Help me understand my options - german chimney?

[shiver]

Hey, I don't know a thing about construction, I'm renting and trying to get educated before approaching the property managers. Two storey wooden house with a hearth up and downstairs that I think are sharing the same flue - bad? There's gas to a utility room, and maybe some friction about absentee owner not wanting to pay insurance for wood stoves.

Anyway I hope these pictures explain what is here, because I find it hard to explain, I've been reading A LOT on chimneysweep type sites, but could someone advise me short of paying a contractor, on what options I probably have for a fireplace in this house (or two)? I don't want to heat the whole house, but ambiance and a little warmth would be nice. I love scrounging firewood and there's plenty seasoned nearby and a chainsaw in my trunk. I'm not remotely interested in electric flame but would settle with gas if it's easier.

Basically there's one chimney, a fireplace area downstairs and another above it upstairs. I guess they share one 'flue' which I heard is bad. The holes into the chimney look about 8 inches to me, and they are both about 5 feet above the brick area on the floor, and they are 'on the side', i.e. not directly behind or above where a burning unit would be. There's some sheet of wood with insulation showing above the downstairs area. There's a few other holes in the walls I'm not clear on, but *please* look at my photos?

Am I looking for 'fireplace' 'wood stove' 'insert' 'hearth stove' ???????? Do I have to surround these with mantles or bricks or something?
Could I use this http://kelowna.en.craigslist.ca/mat/2007746681.html
Would this be hard to install? http://classifieds.castanet.net/showproduct.php?product=825995
Can I set any old wood stove in?

I'm attaching a LOT of photos, of upstairs, down and out, please help me? One didn't fit, shows the downstairs pipe just leading outside like a dryer vent would.

 

[ikessky]

If it were me, I would look at adding a free standing stove in the area shown in your third picture. Run an insulated flex liner from there. I'm only assuming that is your main floor, but if that is the case, I think the heat would rise and heat your upstairs decently also. Not sure how I would approach the property owners though. The flex liner could stay in place for the next tenant, so maybe see if they would pay for that while you bought the stove?

 

[shiver]

I really want something on both floors, too. Shared chimney = impossible? And yes, third picture is downstairs, first is up.

 

[branchburner]

I agree, the alcove looks like a nice spot. Yes, sharing a flue is a no-no, but you still may have many options, as you noted in your post.

Before you go too far on this end, however, you may want to clear the issue on the rental/insurance/building-code end of things. When I put my stove in my own house, it was no problem with my insurance agent, but when I asked about putting a stove in a house that I'm renting out, he said to forget it. His company has had issues with tenants not knowing what they are doing with regard to stove operation, and he wouldn't even discuss the legal issues with me. Do you carry renter's insurance? If so, you may want to see what that policy has to say about the issue, as well as discussing with the property manager the exact coverage available to your landlord. And building codes will be critical.

You could spend a lot of time considering options that just won't be available to you, so do your legal homework first.

 

[shiver]

Gees I didn't think of that - renter's insurance. Good idea. Is that board with the insulation above it safe over a fire? Above it is the upstairs hearth, with a layer of brick and a layer of tile. So then is there option to put something upstairs even with a shared flue?

 

[PastTense]

How long do you expect to remain in this house? I just don't see it would be financially worth it unless you expect to be there a long time.

 

[shiver]

2 years, and I will shop used.