Blaze King and customizing

[Rockey]

Ok so I am a fan of the BK performance but never a big fan of the looks of the "King". However, when I visited the site yesterday I discovered that the King actually has 3 different styles. The parlor style actually doesnt look too bad in my opinion. The small square window is still a turn off because we enjoy the visual ambience of a fire but I think I could make it work. The next issue is that I would like to install the stove in our firepalce and that would be where I would like some customizing.

The look of a stove in a fireplace has never appealed to me either but Im wondering if there a way of customizing the fireplace opening to make it look better with a stove in it? Where would I begin finding someone that could offer this service? Has anyone done this or seen this done before?

The King will be going in on the first floor and would be working in conjunction with a Kuma Sequoia I am installing this week downstairs to heat our lil cabin in the woods. We will still need to run our wood boiler during any bad cold spells to heat the extremities of the house but I really dislike the inefficiency of the wood boiler. Hopefully the picture of where the King would go will help with my concern of visual appeal.

 

[Rickb]

If you like the blaze king but are not a huge fan of the stove in the fireplace look why not look at the blaze king stove inserts? Just my opinion but the newer blaze king inserts look sharp!

 

[showrguy]

Ok so I am a fan of the BK performance but never a big fan of the looks of the "King". However, when I visited the site yesterday I discovered that the King actually has 3 different styles. The parlor style actually doesnt look too bad in my opinion. The small square window is still a turn off because we enjoy the visual ambience of a fire but I think I could make it work. The next issue is that I would like to install the stove in our firepalce and that would be where I would like some customizing.

The look of a stove in a fireplace has never appealed to me either but Im wondering if there a way of customizing the fireplace opening to make it look better with a stove in it? Where would I begin finding someone that could offer this service? Has anyone done this or seen this done before?

The King will be going in on the first floor and would be working in conjunction with a Kuma Sequoia I am installing this week downstairs to heat our lil cabin in the woods. We will still need to run our wood boiler during any bad cold spells to heat the extremities of the house but I really dislike the inefficiency of the wood boiler. Hopefully the picture of where the King would go will help with my concern of visual appeal.

View attachment 230387

I had the same situation as you, my stone fireplace is 14' wide and 2 stories tall..
I put mine beside the fireplace and vented straight up, I dunno if you have any ceiling fans in that big room of your modest little cabin in the woods ?? But my house is a very open floor plan, and the king heats it all, no problem..
Beautiful place BTW..

 

[weatherguy]

What's the dimensions of the opening?

 

[kennyp2339]

Beautiful place I'd leave that fireplace open, the stone work is very enjoyable, is it possible to put the stove on a different wall (like across from the fireplace) ?

 

[Rockey]

If you like the blaze king but are not a huge fan of the stove in the fireplace look why not look at the blaze king stove inserts? Just my opinion but the newer blaze king inserts look sharp!

Yes, the inserts are definitely sharp but Im thinking BTU's with the 4.3 cu ft firebox. Theres 8500 sq ft with 30 ft ceilings upstairs. Realistically the King will only have to heat 4500 sq ft upstairs and could get some help from the Sequoia downstairs with the heat rising through the stairwell. Maybe I could get away with the low and slow burn but Im guessing probably not. The cabin was sealed very well when it was built but after having settled and some dimensional shifting in some of the logs, the entire house needs to be rechinked. When we moved in 2+ years ago, I had to pressure wash, sand, and coat the exterior with 2 coats of stain/sealer. I got some of the larger gaps then but I only rented the manlift for a week and dint have time to rechink. Maybe next year.

I had the same situation as you, my stone fireplace is 14' wide and 2 stories tall..
I put mine beside the fireplace and vented straight up, I dunno if you have any ceiling fans in that big room of your modest little cabin in the woods ?? But my house is a very open floor plan, and the king heats it all, no problem..
Beautiful place BTW..

Thanks. With the existing chimney, I just feel like it would be awesome getting all that thermal mass heated up for even more efficiency. Maybe Im just dreaming, Ive been wrong lots of times before as my wife constantly reminds me . There are two ceiling fans to help distribute the heat. Its good to hear the success you have had with the BK, it gives me hope.

What's the dimensions of the opening?

48W X 38H X 32D

Beautiful place I'd leave that fireplace open, the stone work is very enjoyable, is it possible to put the stove on a different wall (like across from the fireplace) ?

Thanks, Its possible but Im still dreaming..see above.

I did find someone that does custom fireplace screens and may contact him about designing ove that would follow the existing contour of the fireplace and then somehow fit around the stove. Does this make sense?

 

[bholler]

The king isnt going to heat 4500 sqft. Any btus you put in will help but you arent going to heat that place with 2 stoves alone. That masonry is also on an exterior wall you will never get it heated up enough to be a radiant mass with its back side exposed to the cold

 

[showrguy]

The king isnt going to heat 4500 sqft. Any btus you put in will help but you arent going to heat that place with 2 stoves alone. That masonry is also on an exterior wall you will never get it heated up enough to be a radiant mass with its back side exposed to the cold

I respectfully disagree !!

 

[Rockey]

The king isnt going to heat 4500 sqft. Any btus you put in will help but you arent going to heat that place with 2 stoves alone. That masonry is also on an exterior wall you will never get it heated up enough to be a radiant mass with its back side exposed to the cold

Its interior. Theres a kitchen and breakfast nook behind there. Although its hard to tell from this picture you can see the entrance that was hidden in the other picture. The logs run behind it and keep in interior until it exits through the roof.

 

[bholler]

Its interior. Theres a kitchen and breakfast nook behind there. Although its hard to tell from this picture you can see the entrance that was hidden in the other picture.

View attachment 230389

Ok well that is different atleast the fireplace isnt a massive heat sink. I still dont see any way a stove is going to heat 4500 sqft of log cabin which are usually fairly leaky and not that much r value in logs. They arent bad but nothing like a tightly sealed 2x6 wall full of insulation. I also see big windows and high ceilings. I just dont see any way it will come close to doing it.

I mean it is rated to heat 2000 to 3000 sqft. And i am sure that is assuming 8' ceilings and tight construction

 

[Rockey]

Its not a big deal if it cant. I can always just fire up the wood boiler or just use one of the gas furnaces to supplement. Gas is still fairly cheap and the Sequoia and King should do most of the work

 

[showrguy]

Ok well that is different atleast the fireplace isnt a massive heat sink. I still dont see any way a stove is going to heat 4500 sqft of log cabin which are usually fairly leaky and not that much r value in logs. They arent bad but nothing like a tightly sealed 2x6 wall full of insulation. I also see big windows and high ceilings. I just dont see any way it will come close to doing it.

I mean it is rated to heat 2000 to 3000 sqft. And i am sure that is assuming 8' ceilings and tight construction

You seem to doubt my sig line below, I have no reason to lie...
1st floor is 40 x 60, 2nd floor is 40 x 80, you do the math..
2nd floor has a lot of open space to below, but the stove is still heating that much cubic ft..
Your close enough to inspect in person, I have no other heat source in this house, really !!

 

[bholler]

Its not a big deal if it cant. I can always just fire up the wood boiler or just use one of the gas furnaces to supplement. Gas is still fairly cheap and the Sequoia and King should do most of the work

Yes they will certainly make a dent in it. Especially in mild weather. Your problem even if you have enough btus will be heat distribution.

 

[Highbeam]

The kuma and the king are two big stoves and both are highly efficient. Good choices for full time heating and if you need a little boost then your other heating systems are ready and waiting.

I totally believe @showrguy since he has actual first hand experience in his home. We should all appreciate the data point but realize that all situations are a little different.

 

[Rockey]

Yeah the main purpose of my post is to find some creative ideas on customizing the fireplace opening. Here is a thread that triggered this thought process. Of course this guy did it with an insert. I wonder if I could find someone to do something similar but angled into the firplace towards the rear of the stove and then some decorative cutouts.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/kuma-sequoia-insert-install.140772/

 

[bholler]

You seem to doubt my sig line below, I have no reason to lie...
1st floor is 40 x 60, 2nd floor is 40 x 80, you do the math..
2nd floor has a lot of open space to below, but the stove is still heating that much cubic ft..
Your close enough to inspect in person, I have no other heat source in this house, really !!

I beleive you. But his is 8500 sqft. Yours is 5600 not subtracting the 2 story parts from your sqft. His is probably 2x the size of yours. Even if he has enough btus getting them distributed is going to be a challenge.

 

[bholler]

The kuma and the king are two big stoves and both are highly efficient. Good choices for full time heating and if you need a little boost then your other heating systems are ready and waiting.

I totally believe @showrguy since he has actual first hand experience in his home. We should all appreciate the data point but realize that all situations are a little different.

Well said

 

[kennyp2339]

What about sealing the fire box off with a black metal mesh (custom fit to match the contours, also removable) extend the hearth out, put the stove in front then run a new thimble using class a pipe to a T into the fireplace and insulated flex liner up to the top cap?

 

[showrguy]

Rockey, since this is your thread, could you please post some more pictures of your "cabin" ??
It's georgeous, and I'm sure I speak for everyone here, we'd like to see more of it..

 

[jetsam]

If that's an interior wall and that stone is local, you could probably turn that gorgeous fireplace into a gorgeous masonary heater too. It already almost looks like a Tulikivi.

I'm guessing that if you call that place a cabin, money is not the top thing on the list of concerns here.

On the other hand, you'd probably be sacrificing some heating power by switching away from the King.

 

[bholler]

If that's an interior wall and that stone is local, you could probably turn that gorgeous fireplace into a gorgeous masonary heater too. It already almost looks like a Tulikivi.

I'm guessing that if you call that place a cabin, money is not the top thing on the list of concerns here.

On the other hand, you'd probably be sacrificing some heating power by switching away from the King.

Yes you could do that if you tore it all down to the floor and started over. There is a whole lot going on behind the face of a masonry heater. I like the idea but it really isnt something that can be retrofitted to an existing fireplace.

 

[jetsam]

Yes you could do that if you tore it all down to the floor and started over. There is a whole lot going on behind the face of a masonry heater. I like the idea but it really isnt something that can be retrofitted to an existing fireplace.

Hey, if money isn't an issue.... how would a Tulikivi look there??

 

[Rockey]

What about sealing the fire box off with a black metal mesh (custom fit to match the contours, also removable) extend the hearth out, put the stove in front then run a new thimble using class a pipe to a T into the fireplace and insulated flex liner up to the top cap?

Thats what Im thinking. Does the King have to use the leg kit or would I be able to mount it onto a custom stone base? That may be a question for BK.

Rockey, since this is your thread, could you please post some more pictures of your "cabin" ??
It's georgeous, and I'm sure I speak for everyone here, we'd like to see more of it..

Here are a few. You cant quite tell from the last aerial view how steep that driveway is. When its snow covered things get very interesting going up and down it. I lovingly refer to it as MF'er in the winter. Edit - photobucket is down again. Ill add later

If that's an interior wall and that stone is local, you could probably turn that gorgeous fireplace into a gorgeous masonary heater too. It already almost looks like a Tulikivi.

I'm guessing that if you call that place a cabin, money is not the top thing on the list of concerns here.

On the other hand, you'd probably be sacrificing some heating power by switching away from the King.

Im 99% certain that the stone is just a stone veneer that matches the exterior base of the house.

 

[jetsam]

Im 99% certain that the stone is just a stone veneer that matches the exterior base of the house.

You're probably right unless they cut every rock flat on the front and then got them all installed facing perfectly. I didn't spot that.

 

[BKVP]

Please keep in mind the units must remain unaltered. The Classic is the shortest version. As to the customization of a surround, keep in mind you need access to the thermostat, bypass and if installed with fans, the rheostat for fan control.

The right side of any custom surround must be able to be opened. If centered in the opening, you must also have enough room to operate the controls...ie reach them.

On a side note, if you have a whitetail infestation problem let me know.....