Corner alcove wood stove example pics please

[Tracks74]

I am brand new to the forum and enjoying all the information. So, first thanks for all the post, it helps a newbie a lot.

I am getting my wife convinced to try a wood burning stove for our home near Milwaukee. We currently have a gas direct vent fireplace that is located in the corner of our living room. It came with this house when we bought it 12 years ago. It provides virtually no heat at all and is more for visual looks. Our living room is a 2 story vaulted very tall room with 18' high ceilings. Again, for visual looks, the builder installed a 6' wide, 18' tall faux brick finish above the electric fireplace, but no actual chimney exists above the direct vent of the gas fireplace.

We are considering removing the gas fireplace and installing a wood stove. My wife is struggling to visualize the change. Can others who have a similiar situation share what they have?

My biggest surprise so far is the height clearance as this is not a true chimney / fireplace conversion. I have been looking at the Jotul 50 FL and see that I will need 59" of clearance above which will require removing my mantel and more of the faux brick than I initially thought. My project is still taking shape. FWIW, my local professional will be here Monday over my lunch break to start giving me estimates and ideas also.

Thanks for anything you can add here. I will post a pic yet also so you can better see what I have to work with.

 

[Tracks74]

Here is a pic my wife took when she finished putting up Christmas decorations. Again this continues up for a total of 18'

 

[Tracks74]

Does anyone have a similar situation they have photos of? Thanks

 

[begreen]

Welcome. 84" ceiling height is a common alcove installation requirement. Only a few stoves have less. Can you post a picture of your current setup so that we can see what you are working with?

 

[Tracks74]

Hopefully this is helpful.

 

[begreen]

Looks like there are several options. Let your imagination have some fun.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/media/tx-buck-91-decor.711/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/media/rangeley.709/

If you want to keep the current look you could install a good quality, EPA ZC fireplace in place of the gas unit.

 

[beatlefan]

Is that an exterior wall?

 

[Tracks74]

The one to the left of the fireplace is, the wall to the right is internal.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Same here left is exterior wall right inside wall. Haven't finished painting yet

 

[Tracks74]

Fun stuff. I really want to burn wood though.

 

[begreen]

Options presented presume wood burning. Can be freestanding or a ZC EPA wood burning fireplace.

 

[Tracks74]

That's true. I guess I am making the assumption I don't want to build a full fireplace the entire way up.
I guess, this is a good question to ask:
I want to have efficient, real wood burning, options and I have no stone chimney.
I would like to keep the total cost near or under the $5K amount. What would be my best option?

 

[begreen]

You can get either for about $2500 (before the aesthetics dept. boosts the price). Actually a decent steel stove can be bought for under $1000. The flue/chimney will be a major expense regardless of fireplace or freestanding stove. Figure an additional $2000 if not self installing. It will need a double-wall connector if freestanding. Hearth cost will vary with the stove and personal choice. Demolition, cleanup, wall repair, painting not included. A ceiling fan will be a must to distribute heat that will stratify at the ceiling peak.

 

[Tracks74]

I guess in doing my research I kept finding that wood stoves are the most efficient for heating the home. Maybe things have changed with newer models. I also assumed building a full stone chimney would run much more money for a fireplace, maybe I am wrong.
Obviously I am still new to this trying to figure it all out.
I did like the pics from another thread here that looked comparative. Before and after pics...

 

[begreen]

ZC fireplaces have metal chimneys. The difference being that the with a freestanding stove the chimney stops below the ceiling, the rest is double-wall stove pipe. A ZC fireplace will have the more expensive chimney pipe right down to the fireplace. Modern EPA ZC fireplaces are can be very efficient heaters. In some cases they use the same innards as the manufacturer's inserts.

The cost exception would be an unnecessary alcove. That will drive up cost because the chimney will need to go down to the top of the alcove. This is because of the high ceiling. Then add the expense of creating the alcove. If you want to keep the costs down, or to have more money for a fancier stove, then skip the alcove idea or boost the budget.

 

[Tracks74]

BG, thanks for helping. I appreciate it.
I should add that my wife likes the stone face look we have. Could we do a steel pipe all the way down with no alcove in a wood stove or fireplace, both, neither?

 

[Tracks74]

I have a meeting with the local professional tomorrow. Maybe I will have a better understanding then.

 

[begreen]

BG, thanks for helping. I appreciate it.
I should add that my wife likes the stone face look we have. Could we do a steel pipe all the way down with no alcove in a wood stove or fireplace, both, neither?

It's all about clearances. If the current facade is deep enough for a 6" chimney (8" diam.) that needs at least 2" clearance and if there is room for a ZC fireplace then perhaps most of the facade could be kept. It would just need rebuilding around the new fireplace. Flame makes one for under $2500. Otherwise you would need to run chimney pipe down to 84", then put in a ceiling in the inside to hold the support box. Then put in a hearth, install and connect the stove.

If it were me I'd probably tear out what is there and give up on the alcove idea, especially if the budget is tight. Replace with a nice stove and hearth. Then put up a stone veneer on the corner walls later when budget permits. But if clearances work out then maybe the current facade could be truncated at 84" and a freestander put under it. It all depends on the chimney pipe and stove clearance requirements. In that tight area good planning and measuring would be critical.

http://www.efireplacestore.com/cpf-93375.html
(broken link removed)

 

[Tracks74]

Would the ZC Fireplace work as primary heat with good efficiency? This might be a great way to go.

 

[begreen]

Yes. There are some good units out there. Just measure twice to be sure it fits properly and all clearances are honored. Avoid cheap contractor and non-epa units.

Is there a ceiling fan or two already installed in this room?

 

[Tracks74]

Yes, there already is a ceiling fan, we may have to add a second. I measured the from of the existing corner brick and it measures 73" at the face, not a lot of room