Background: We want to replace a 40 year old freestanding wood stove in our living room with a direct vent gas fireplace. The wood stove takes up floor space, we rarely use it, and would prefer a gas fireplace -- more for ambiance than for heat generation (heat is very secondary).
Problem is, after visiting a local showroom, and researching the brands/models they suggested, I realize there's still a lot I don't know! Now, I am wondering if my short list of models are really good choices for our needs. I don't need a Mercedes when a Subaru will do!
Short list (but we can consider other models if these are not a good fit for our use case):
Kozy Bellingham 44, Napoleon Vector 50, and Town and Country TC42.
Primary goals: a fire that looks nice, in a unit that fits our space constraints. In particular, I don't want the enclosure for the fireplace unit to stick out into my room, and need to know the framing structure constraints to be sure it will fit my wall space well.
Questions (apologies in advance for long list) ...
Problem is, after visiting a local showroom, and researching the brands/models they suggested, I realize there's still a lot I don't know! Now, I am wondering if my short list of models are really good choices for our needs. I don't need a Mercedes when a Subaru will do!
Short list (but we can consider other models if these are not a good fit for our use case):
Kozy Bellingham 44, Napoleon Vector 50, and Town and Country TC42.
Primary goals: a fire that looks nice, in a unit that fits our space constraints. In particular, I don't want the enclosure for the fireplace unit to stick out into my room, and need to know the framing structure constraints to be sure it will fit my wall space well.
Questions (apologies in advance for long list) ...
- Heat: The generation of heat is NOT our priority. Are we choosing units that have too many BTU's, designed for more heat generation than we need? And, what should I know about the heat-management options they recommended to disperse the heat that builds up?
- Ducting: we have a chimney chase wood structure on the exterior of my house that is already used by the existing wood stove. The gas fireplace is going to go on the same exterior wall, and we've been told that the ducting will be connected to the existing ducting setup. But, what will actually be visible in the room? Will there be a grille, vent, slot, or other heat-release opening on the front or sides of the fireplace enclosure? Where would it be located, and how large would it be? Are there differences between brands for this, and can we avoid visible vents on the front/sides of any wall enclosure that is built?
- Dimensions: We'd like to know the approximate required dimensions of the enclosure built — width, height and projection from the existing wall before finishes. I'd prefer to keep the projection into the room under 16 inches, and the enclosure framed width under 70', and the framed height under 9 ft. How to determine in advance?
Height: What is the minimum enclosure height specified for installation? For instance, the Bellingham 44 needs an enclosure that is a minimum of 88" high per their installation brochure. To design and specify the wall/enclosure that the carpenter will build, what's the best way to determine?
Width: What is the width of the required enclosure before tile/finishing? For instance the Napoleon Vector 50 requires approximately 65 13/16" of framing width but there still may be other required materials applied that make the enclosure even wider. I'm looking to determine in advance.
Depth(a major concern): Unit depth vs. framing depth is different and can vary a lot. For instance, Napoleon Vector 50 framing depth of 20 1/8" vs. Bellingham 50 framing depth of 22 inches. Even though we're planning to pick up space from within the wall after demolition, we still need to know the approx. finished enclosure depth/projection into the room after framing, including any wallboard/ other material that is added.
4. Wall Use over fireplace: I want to hang a painting over the fireplace. With the units being considered, what is the minimum distance from the top of the fireplace glass/viewing opening to the bottom of any artwork? Can we safely use picture hooks, screws, or anchors in the wall above the fireplace to hang art? Are there areas where we cannot penetrate the wall after installation, or how is this accommodated? Are there ways to address this, that need to be specified in advance?
5. Other: Are there any other installation requirements, or finishing options -- access panels, non-reflective glass, screens, cool to the touch technology, etc. — that would affect the visible appearance, dimensions, placement, or function of the finished fireplace and differ between units, that I should know and that might affect our decision?
