New Member - DIY: Mantle Resurfacing and Installed: Jotul 450

I've been lurking for some time. I truly appreciate the wealth of information shared here at hearth.com. I spent a good number of days reading everything on selecting an insert, stacking. hauling, splitting, and of course burning wood in an insert. I figured I would throw some pictures up on the process. I pulled down all of the hideous mirror, scraped off the adhesive from the mirror, and patched the sheet rock. My Dad and I resurfaced the mantle with tile and laid a bluestone mantle. After all that work my wife decided she didn't like the color with the tile so I had to paint as well. I had the Jotul 450 installed by a local shop. They did a bang up job.

Now for some pics...















BTW - I just grouted the skirt below the bluestone hearth on Sunday. I still need to get in there with a sponge and clean up the grout lines.

Rudyjr said:

Husker 21, What a difference Looks great. Enjoy the stove over the holidays, and for years to come. Merry Christmas, Jim

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Thanks Jim, same to you.

mkek said:

Wow, very impressive. Congrats! How is it heating the room?

I can't wait for my Jotul to be installed.

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We have a Cape style home with an addition on the other side of the wall/insert. The addition is a large family room with cathedral ceilings. When I get a few consecutive burns in it does a great job of heating the dinning room (where the insert is installed) and the adjacent kitchen. Also in the dinning room is a set of stairs going to the second floor. I notice the temp feels noticeably hotter at the top of the stairs. There is also a noticeable warming of the two upstairs bedrooms. I need to start playing with some fans to try moving some air on the second floor. From our bedroom there is a door to a loft that is in that family room I mentioned earlier. If I can get the air into that family room I would be psyched. We aren't burning 24/7 yet. My wife is starting to get the hang of the insert. She will have to stuff the box while I am at work. But so far so good. I don't think it will heat our entire 2600 sq ft home but its doing a great job at keeping the electric heat down.

bren582 said:

That's one nice looking install.. The Jotul is a real nice looking unit and was on my short list. I like the look of the black insert against that color tile, and the blue stone is icing on the cake.. nice choice

By the way, I have a bathroom that was done up like your fireplace, All mirrors!~! What the heck were they thinking back in the 70's??

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Thanks bren. We actually met the original owners of the house. Looking back they deeply regret the choice. The guy I coach HS lax with grew up down the road. His best friend grew up in our current home.

oconnor said:

Quite a transformation - looks great!

Is that a thermostat I see on the stove top to the left? You may get better results if you stick it dead center, as far back as you can and still read it - a location know here as the "Mike Wilson position". Most folks get good readings there. Burn it hot (600-750 is not unusual based on reports here), and you'll keep the black soot from building up.

Keep warm, and Merry Christmas!

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you are correct, that is a thermostat. moving it dead center makes sense. i think i just randomly placed where it is. i do regularly get the insert between 600 and 700. getting it above 700 is when i start getting nervous. thanks for the tip.

67ref said:

Nice job, looks really good.
enjoy your new stove for sure.

btw: transfer all the mirrors to the bedroom ceiling (trust me)

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I asked. She said no... ;-)

Adios Pantalones said:

A serious improvemen, and a great looking room now! I assume that you have a ceiling fan in the cathedral room?

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Thanks. We do have a ceiling fan in the room with cathedral ceilings.

boostnut said:

Wow, bout all I can say. Looks great. Too bad the previous owners ruined the original brick work with all of that mirror mastic.

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i know. we wanted to save the brick and the money on the tile job. but in the end, we love how it turned out.

LISound said:

looks great Husky.

I do wish you has a bigger viewing area for flames

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you won't be seeing any flames because you and your wife will never be invited over for dinner again. ;-)