# Fire Places at Lakeside



## Mexico Babe (Aug 1, 2011)

I have noticed a lot of the houses and apartments have fireplaces in them. How plentiful is firewood and how economical is it? Lakeside area I guess. :ranger:


----------



## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

Amazing, 18 posts and 16 "likes".....you must have been in sales.


----------



## Mexico Babe (Aug 1, 2011)

Nope! Just liked a lot of what I have read and learned!!!!


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Yes, many of us have fireplaces. Burning wood has a few disadvantages; denuding the mountains illegally, overheating the room and the very high cost of the firewood.
Actually, a fireplace which is burning wood will usually be too hot for this climate and require opening of the doors and windows. As such, most people burn an occasional artificial log, which burns much cooler and lasts for about four hours; or, they have a gas tap in the fireplace and can use that to operate a gas pipe under lava rocks, or a set of gas logs; also very expensive to buy here. The gas arrangements can be regulated to take the chill off, but still not over-heat the room.


----------



## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

I think fireplaces are for looks and/or status. Simply, they aren't necessary. In my 14 months at lake side I did go out and buy a small heater but only used it for 3-4 days. Cold snaps do come but don't last long

Also and maybe most important, like RV said, the firewood business is terrible for the environment. Let the Mexicans cook with it and leave it at that


----------



## holodeck (Oct 14, 2010)

Let them eat cake
















let tem eat cake


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks said:


> I think fireplaces are for looks and/or status. Simply, they aren't necessary. In my 14 months at lake side I did go out and buy a small heater but only used it for 3-4 days. Cold snaps do come but don't last long
> 
> Also and maybe most important, like RV said, the firewood business is terrible for the environment. Let the Mexicans cook with it and leave it at that


I spent my first two years in Mexico working for the Comisión Nacional Forestal (CONAFOR). It was created in 2002 because Mexico was very worried about the loss of forests. Many rural communities rely on cutting trees for both cooking and income. They harvest trees in a non-sustainable way and will be in even worse shape when the trees are gone. There is a big effort on the part of many to reduce the loss of Mexico's forests. Every year, Mexico holds a reforestation day and in 2008 Calderon tried for the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in one day. Burning wood in fire places doesn't help things. I grew up in Alaska when and where wood was plentiful. I used to enjoy building fires and watching them. The world has changed in the 50 or 60 years since then. It is not such a good idea anymore.


----------



## Mexico Babe (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks for all the info.. That is what I was trying to find out. Had no idea what the situation would be there. I just needed to find out. I knew we wouldn't need heat all the time, was just concerned about little cool snaps.... Didn't want to use electric to warm it up. Maybe the oven would take the chill off cheaper. Thanks Diane


----------



## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

A lot of people here use space heaters to take the chill off and quite pleased. We have gas logs. Two sets with remote controls and one with auto sensor. We use very little but great to have for those cool mornings. We also use gas to cook and for dryer and cost is very little in total. Gas logs are certainly much cheaper in the US if that an option although prices here are decreasing.


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Small propane space heaters will do the trick. Many homes have gas taps in the living room and/or bedroom, connected to the home's bulk tank. Such modifications can easily be made, if not already present. Alternatively, portable propane bottles can be used; larger ones being delivered and connected by trucks which will pass your door daily, in most areas, or can be called. The smaller bottles must be taken to a refill station and are more expensive and inconvenient to use.


----------



## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

We have a catalytic heater that puts out a lot of heat and uses very little propane. Wonderful heater


----------



## Mexico Babe (Aug 1, 2011)

I assume the gas space heaters are kinda like the ones we had when I was little and that my grandmother had. That would be good. I didn't know they had them there. Thanks again!!!! Diane


----------



## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

Last winter I got an electric heater for the living room. It has fins like the old radiators but the electric heats completely contained oil. Takes about 10 minutes to heat up a 15 x 20 room. We used it twice last winter and this year we moved and now have two gas fireplaces so we have no use for the heater. But it did work just fine when we needed it.


----------



## Mexico Babe (Aug 1, 2011)

pappabee said:


> Last winter I got an electric heater for the living room. It has fins like the old radiators but the electric heats completely contained oil. Takes about 10 minutes to heat up a 15 x 20 room. We used it twice last winter and this year we moved and now have two gas fireplaces so we have no use for the heater. But it did work just fine when we needed it.


I have one of those that I have had about 10 yrs!!!! They r great and said to pull less electricity than regual elec heaters. I guess u didn't use it enough to see if ran ur elec bill way up or not. One winter here we used it to warm two side by side rooms and it did real good. Didn't cost much to run it either. It was our only heat in an old block house with no insulation. It was our only source of heat too!!!!! :clap2:


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Anything that creates heat by electricity is a 'no no' in Mexico with the escalating rate structure. Best to use propane.


----------



## tdemex (Aug 2, 2011)

In your original post you said Lakeside I guess. Other areas of MX could require you to use a fireplace more often. A lot would depend on the elevation. I spent a few years in Saltillo, it's a mountian town, after you get aclumated to the heat, when it's 60 out it feels cool. In some winter months it gets down to the 40's and it feels real cold. Even when living in Monterrey after many days over 100 the 50's feel like it's freezing. As I say it depends on the location.


----------

