Going from gas fireplace to wood burning fireplace - any recommendations?

[fabsroman]

Currently, I have a propane Heat n Glo 6000TR in the living room that is original to the house (i.e., 2001). It lets a ton of cold air in and I hate the thing. Only been in the house for 5 months now, but want to pull this thing out and put a wood burning appliance in its place. Had been thinking about installing a Vermont Castings woodstove, but I am doing mental gymnastics about how to pull that off. Been kicking around the idea of a wood burning insert or a zero clearance fireplace without putting in a masonry chimney. Also thinking about putting a Woodstock stove in the basement just below this one. It appears as though they had a pellet stove in the basement, but they removed it before selling.

The finished sf on the main level is 2,500 with a two story foyer. As I said, I was hoping to put a wood stove in that spot. Just trying to figure out how. Any and all suggestions/recommendations are appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Looks like you would be starting from scratch. The current setup does not look good for any wood stove purpose because it is likely too shallow and lacks a full-height chase for a chimney.

Where is the Ideal Steel installed and what is it heating?

 

[fabsroman]

Looks like you would be starting from scratch. The current setup does not look good for any wood stove purpose because it is likely too shallow and lacks a full-height chase for a chimney.

Where is the Ideal Steel installed and what is it heating?

Ideal Steel is going to be installed in a detached garage/apartment. There is 1,500+ sf finished in that garage. The stove has not been installed yet. I got it into the garage, then realized the chimney has several issues (e.g., too close to the back wall, drywall covering the box, too shallow coming through the roof). I am going to fix that after tax season and after we get through the coronavirus stuff. Not doing anything that could even remotely land me in a hospital at this time.

With the stoves I am going to put in the house, I am debating if I need to go with a masonry chimney and liners or with thimbles through the wall. Somewhat straight forward in the basement since the house was built with insulated concrete forms. I can go through the basement wall put in a Type A tee and support and then go up the side of the house. This gas fireplace issue is a little bit more perplexing. Pretty sure the entire box area is cut out from the concrete wall. So, not so easy to just put in a thimble and go through the wall, unless I figure something out concrete wise. Trying to save the hearth and mantel, versus just tearing it all out and starting from scratch. The hearth is concrete shaped to look like stone.

 

[begreen]

Well the chase could be removed completely including the fireplace. Then rebuilt from scratch to spec for the new ZC fireplace with a chase housing the chimney to above the roofline. The mantel and hearth "may" be reusable, but not much else. Another option would be to scout around the house and look for a good location for a freestanding stove, preferably where the chimney can go straight up through the house.

 

[fabsroman]

Well the chase could be removed completely including the fireplace. Then rebuilt from scratch to spec for the new ZC fireplace with a chase housing the chimney to above the roofline. The mantel and hearth "may" be reusable, but not much else. Another option would be to scout around the house and look for a good location for a freestanding stove, preferably where the chimney can go straight up through the house.

That is what I was guessing. Told my wife that I was ready to take it all down, hearth included. and just start from scratch.Might be the only way to go for what I want to accomplish.

 

[begreen]

I'm surprised this is the source of cold air. Is this the windward side of the house? I'm wondering if it is the fireplace or poor construction and sealing of the chase?

 

[fabsroman]

I'm surprised this is the source of cold air. Is this the windward side of the house? I'm wondering if it is the fireplace or poor construction and sealing of the chase?

I can feel the cold air coming up from the bottom. When I cracked open the lower grate, there is pink fiberglass insulation at the front of the appliance to keep the cold air from coming into the room. It does a somewhat decent job. The windows in the house are not the best, but the walls are insulated concrete forms with something like 8" of concrete with 2" foam on the inside and outside. My guess is the chase is built like garbage, but I will not know for sure until I rip it all out. At this point, I am leaning toward getting estimates for a masonry/stone chimney to service both the basement and the main floor. The upstairs has its own zone/HVAC and we are usually only up there at night. Plus, the master bedroom has a gas fireplace in it that is inside the room and not jutting out on the exterior wall. Have the same gas fireplace setup upstairs in the detached garage and there is no cold air coming in from either of them.