Need to hear voice of reason from my beloved hearth community

[Dmitry]

Hey guys. Here is the situation.
My daughter who is 25yo and her husband that 30 just got a house. We are in a middle of renovations here. Which is nerve wracking and expensive. They have huge double sided fireplace in a middle of the family room. Two faceplates, two huge hearth. Ill post pictures. We are about to put expansive stone veneer and granite for hearth on it and its major project. I told them to close one side and put insert on other because it's inefficient to keep it the way it is.. The inside is huge and can fit anything. OMG, they say I'm silly and it will not look good. Instead they want to redo it and keep two sided fireplace with new faceplates. Can you chime in and say if its inefficient and will suck the warm air right out. their main argument: previous owner says it heats good, it looks good. The daughter husband never dealt with wood and im saying they can use pellets if no wood heat desired

 

[Dmitry]

Here is the pics

 

[fespo]

View attachment 200632 View attachment 200633 Here is the pics

I would put a insert in. The open fire place will suck everything up and out. I just showed my wife the pictures and she even said close one side and put the insert in.

 

[bfitz3]

Happiness comes in many forms. You've given advice. If they choose to ignore it and are happy with their decision, join them and keep being a good dad.

 

[brenndatomu]

Assuming that one of those double sided stoves is out of the budget? Supreme Duet or something like that?
Here it is...http://supremem.com/duet.php

 

[Alpine1]

I'm pretty sure that fireplace warms the room... with considerable wood consumption, inefficiency AND pollution but... as bfitz3 pointed out, happiness comes in many forms. Rest assured that after a couple of winters feeding the beast, with all the CSS involved, your son in law will ask you advice about a good fireplace insert, or a modern wood stove.
Learning takes time and effort and, in this case, some sweating with a splitting axe

 

[Hogwildz]

I'd tear that monstrosity down and put a freestanding over near the wall, opening up the space and creating a nice large open area.
At the very least put an insert in, and maybe cover the back side with some nice metal grating or cast iron, which would allow heated air out the back opening as well as the front.

 

[Dmitry]

Happiness comes in many forms. You've given advice. If they choose to ignore it and are happy with their decision, join them and keep being a good dad.

That's what my wife says and it is true. But wood burner inside me with all the knowledge gained over the years is having hard time.

 

[Alpine1]

Sometimes it's hard to be a good dad... they'll come your way, sooner or later

 

[Dmitry]

Assuming that one of those double sided stoves is out of the budget? Supreme Duet or something like that?
Here it is...http://supremem.com/duet.php

I'm even afraid to ask about the price. Any idea what would it be?

 

[brenndatomu]

Not sure...there are a couple threads about them around here...may have a price listed? I bet they are spendy though...

 

[Simonkenton]

It may heat well. For a fireplace.
Even the best fireplace burns five times as much wood as a wood stove. A crummy fireplace burns ten times as much.

 

[Ashful]

There were three double-sided fireplaces in my extended family, when I was a kid. Two of the three had one face sealed off with slate, before I was born, so I guess that says something about how well they (didn't) work. The third was fitted with a dual-faced sealed gas unit, which looked a lot like the Supreme DUET. None were left open, by their three respective owners.

Remember, chimney cross-sectional area is sized to fireplace total cross-sectional area, so most of these traditional open double-faced fireplaces have chimneys that a fat man dressed in a Santa suit could climb thru. Lots of heat lost up those, exacerbated by the complete lack of a rear reflecting wall (thank you, Rumford).

I like Hogz's suggestion to just tear it out. It's not attractive, it's not functional, and they're discussing a major (and expensive) project to put lipstick on that pig. I suspect this option never came to mind, as I'm sure I might have overlooked it too, but it's one I'd consider.

Whatever happens, all you can do is offer advice, it's their call. Of course you don't need to spend your time and money to help them with the wrong choice. After all, parents are there to coerce kids in the right direction!

 

[blades]

On the bright side with the amount of exhaust that will create they will never have to worry about radon buildup. Another thought some squirrel cage fans located in front of those fireplaces openings coupled to a generator would likely reduce their electricity usage. ( mean this morning aren't I ) Of course presents will be easy thick wool socks and Long Johns.

 

[enigmablaze]

Happiness comes in many forms. You've given advice. If they choose to ignore it and are happy with their decision, join them and keep being a good dad.

This. Firstly, we don't know their goals, are they trying to heat their home with wood or is this for ambiance/fun?

Honestly if I bought that house I would keep the dual-sided fireplace, with some work it could probably be a beautiful piece in their house. Is it inefficient, sure probably, draft might be tricky etc. but if you're not relying on it and planning on heating with it 24-7 then it would surely work for some delightful evenings with their friends.

The clearest solution here to me seems to be, ask them to wait a month or two and use it to actually burn some wood...if they're satisfied with it for their needs then by all means go forward with the expensive plans. If they are unhappy with it they have dodged a pricey bullet and can reconfigure appropriately. Not everyone's goals for wood burners are the same, my parents have an inefficient fireplace that they love to curl up in front of and would not trade it for the most efficient stove.

 

[cd36]

This. Firstly, we don't know their goals, are they trying to heat their home with wood or is this for ambiance/fun?

Honestly if I bought that house I would keep the dual-sided fireplace, with some work it could probably be a beautiful piece in their house. Is it inefficient, sure probably, draft might be tricky etc. but if you're not relying on it and planning on heating with it 24-7 then it would surely work for some delightful evenings with their friends.

The clearest solution here to me seems to be, ask them to wait a month or two and use it to actually burn some wood...if they're satisfied with it for their needs then by all means go forward with the expensive plans. If they are unhappy with it they have dodged a pricey bullet and can reconfigure appropriately. Not everyone's goals for wood burners are the same, my parents have an inefficient fireplace that they love to curl up in front of and would not trade it for the most efficient stove.

This is the best suggestion in the thread IMHO. Remember you aren't asking something that has a definitive yes/no answer, this is strictly an opinion question, and everyone's will be different. I highly doubt that saying 'an internet forum agreed with me you should rip it out" will change their opinion, so it doesn't much matter what anyone's opinion is in this thread.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

 

[blacksmithden]

I rented a house with a double sided fireplace like that. After a few attempts to warm the house with it, I stuffed insulation up the chimney to block it off....damper plate was missing. That did more to save the heat in the house than the fire ever did.

 

[begreen]

It's a good idea to live with the house to learn about the strengths and weaknesses before a major remodel. We lived in ours 12 yrs before finally tearing out the fireplace. It's a major change that deserves some hard thought, especially if the fireplace is a structural part of the house support.

 

[Dmitry]

It's a good idea to live with the house to learn about the strengths and weaknesses before a major remodel. We lived in ours 12 yrs before finally tearing out the fireplace. It's a major change that deserves some hard thought, especially if the fireplace is a structural part of the house support.

It's holding big cathedral ceiling in a room, and it has oil furnace exhaust pipe going from basement

 

[Dmitry]

Ok, The latest update : they will put insert in and close one side. Actually this thread was a deal-breaker. Apparently they thought of me as a wood burning lunatic. Now they see its not only my opinion.

 

[firefighterjake]

Ok, The latest update : they will put insert in and close one side. Actually this thread was a deal-breaker. Apparently they thought of me as a wood burning lunatic. Now they see its not only my opinion.

Well you area a wood burning lunatic . . . along with the rest of us.

 

[firefighterjake]

This. Firstly, we don't know their goals, are they trying to heat their home with wood or is this for ambiance/fun?

Honestly if I bought that house I would keep the dual-sided fireplace, with some work it could probably be a beautiful piece in their house. Is it inefficient, sure probably, draft might be tricky etc. but if you're not relying on it and planning on heating with it 24-7 then it would surely work for some delightful evenings with their friends.

The clearest solution here to me seems to be, ask them to wait a month or two and use it to actually burn some wood...if they're satisfied with it for their needs then by all means go forward with the expensive plans. If they are unhappy with it they have dodged a pricey bullet and can reconfigure appropriately. Not everyone's goals for wood burners are the same, my parents have an inefficient fireplace that they love to curl up in front of and would not trade it for the most efficient stove.

The simplest and best solution . . . perhaps we should rename you SolomonBlaze.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

You gave your daughter your thoughts once, which makes you a good parent. Giving them twice might make you a pain in the neck. This would be different if this was a safety issue but worst case is that the spend a bit more money on heat. It's their money. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jetsam]

I'd make that opening taller and put a freestanding stove in it. That would be pretty and functional!

If they're going with a tube stove, that masonry pile would help smooth out the spiky heat in shoulder season.

 

[bholler]

I'd make that opening taller and put a freestanding stove in it. That would be pretty and functional!

If they're going with a tube stove, that masonry pile would help smooth out the spiky heat in shoulder season.

An insert will be perfectly functional as well. Especially being an internal chimney any heat lost to the masonry will still end up in the house.