose another fireplace that has a "frame piece" that covers the grill part and then the mantel goes on the outside of that piece, hence why we are trying to sell this one.