Wood burning masonry fireplaces, while they used to be desirable in homes as recently as the 20th century, are an energy efficiency disaster. (Direct vent woodstoves are usually OK)
Gas fireplaces can be less of a problem, but they are usually vented with a metal pipe of some sort.
Therefore, every new chimney you've seen in the past 20 years is a FAKE chimney, stuck on by an architect or home designer who thinks it's necessary to "make a house look like a home" or whatever.
Stay away from fake and real chimneys because they hurt the integrity of your insulation and air sealing layers, and compromise the durability of your roof. In my ownership and maintenance of 200 or so homes in the Denver area, chimneys are the most common location for roof leaks.
Gas fireplaces can be less of a problem, but they are usually vented with a metal pipe of some sort.
Therefore, every new chimney you've seen in the past 20 years is a FAKE chimney, stuck on by an architect or home designer who thinks it's necessary to "make a house look like a home" or whatever.
Stay away from fake and real chimneys because they hurt the integrity of your insulation and air sealing layers, and compromise the durability of your roof. In my ownership and maintenance of 200 or so homes in the Denver area, chimneys are the most common location for roof leaks.
