If you are considering a ventless gas fireplace you should read the many discussions about their safety on the GardenWeb Fireplace Forum and elsewhere. Because their safe use depends on proper installation (even the log arrangement) and the ability of a detector in the unit to turn it off when the CO level is dangerous, I will not specify them. Here is a quote from Consumer Reports provided by Grinder12000 on the Fireplace Forum: "An unvented gas fireplace that's safely sized needn't pose any acute health hazard. But our tests confirm that these heaters contribute significantly to indoor air pollution. If you're planning to buy a gas fireplace, a vented model should be your first choice. That's especially wise if any household member has asthma or another respiratory ailment that may be exacerbated by particulate matter, or if your home is very airtight--and so will disperse the fireplace's emissions less readily." "A vented gas fireplace needn't cost more to buy and install than an unvented model, since some units require only a fairly small vent pipe that runs horizontally to any outside wall." "If you do decide to buy an unvented gas fireplace, here's how to ensure it operates as safely as possible:" * "Observe GRI guidelines. Insist that the contractor not exceed them when sizing your fireplace." * "Limit its use. Though occasional extended use of an unvented fireplace should pose little long-term health risk, we suggest limiting operation to no more than a few hours at a stretch, as a rule." * "Provide extra ventilation. Leave at least one window open in the space where the fireplace operates." * "Buy only a certified package. Some fireplaces are sold as two separate components: a "firebox" and a "logset"--the component that contains the burners and logs. Ask the contractor to confirm, through the owners' manual or an American Gas Association label on the logset, that the two components are compatible. A dealer sold us a fireplace firebox with another brand's logset he claimed was suitable. He was wrong; the combination emitted higher levels of carbon monoxide than is desirable until we obtained a logset that was approved for that firebox." * "Use a CO alarm. That dealer error aside, the fireplaces we tested showed no propensity to generate any carbon monoxide (CO). Also, some models claim to shut off should carbon monoxide levels ever rise. However, we recommend use of a CO alarm with any combustion appliance, including an unvented fireplace." Here is a link that might be useful: Fireplace Forum

Have you considered putting it int the corner? I don't know if the room would lend itself to that, but it does keep it from intruding into the room so much. Just a thought! I love our raised fireplace in our master bedroom because it is a focal point of the room and we can see it from the bed... Great on a cold, snowy night! We are about to start renovating our kitchen (and opening it up more to the dining room), and last night I came up with the idea of putting a raised hearth gas fireplace in the dining room. My husband likes the idea, but is hoping I'll stop thinking up more ways to bust the budget!

I too have a Mendota so I know about the restrictions and it does get warm above the fireplace itself. I just laid a marble hearth but I am still uncertain as to what I am doing with the surround. I do have a somewhat tradional flammable wooden mantel with a 6' piece left to right (hope that makes sense)with two legs approximently 4' high. Whatever the exact measurements are, it falls within the acceptable guidelines. This of course, leads me to a decision as to what I want to put for the surround - as you said the area from the fireplace and mantel must be covered with a nonflammable material. I have yet to make up my mind but some of the things I have considered are 1)marble like the hearth - boring!, 2)a glass mosaic or possibly a stone mosaic i.e. onyx or soapstone that would compliment and not compete with the marble hearth. But that's just my personal preference and it may not apply to what you are trying to accomplish. The best advise I can give you is to google fireplace surround images and you will get thousand and thousands of images to consider. Good luck. Lynn fr CT

I purchased a house that had a large brick-faced faceplace in the family room, along with a raised brick floor hearth. The fireplace itself was originally woodburning, but the original owner ran a gas line and now it has gas fired logs in there. We didn't like the brick face/floor hearth, so we had it all demo'ed. The below picture is what we have now. Notice in the bottom right of the picture is the clay tile-encased furnace flue coming up from the basement (previously it was hidden in the floor hearth structure). It diagonally comes up through the floor and into the fireplace wall. In order to hide it, I think we need to use a fireplace surround (like a white column) to encase it, but that looks like it will be very close to the firebox itself. Does that require me to convert to a zero-clearance gas insert? Any other thoughts/ideas are helpful here, since we're sort of stuck now. Here is a link that might be useful: Demo'ed fireplace