Looking for Inspiration: Hearth Redesign

[Fasttrack]

Bottom Line Up Front: Looking to chew the fat and get some ideas about what I could with existing space. Do I close off the fireplace, paint the brick (shudder) and install a free standing stove? Do I try to find an insert? Do I redo all the masonry, including adding a raised hearth and larger firebox? See picture to get the ideas flowing (shown with the existing stove/insert slid out). Also, I'm interested in hearing brand recommendations.

Details and Introduction:

First time poster but learned a lot browsing the forum over the past few months. My wife and I just moved to a very modest sized (1750 sqft.) house built in 1982 (located in Seacoast NH). We're working on our "10 year plan" for things we want to update / expand / repair / etc. and one of the areas pretty high on the priority list is the hearth.

I previously renovated and lived about a decade in an 1880s house, about 2500 sqft. with a Hearthstone woodstove, which had secondary combustion. I don't recall the model (it was already in the house when I bought the place) but I loved it. It was my primary and sometimes (during renovations) only heat source. Burned beautifully, easy to control, good even heat. Before that, I lived in central Indiana in a 1952 ranch. I installed a wood-fired furnace in the basement, which included doing all the masonry and installing a stainless steel liner. So I'm reasonably handy and know some basics but certainly not a pro.

Back to our current house: the previous owners had a Lopi Premier Answer series stove configured as an insert installed in the fireplace. It is pretty tiny, only accepts small logs, and just doesn't look that good. What's more, the gaskets are all shot, every single firebrick in the firebox has multiple cracks / is crumbling, some of the welds holding the convection panel in place are broken (the panels have "sprung") and the screws holding the glass on have broken off in the brass surround. I've got a machine shop and welders so I could rebuild this stove but... I just don't think it's worth it.

As a near term solution (winter is coming!), I was thinking about buying a used stove from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. I've noticed tons of Vermont Castings stoves available but, after reading on this forum, I don't think I want one of those. Excluding those significantly reduces the options and increases the cost.

Anyway, buy a "cheap" used stove, pipe it into the existing stainless steel liner, maybe prime and paint the brick white to better fit the planned color scheme / interior decoration of the house (I guess one would consider it "modern coastal"??). Due to the low height of the existing firebox / smoke shelf, I'm thinking about cutting a hole in the masonry above the smoke shelf and connecting to the liner there. At which point, I might as well close off the alcove / existing firebox entirely and just make that an accent wall with a free standing stove.

Downsides of the above suggestion:
1) I hate painted brick. Maybe I like it better than the current brick with the weird white splotches, but it just feels "wrong" to me
2) The stove will be proud of the existing firebox, which is sort of a problem because the room is narrow and deep. We had planned on putting chairs on either side of the fireplace but with the clearances needed for a woodstove, it pretty much rules that out. Even if you could fit a chair, anyone sitting there will get roasted if the stove is a good radiator... and if it's going to be free standing I want it to be a good radiator!

So then I started thinking about a good insert (care to recommend any brands?)... and then I started thinking about rebuilding it with a larger firebox and maybe a raised hearth so the insert would be more of a focal point in the room. Then I started thinking about pulling out all the brick and redoing it with flagstone... and everything just sort of snowballed. So here I am, looking for inspiration and advice. Ideally, I'd like a cheap "this year" solution and then a longer term goal in which I would consider more drastic changes. FWIW, the exterior portion of the chimney houses two additional flues, one each for furnace and water heater.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Used could be a real challenge. What are the full fireplace dimensions, front and back, including depths top and bottom?

 

[Fasttrack]

Welcome. Used could be a real challenge. What are the full fireplace dimensions, front and back, including depths top and bottom?

Thanks for the quick response! Yes, I don't expect to find a used insert, which is why I was thinking about a used stove for this year and then maybe a more dramatic rebuild and new insert at a later date

Fireplace Dimensions:
At the face, it's 34.75" wide and 29.75" tall
It has a sort of Rumeford design, so the sides and back all slope. At the bottom of the firebox, it measures 20" deep but only 14" deep at the top. The width tapers down to only 27" wide at the very back.

 

[bigealta]

You could probably find a used small jotul 602 or f100 up in new england that could probably fit.
If you really are up in the air about options and want used then just keep it simple this year. With more time in the house you will be able to make a better decision on what would really work best.

 

[stoveliker]

You can also do a free standing stove with a convective jacket around. This decreases the radiative heat load on those sitting besides it, and decreases clearance distances to combustibles.

There are more options, but a Blaze King is one that I know of. Certainly not the only brand.

However, given space requirements, I would see if there are inserts that fit. That seems the most natural solution.
For short-term options, cutting a hole to add a stove pipe up higher will make aesthetics remodeling later more difficult. The hole in the liner will then also exist. So if you do this, don't make it too low. (Some stoves like taller vertical rises before 90-ing into the flue than others.) Don't limit future choices by a temporary solution now.

In fact, I'd do it once and "right" (whatever looks right to you(r significant other)).

One option you could do is stucco over the brick and paint it, or add cement board and tile it or so. Many modern options in tile.

With any replacement, do consider vertical clearance to the mantle (unless it's noncombustible).

My $0.02

 

[EbS-P]

If Cheap equals used you get what you get. Can’t waste time something looks just barely OK you gotta jump on it. An be prepared to walk away. I drive from Sanford to Freeport to look at on over priced stove that I would have paid for but the seller neglected to tell it was left outside for a week. I gave him a fair 65% of asking price offer since it was rusted and needed repaint and he counted with the $1000 list price. I left with no stove but got some shopping done.

Cheap is subjective. I went cheap with a drolet 1800i insert new. I’m happy with it. It was not in a location that I cared that much about looks. It’s reasonably cheap.

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I’ve stopped my wife from painting our brick and our stone fireplace at least twice.

 

[begreen]

Yes, a Century or Drolet insert is going to be the best value. The stove size will depend on how well the warmth can travel out of the stove room. How large is the stove room and how open or closed off is it from the rest of the floor? Is this a one or two story home?

How much firewood is already stacked and fully seasoned for this winter? It's late to gather firewood.

 

[BKVP]

Buy a different house. Just kidding..

Fireplaces have structural designs that need to be considered prior to removing or opening up the opening. If you elect to place a freestanding stove on the hearth, use black double wall stove pipe. That will allow the horizontal section to be within 8-9" of your ceiling. This assures you of maximum vertical rise before a transition.

You did say this was high on your priority list and given the condition of the Lopi, I suggest you also consider having the liner inspected. If it was subjected to a chimney fire, it needs to be replaced.

It appears this project is on an exterior wall. It would be ideal to have an insulated liner to retain heat and help with draft/stove performance.

Don't forget the IRS Tax credit. For eligible stoves/taxpayers, you could get up to $2,000 tax credit, which may help in replacing the liner or choice of wood stove/insert.

Never paint brick...I agree!

BKVP

 

[Fasttrack]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

We did have the chimney itself inspected. I'll be rebuilding the crown next week when we have a stretch of warmer weather but otherwise the liner was in good shape, although not insulated (it's inside a clay lined flue and the clay liner appeared to be in good shape, too - but hard to see with the liner it). The sweeps recommended insulating the liner since it's exterior but I wanted to hash out a plan first.

I've only got about 1.5 cords ready to burn for this season, so whatever I do now won't be for primary heat - more just ambiance and coziness on bad weather days.

Regarding heat movement, it's a two story house but pretty open on the first floor. I would say 3/4 of the square footage on the first floor actually has line of site to the stove / fireplace. The other quarter is the hallway and dining room with no doors, just framed openings.

 

[begreen]

Fireplace Dimensions:
At the face, it's 34.75" wide and 29.75" tall
It has a sort of Rumeford design, so the sides and back all slope. At the bottom of the firebox, it measures 20" deep but only 14" deep at the top. The width tapers down to only 27" wide at the very back.

What is the depth at around 21" high, off of the fireplace floor?

Sounds like a medium-sized insert will work. For new inserts, the Century 2800 or 2900 or in Drolet the Escape 1500i or 1800i are available. There is also the True North TN20 insert, but there may not be enough depth.

 

[Fasttrack]

The depth around 21" high is about 16".

I've been looking around at some of the nicer inserts, too. I suppose I could always buy a nice insert now (if it will fit) and re-use it if we ever end up doing anything major to the surrounding masonry. What do people think about Regency brand? I'm partial to the Hearthstone ones since I had such good luck with one of their stoves...

 

[Fasttrack]

Mod Edit:
Adding to existing thread as this has all the dimensions needed.

Well I still don't have the stove dilemma solved (https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/looking-for-inspiration-hearth-redesign.204632/) but I continue to nose around.

I've recently been looking at Drolet again. Their fireplace insert would fit in the existing space but it has a small viewing window (I got spoiled with a Hearthstone Heritage 8021 at the old house), so I was thinking about one of the larger stoves. Both the Cape Town 1800 and the Escape 2100 have nice large viewing glass. Both will require some masonry work and liner modification to break in above the smoke shelf since the flue exit is higher than the top of the current fireplace.

Cape Town 1800: Nice styling, appropriately sized (house is 1700 square feet, pretty open but two stories), and has the larger viewing glass. Disadvantage is the very high cost and - potentially - the custom cast refractory that could be difficult to repair / replace in the future

Escape 2100: Relatively inexpensive, fire brick interior, and still a really good sized viewing glass. The disadvantage is the size and styling. I'm afraid it will be too much stove for the size of house and it's pretty blah in the looks department.

I've looked through offerings from PE, BK, Hearthstone, and I've recently been looking at Woodstock Soapstone in NH. Ideally, I'd find something that is in-stock and ready to ship (ideally able to order online), around the $2k-3k (or less!) price range, viewing glass of ~185 square inches or more, and with a little bit of classical styling / visual interest.

Any thoughts or advice? Is the 2100 much too big for my space? Is the Cape Town worth the money? Doesn't seem too popular on the forum...

 

[begreen]

What is the change of plan when looking at freestanding stoves. How would it be vented?

The Cape Town is an outlier. I've been curious about it, but it's a rare bird. A rear vented Jotul is worth considering as an alternative.
The 2100 is large.

 

[Fasttrack]

Thanks Begreen - we're exploring having the fireplace bricked up and then put a thimble higher up on the brick surround. Stove pipe up and over. The mantle that is pictured is just hung on some flimsy brackets that are tapconned into the brick. Easy to remove.

Good to know that the 2100 isn't going to be too much stove for the space.