We have been in the house for 1 year, and it has 1 functioning wood stove insert (main floor), and 1 pellet stove insert (basement)
We moved in the dead of winter last year, and scrambled with finding seasoned wood... so the winter was horrible.
It’s a 5 level side split, and over the course of the last year with all the COVID crap, we haven’t been able to get anyone in that’s been reliable and shown up, or hasn’t given an astronomical quote/wait time.
We were leaning towards gas because of the miserable year from our first venture - but already this year with some proper seasoned wood and some more knowledge on the units, I’m happy with wood... and as mentioned, most people coming by have quoted extremely high/long wait times.
There’s a ton of used wood inserts and pellet inserts locally, or I can even order something Iike a Drolet from Amazon.
Here’s where I come for help, as there are some issues with this just being a straight forward install.
- the fireplace was decommissioned at some point in its life... they took the chimney stack down from above the roofline. The roof was patched and re-shingled, and the flue ends in the attic.
- the firebox itself is a metal shell, and the damper is extensively rusted.
- the dimensions within the throat seem to be to narrow for a 6” flexible liner due to the damper.
As mentioned, the house is a 5 level side split. This fireplace is for the 2nd ‘main’ floor. My in-laws live with us, and I’d like to make this a duplex, so a barrier will eventually exist between my wood insert fireplace, and their ‘home’... so I need to get some heat on their side outside the single pellet stove in the basement that doesn’t do well at heating the floor above it.
I’d like to DIY as much as possible for a multitude of reasons;
- learning experience
- contractors tend to be booked solid and into the future
- cost savings; especially so since I’ve been terminated from my job as a first responder thanks to the current political climate surrounding mandatory vaccinations.
I will get it WETT checked before operating, and I am handy... just not well versed in fireplaces.
My intent:
- Flexible liner from the attic down to the unit
- Attic insulation shield would have to be a built blocker due to such close proximity to the eaves and not enough height for a store bought.
- Roof is 12/4 and as per the 10-3-2 rule I will need 64” of chimney above the roofline.
- Insulated chimney pipe is what I’d like to use, and leave it exposed and supported vs building a new stack
My questions:
- can someone ID the type of firebox I have... and can I get my grinder/sawzall into the throat and start chopping away at the rusted out damper to give clearance for piping?
- I know this is the WOOD forum, but as I understand pellet inserts typically are smaller in piping, so I could probably snake a 4” pipe through the 5” opening between the throat/damper... but would that be advisable *IF* I can’t go the wood route.
- any other things I’m missing or should be doing/know before moving forward?
Other notes:
Firebox opening sizes are;
34W x 22.5H x 20D at the face
The taper at the back of the box make it so at 22.5”H it is only 16” deep, and tapers to the 14”H mark to gain the full 20” depth.
Here are a few pics to help describe the situation better than my words can tell.
From the attic, looking to where the flue comes up, and now ends in the eaves
Again, from the attic looking into the flue
Last one from the attic, looking down the flue for any issues.
Looking up from the fireplace into the flue
Debris that fell down from the attic and now sitting on the smoke shelf
Some rusting on the damper.
Looking up from the firebox, showing how narrow it is (measured 5”)
I had stuffed it with insulation through last winter to help prevent a draft.
Here is the firebox up close.
We moved in the dead of winter last year, and scrambled with finding seasoned wood... so the winter was horrible.
It’s a 5 level side split, and over the course of the last year with all the COVID crap, we haven’t been able to get anyone in that’s been reliable and shown up, or hasn’t given an astronomical quote/wait time.
We were leaning towards gas because of the miserable year from our first venture - but already this year with some proper seasoned wood and some more knowledge on the units, I’m happy with wood... and as mentioned, most people coming by have quoted extremely high/long wait times.
There’s a ton of used wood inserts and pellet inserts locally, or I can even order something Iike a Drolet from Amazon.
Here’s where I come for help, as there are some issues with this just being a straight forward install.
- the fireplace was decommissioned at some point in its life... they took the chimney stack down from above the roofline. The roof was patched and re-shingled, and the flue ends in the attic.
- the firebox itself is a metal shell, and the damper is extensively rusted.
- the dimensions within the throat seem to be to narrow for a 6” flexible liner due to the damper.
As mentioned, the house is a 5 level side split. This fireplace is for the 2nd ‘main’ floor. My in-laws live with us, and I’d like to make this a duplex, so a barrier will eventually exist between my wood insert fireplace, and their ‘home’... so I need to get some heat on their side outside the single pellet stove in the basement that doesn’t do well at heating the floor above it.
I’d like to DIY as much as possible for a multitude of reasons;
- learning experience
- contractors tend to be booked solid and into the future
- cost savings; especially so since I’ve been terminated from my job as a first responder thanks to the current political climate surrounding mandatory vaccinations.
I will get it WETT checked before operating, and I am handy... just not well versed in fireplaces.
My intent:
- Flexible liner from the attic down to the unit
- Attic insulation shield would have to be a built blocker due to such close proximity to the eaves and not enough height for a store bought.
- Roof is 12/4 and as per the 10-3-2 rule I will need 64” of chimney above the roofline.
- Insulated chimney pipe is what I’d like to use, and leave it exposed and supported vs building a new stack
My questions:
- can someone ID the type of firebox I have... and can I get my grinder/sawzall into the throat and start chopping away at the rusted out damper to give clearance for piping?
- I know this is the WOOD forum, but as I understand pellet inserts typically are smaller in piping, so I could probably snake a 4” pipe through the 5” opening between the throat/damper... but would that be advisable *IF* I can’t go the wood route.
- any other things I’m missing or should be doing/know before moving forward?
Other notes:
Firebox opening sizes are;
34W x 22.5H x 20D at the face
The taper at the back of the box make it so at 22.5”H it is only 16” deep, and tapers to the 14”H mark to gain the full 20” depth.
Here are a few pics to help describe the situation better than my words can tell.
From the attic, looking to where the flue comes up, and now ends in the eaves
Again, from the attic looking into the flue
Last one from the attic, looking down the flue for any issues.
Looking up from the fireplace into the flue
Debris that fell down from the attic and now sitting on the smoke shelf
Some rusting on the damper.
Looking up from the firebox, showing how narrow it is (measured 5”)
I had stuffed it with insulation through last winter to help prevent a draft.
Here is the firebox up close.
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