We recently purchased a late 1980's home with a lovely stone front masonry fireplace that is 35" wide and 29" tall opening. The chimney is outside wall brick with terra cotta flue. The chimney has three flues, one for the fireplace, one for the fuel oil furnace, and a dummy. The chimney has never been capped. The chimney is exposed three sides and is 7' x 4' x 32' high.
Before using anything, we had a sweep come clean and inspect. Bad news. The crown is cracked, the tiles are pitted and flaking, and there are missing grout joints. He recommended DO NOT BURN. Great!
Options he provided are
1- put in a gas insert with sleeve for the fp and sleeve the furnace and repair the crown (not priced as we aren't interested in gas)
2- repair with pour in flue liner (supaflue) and replace the crown (est. 5k to 10k)
3- put in wood stove insert with stainless liner ($4000) and sleeve the furnace ($1500) and repair the crown ($500)
We know that the stove is the best efficiency option. The current fireplace has no doors or anything, so that would have been an eventual expense to help limit heat loss. But we really were looking forward to a big blazing fire, which we won't get with a stove or gas insert. We are planning to convert the fuel oil furnace to propane direct vent, so we don't care about that flue.
Is the wood insert our best option? Are there other options to repair the flue? The sweep told us he does not recommend stainless liners with a masonry firebox.
Help make us ok with a wood stove insert, or give us other options...
Thanks!
Before using anything, we had a sweep come clean and inspect. Bad news. The crown is cracked, the tiles are pitted and flaking, and there are missing grout joints. He recommended DO NOT BURN. Great!
Options he provided are
1- put in a gas insert with sleeve for the fp and sleeve the furnace and repair the crown (not priced as we aren't interested in gas)
2- repair with pour in flue liner (supaflue) and replace the crown (est. 5k to 10k)
3- put in wood stove insert with stainless liner ($4000) and sleeve the furnace ($1500) and repair the crown ($500)
We know that the stove is the best efficiency option. The current fireplace has no doors or anything, so that would have been an eventual expense to help limit heat loss. But we really were looking forward to a big blazing fire, which we won't get with a stove or gas insert. We are planning to convert the fuel oil furnace to propane direct vent, so we don't care about that flue.
Is the wood insert our best option? Are there other options to repair the flue? The sweep told us he does not recommend stainless liners with a masonry firebox.
Help make us ok with a wood stove insert, or give us other options...
Thanks!