Converting a double sided fireplace

[KathySmith]

I have a double sided fireplace in the middle of a large open room and would like to close in one side when I have it refaced. On the side that is enclosed I would like to set an old wood cookstove (useable) and somehow enclose a flue for this when it is refaced. How would I go about venting the woodstove and still be able to use the fireplace on the other side?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[begreen]

The stove would need a separate, dedicated flue installed if it is to be operational. Only one appliance per flue is permitted. It's possible that they built in more than one flue into the chimney. To determine this one would need to go up on the roof and look at the top of the chimney. If there are multiple flue tiles, then it needs to be determined which flue is connected to what appliance or fireplace, whether each is already in use and what condition they are in.

 

[KathySmith]

How does one go about adding another flue if all flues are being used? Would it be possible to run stove pipe to wood stove up inside of fireplace enclosure and out roof alongside chimney if all flues are used already?

 

[begreen]

How does one go about adding another flue if all flues are being used? Would it be possible to run stove pipe to wood stove up inside of fireplace enclosure and out roof alongside chimney if all flues are used already?

There isn't a simple answer. It depends on the chimney and flues. Assuming there is more than one flue (there may not be), one of the flues 'might' be used for something that can be re-located. For example, if it is a gas boiler, it could possibly be power-vented to the side of the house and that might free up a flue pipe.

Yes, a liner could be added for the woodstove, but that would mean that the fireplace could no longer function. This may be a moot point, because just bricking up one side of the fireplace may already make the fireplace non-functional unless it is safely done to current masonry code for a fireplace. This is not just a simple brick wall.

There is a small chance, if the flue is large enough, that it might accommodate 2 liners and an insert might be able to be installed into remaining fireplace opening. This is going to need a professional assessment. The best thing is to have a certified sweep come out an evaluate the current setup and to present the options based on what is found.

 

[KathySmith]

Okay, thank you very much.