Replace wood stove with fireplace?

[loglady]

Hi! Just moved into an existing log home and have a problem. The previous owners had a wood stove installed in the living room, including a HUGE raised stone hearth that extends almost to the middle of the room. You have to walk through that room to get to the rest of the house, and the pipe is so high on the wall that you can't even hang the TV above it. Furniture placement is impossible. I would like to replace it with a flush mount fireplace insert, and demolish the existing hearth.

I'm assuming that the rock wall behind the stove will need to be removed and a pathway from the new fireplace to the existing vent pipe will be required. Among my many questions, what is going to be involved in removal/installation, and what type of contractor (s) should I call for an estimate?

Thanks for any info. K

 

[nshif]

Is there an existing fireplace to put the insert into. A pic of the existing set up would be helpful.

 

[WarmGuy]

Here's a recommendation: Before you make such a drastic and costly change, try the existing arrangement for a few months. Maybe you'll find that it's not as inconvenient as you thought it would be. Maybe you'll like having the wood stove be the main focus of the room.

If it turns out that you were right, you'll only have wasted a few months of inconvenience.

BTW, we have a warmhearth fireplace that works great, but if it were to break, I'd replace it with a wood stove.

 

[loglady]

I have lived with it ...for nearly a year! The problem is, there are three entrances into the room, one goes upstairs, the kitchen, hallway to the master, and of course, the front door. With that big hearth, it leaves me with very little room for a couch, tv, chair, etc. without blocking off the traffic pattern. To complicate matters, the hearth is not only halfway into the room, it is about 5" off the ground and is right in the path of the entrance to the kitchen. The fact is, if I could only mount the TV above the stove, the problem would be diminished enough to live with. The previous owner, however, installed the stove pipe within about 2 feet of the ceiling, and the pipe inself sticks out about 3 feet from the wall...then you add the stove, and the hearth, and the nice sized living room is taken over.

Photo attached, it's hard to see from the photo the extent to which it intrudes on the floorplan.


Thanks for any advice! k

 

[backpack09]

Personally I think that is a pretty decent setup and would learn to love it.

Installing a fireplace will be a HUGE expense. Not to mention the repairs you will need to make to your floor.

That picture does not do much for you rooms layout tho. Also that hearth is not that huge


BTW I would love to have that hearth in my house.

 

[nshif]

A tv hung above a wood stove is really not the best idea. The heat from the stove will help to prematuraly cook the guts of the TV. Electronics dont like heat. Are you planning to build a new fireplace behind the stove or is there one there ?

 

[loglady]

My ideal would be to demolish the raised part of the hearth and somehow recess a fireplace into the existing wall. The stove is positioned so that there's barely room for a chair on either side, and even then the stove is so high it's right in the line of sight. Unfortunately, this wall is the only actual wall in the room, so I really need something that blends in a little better to the wall.

I really do like the rock wall, even though it is built out about 12". I really wouldn't mind the stove so much if it didn't take over half the room! As far as the floor goes, I did it myself, and although it wouldn't be fun, I could manage if it would give me the floorspace.

I realize this is going to be a big job, but I'm willing to put in a little extra work to open up the floorspace. There's really nowhere to put the couch

Appreciate the input! k

 

[Dunadan]

Wow, I like that set-up. I don't think it's all that far into the room. I wish I could trade you for what I have.

 

[nshif]

I assume thats an outside wall. Do you have any idea what a fireplace is gonna cost? In my neck of the woods your looking a 5-8K. and with an insert you are only going to gain a few feet of floor space due to front floor prtection requirements and add another 1000 to the cost.
Why does the wall stick out so far? Is it real rock?
Do you use the stove much, is it your main sorce of heat? You are talking about a major project that is only going to give you a few Sq Ft of floor space.

 

[jpl1nh]

While I thinks it's easy for many of us to look at this set up from the photo in the thread and say "Looks pretty good to me, I'd keep it" I also think it's quite apparent that LL really wants to change it. Her original question was what type of contractor would we recommend for such a job and what might it invove? I'm thinking a general contractor and a good mason. There are many more knowledgable people about this here than I. Expensive? Probably, but if it's worth it, would you all agree that could be a good path for her to go? And..what would it involve? Kind of looks to me like it would involve removing the entire hearth and all the stonework on the wall, probably redoing the floor (though the new hearth could be put in at floor leavel so you wouldn't have to redo the entire floor), and probably redoing the inner and outer wall and the whole chimney structure. Whew!

 

[GVA]

Loglady can you post a pic of the outside of that rock wall/fireplace?

 

[loglady]

Loglady can you post a pic of the outside of that rock wall/fireplace?

I can manage that this weekend. The other side of that wall pokes out a few inches into the garage. It's covered with a wood paneling and appears to be cinderblock underneath. I can't say for sure without pulling up the paneling, but the wall to the left of the stove is 12" solid log, and to the right of the stove is a stick-built wall. It appears that there are blocks peeking out the top near the ceiling from the garage, but I'll have to investigate further.

The wall is actual rock, and the hearth appears to be a cement slab with 18" stones on top. I know you can't tell from the picture, but the hearth extends nearly 6' in the room and since it is raised, you have to kind of step around it when you walk into the kitchen. It IS a large presence in the room.

Thx. k

 

[builderbob]

Loglady can you post a pic of the outside of that rock wall/fireplace?

I can manage that this weekend. The other side of that wall pokes out a few inches into the garage. It's covered with a wood paneling and appears to be cinderblock underneath. I can't say for sure without pulling up the paneling, but the wall to the left of the stove is 12" solid log, and to the right of the stove is a stick-built wall. It appears that there are blocks peeking out the top near the ceiling from the garage, but I'll have to investigate further.

The wall is actual rock, and the hearth appears to be a cement slab with 18" stones on top. I know you can't tell from the picture, but the hearth extends nearly 6' in the room and since it is raised, you have to kind of step around it when you walk into the kitchen. It IS a large presence in the room.

Thx. k

6 feet into the room IS a large intrusion. I would suggest asking at some of the local stove/fireplace shops about the possibility of installing a zero clearnace woodburing fireplace. Ask shops about contractors or their own installer crews. Also try contacting a few general contractors. Explain your project to them, and that it likely will imvolve some demolition.

Is there room on the garage side for the back side of a fireplace to project into the garage futher than a few inches? I am thinking total demolition of the existing masonry. Then rebuild, but have the bulk of the "depth" of the new fireplace project into the garage, and have just a flush fireplace front in the living area.

If you go to a zero clearance woodburning fireplace, you will find most of such units require about 2-1/2 feet depth, including thickness of back woodframe wall. They are installed flush with face of front wall.

These would be installed without needing a new masonry enclosure. Instead they could be framed in with typical woodframe wall construction---that might save you quite a bit on the rebuild.

You would need new stainless steel chimney (most likely) as specified by the manufacturer of whatever ZC unit you would buy. That SS chimney would be concealed inside the new framing, then exit throught the roof.

Search this site for threads on "zero clearance woodburing fireplaces" to find links to several brands of such units.

Hope all this helps.

Keep asking questions-----I am sure good ideas/solutions will be found at this forum.

BTB

 

[Gooserider]

As a possible compromise that might cost less, and improve your heating situation as well is that stove looks like it might well be an old Pre-EPA or very early EPA "smoke dragon". Looks nice from the outside for it's age, but the lack of windows and the double doors make me think it's an older unit, possibly unlisted, with the huge clearances that those units required.

If so, it might be possible to replace it with a newer unit of comparable heat output ability - A new stove with the same heating ability would probably be a bit smaller, and probably require much less in the way of clearances, especially front to back (your side clearances to the furniture aren't going to change much) A smaller stove, mounted closer to the wall, might allow you to take a couple feet off the hearth, would be less expensive, and wouldn't entail as much demolition.

A newer stove would also burn cleaner, and probably use less wood.

Gooserider

 

[elkimmeg]

One can not just cut in a fire place opening there has to be a throat area fire shelf and a flue liner large enough to accommodate the opening.

One also has to realize the about 5 tons sitting above the place you are working on. Better know what one is doing. Chances are that chimney also services
the central furnace heating system.

of all the suggestions mading economically, goose's make the most sense

One could do this save a piece of the rock removed from the hearth and bore an outlet hole lower in the facing and patch it in
Naturally the heat of a stove in not good for a TV..

Goose also pointed out that that stove appears to be the original stove installed when the home was built .

Not a modern EPA stove. I'll bet if one actually could see the fire threw glass ,it would become the focal point of the room. I am also willing to bet the hearth could be shortened up to 2'

This project is a lot more complicated differcult and dangerous.. Also there is going to be a huge dust factor you will be finding concrete and stone dust for years

WhaT ABOUT A CEILING MOUNT TV SETUP supended down? Where actual wall space is not required

If complete removal is required you will need a good mason a carpenter possibly a furnace guy to work out a Class A for that burner or is gas burner