building the hearth for my Napoleon NZ3000.....what a quest!

Yeah, I'll give a complete breakdown a couple of weeks after we get moved into the room, when I can monitor that puppy. I got a HELL of a deal on this fireplace from a place on the net located in Denver, CO. The local dealer wasn't even in the ballpark. I could have NEVER afforded this thing if I hadn't found that place out west.......

I think, in order for all of us to understand how well this stove works, Scotty needs to install one into each of our homes.

Those things are $5 grand new, aren't they?

Very nice congrats.

Thanks, BG. Yes, there is a sheet of drywall and a couple of temporary studs with some insulation between them seperating that room from the house......hoping to take that out in two to three weeks if all goes to plan.

Yeah, they ain't cheap. But being it qualified for the EPA tax credit a couple of years back, I got a pretty good deal on it. I bought it new, and got all the Simpson Duravent pipe, the NZ64 blower kit, the optional wrought iron finish kit and the optional firescreen all for less than that.......

uh.............put a bullet in my head right now.

Insurance inspector came tonight and said he's never seen a unit like this. He was impressed with the install and said everything looked great, so tomorrow we're gonna button the chase up with the metal studs and cement board. Hoping to hang stone by Friday. A buddy of mine is coming Saturday and Sunday to mud the drywall, we should be painting by next week! Hoping to have most of the stone done by midweek, we plan on getting our Christmas tree next Saturday or Sunday!

I'm a bit of a latecomer here Scotty, but wow, just wow. Hand dressed field stone is not a simple task, and I've seen worse jobs command a good $. And by the looks of it you seem to be pretty handy with the finishing trowel. As a matter of fact, I think I can see a reflection in the floated pad. Very nice work.

*Edit* - Just saw the chimney cap pics Scotty. I used to be in the chimney rebuilding biz. IMO, 90% of masonry disintegration comes from moisture leaking, weeping or wicking in from the cap. That cap will keep your stonework sound for decades to come. A legacy your great=great grandchildren.

Thanks for the kind words my friend. I'm hoping to be able to pass this house on to one of my kids, its been in my family since my great great grandpa and great grandpa built it in 1918!!

Hearth.com century celebration at your place in 2018?

I don't know about that, but we are planning a get-together next summer.....hopefully we can find a place to meet up, eat some firepit food, and maybe cut some wood for a good cause!

Very nice install so far Scotty. Can't wait to see the final stone layup and the barn wood mantle piece.

It is really cool that you've kept up such a piece of history, and added your own touches to it.

I hope your kids get to continue the tradition.

When I opened up our basement walls during our remodel, I found a vintage Coors can with the old pull tab opening, buried in a stud cavity. My beloved wife saved the can, and packaged it up with a fresh empty Guiness can and a note relating the relative story of work, all zipped into a Ziploc baggie and placed it back into the wall before the insulators came and blew in the cellulose insulation.

Cheers and enjoy the warmth!

You just made someone a small fortune in 2080
The archeologists will have a fun time trying to figure out that one.

Making some nice progress this week on the project! Not quite where I wanted to be, but nonetheless we made HUGE strides. Finished the metal framework around the fireplace, installed all the drywall in the room, and installed the Durock on the fireplace wall. Amidst one hurdle after another hurdle after ANOTHER hurdle.........two steps forward, one step back......I'm finally ready for the scratchcoat.......

Nice looking progress Scotty.

Can't wait to see the stone work.

Cheers!

slowly but surely.......gonna plug away at the stonework this week.

Isn't that always the way Scotty? I plan out my work fairly well, but my projects always take 1.5x longer than I allot for. The devil is in the details. Love the work I see in the pics BTW.

I see on the last couple of pics that you have the mounts for a mantle in place. What are your plans for that? Reclaimed barn beam? Stone veneer?

I tore down a barn that was built in 1868, I saved a bunch of beams and posts from that barn. Both of the mantel 'stand-offs' are pieces of that beam, and the mantel is a hand-hewn beam that's around 9' x 9" x 9". It probably weighs around 300 lbs! The rest of the wall will be natural stone veneer, I'm going to get started on the scratchcoat of cement tomorrow.....I think I'm going to hang some of the mesh lath tonight.

Looks great Scotty, that room its in is killer, cant wait to see it finished.

Thanks, Tiger. I'm stoked about it. That room it is located in, was once our master bedroom, which was adjacent to our previously small living room. I took out the wall, put in the cathedral ceilings and a big load bearing laminated beam (which will be cased in barn wood), to make a huge family room.

Hell yeah braddah!