I know this is most likely a "no brainer" for most folks here but as a consumer, I would rather be a better educated one BEFORE I get into this project.
The set up:
82 year-old brick home. No fireplaces. No chimneys, flues, etc anywhere near the exterior wall I want the fireplace against. Wall has two permanently sealed stained glass windows 5 1/2 feet apart with sills 5 1/2 feet above the finished floor. Floor is hardwood + subflooring. Exterior walls have plaster applied directly to the masonry structure (no stud walls...yes hanging artwork and pictures on the exterior walls sucks). The ceiling above is plaster and lathe and above is crawlspace through to the roof which has a pitch of 8/12. The exterior wall has no obstructions, no adjacent walls or buildings, and no access to pedestrian traffic.
The proposal:
Install/construct a direct vent (natural gas) fireplace and enclosure on said wall between the windows. (The home has other natural gas appliances).
The options (making certain assumptions that more information could prove won't work):
A) Vent this unit through the ceiling and roof using the necessary firestops and insulation in the crawlspace thereby having a simple vertical vent that extends the appropriate height above the roof.
B) Vent this unit through the masonry wall using a single 90-degree elbow and poking an appropriately sized hole in three courses of brick. (I have actually done this before for a drier vent).
The questions:
In the opinion of the experts here...
Is there a preferred option?
Is there a more cost-effective option?
Is there any legal/code violation with either option? (I realize that this may require contacting local building authorities).
Would there be a necessity for a firestop in the wall if option B were pursued? If so, how would this affect the size of the required hole?
Would the flooring need to be non-combustable or would that depend upon the unit installed and its height above the floor?
The set up:
82 year-old brick home. No fireplaces. No chimneys, flues, etc anywhere near the exterior wall I want the fireplace against. Wall has two permanently sealed stained glass windows 5 1/2 feet apart with sills 5 1/2 feet above the finished floor. Floor is hardwood + subflooring. Exterior walls have plaster applied directly to the masonry structure (no stud walls...yes hanging artwork and pictures on the exterior walls sucks). The ceiling above is plaster and lathe and above is crawlspace through to the roof which has a pitch of 8/12. The exterior wall has no obstructions, no adjacent walls or buildings, and no access to pedestrian traffic.
The proposal:
Install/construct a direct vent (natural gas) fireplace and enclosure on said wall between the windows. (The home has other natural gas appliances).
The options (making certain assumptions that more information could prove won't work):
A) Vent this unit through the ceiling and roof using the necessary firestops and insulation in the crawlspace thereby having a simple vertical vent that extends the appropriate height above the roof.
B) Vent this unit through the masonry wall using a single 90-degree elbow and poking an appropriately sized hole in three courses of brick. (I have actually done this before for a drier vent).
The questions:
In the opinion of the experts here...
Is there a preferred option?
Is there a more cost-effective option?
Is there any legal/code violation with either option? (I realize that this may require contacting local building authorities).
Would there be a necessity for a firestop in the wall if option B were pursued? If so, how would this affect the size of the required hole?
Would the flooring need to be non-combustable or would that depend upon the unit installed and its height above the floor?
