Hey all I need some expert opinions and or advise. I have a 10 wall in my living area that I want to put a fireplace on. I don't have the time or money to install a wood unit. The slope behind my house would also require the footer to be at least 10' too. I instead want to frame out and build a fireplace on my first floor. I will be able to support the weight from the basement so that isn't an issue. My question is. Can I frame out a firebox, line the interior and exterior with cement board, cover it with stone and throw a propane burner with a set of logs in there? I can either direct vent it or tie it into an old oil furnace chimney that is in good condition. The fireplace will be mainly for aesthetics and some light to moderate use. It would be nice to draw some but's from it but it will not be meant as a heat source. I have no intentions on insulating it. Will the cement board act as a liner or do I have to line it with something else too? I am sure a lot more questions will arise but this should start things off. Thanks, Mike
New propane fireplace
- Thread starter PAwood
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First of all, I doubt anyone here will concur with what you're attempting to do. Building a "Faux" fire place
might work for you but it's not safe & it's not gonna meet code. You need to have a mason build you one with a chimney or you need to install a ZC wood burning unit with a vertical vent stack. Gas logs can be added later if that box is approved for them.
You would probably be better off with a Direct Vent gas fire place...Set it on the floor, vent it outside & hook up the gas. You can finish it off any way you want.
Take a look at the models offered & see what fits your needs as for:
1. Size - i.e. how much floor space are you willing to sacrifice to have aesthetics?
2. BTUs - how much do you want to have in a power outage? There are many gas DV
units that both look good & throw heat.
I know those options are not the way you want do it, but those are what you have to get...
So the issue isn't with running the gas burner into the chimney it is more so with the reliability of the firebox? I was basically told by the guys selling the logs that " if it can burn wood it can burn an open gas log set". If that is the issue then I may just have to settle for an enclosed unit. Cost isn't really the issue here I just would rather an open presentation instead of closed. Thanks for the input.
FanMan
Feeling the Heat
The gas log sets are made to go into a fireplace... a real fireplace, not a homemade contraption made of cement board and oil furnace vent. As Daksy said it might work but it wouldn't be safe.
Direct vent devices are always sealed. They draw air from the outside through the outer section of a concentric steel pipe, and exhaust the hot gases back out the relatively small center pipe. The cool air coming in through the outer section keeps the outer wall cool(er), which is why they can be installed with fairly small pipe clearances. Naturally, this won't work with an open log set.
Finally, there are "B-vent" devices. These use air from the room, and exhaust out the vent, which is a double wall pipe with an aluminum inner liner, and a much larger inner diameter relative to the outer pipe. Note that they're designed taking into account the thermal properties of the B-vent pipe to draft correctly; piping it into "an old oil furnace chimney that is in good condition" is not the same thing and will likely not draft properly. I don't know if anybody makes an open B-vent gas fireplace; all I've seen are glass front. Some devices can be hooked up as either B-vent or direct vent.
Of the two, direct vent devices are easier to install, and are generally more efficient. Both come with specific clearance requirements (even zero clearance) for that particular device which must be followed... usually with no insulation or cement board required.
Direct vent devices are always sealed. They draw air from the outside through the outer section of a concentric steel pipe, and exhaust the hot gases back out the relatively small center pipe. The cool air coming in through the outer section keeps the outer wall cool(er), which is why they can be installed with fairly small pipe clearances. Naturally, this won't work with an open log set.
Finally, there are "B-vent" devices. These use air from the room, and exhaust out the vent, which is a double wall pipe with an aluminum inner liner, and a much larger inner diameter relative to the outer pipe. Note that they're designed taking into account the thermal properties of the B-vent pipe to draft correctly; piping it into "an old oil furnace chimney that is in good condition" is not the same thing and will likely not draft properly. I don't know if anybody makes an open B-vent gas fireplace; all I've seen are glass front. Some devices can be hooked up as either B-vent or direct vent.
Of the two, direct vent devices are easier to install, and are generally more efficient. Both come with specific clearance requirements (even zero clearance) for that particular device which must be followed... usually with no insulation or cement board required.
I understand what both of you are saying. The faux or fake fireplace you 2 are referring to is not much different then a real fireplace. Just because there is stone and concrete lined on both sides of framing and cement board makes it more fireproof then just a single row of fire brick. So less the footer it is a real live stone lined fireplace. Not sure where that got lost in translation. Also the oil vent you are talking about is a chimney a real block chimney with a real liner in it. I guess I was foolish for thinking i could tap into a chimney. I understand the way double lined pipe works. I like the idea. I guess the main thing I was looking to get answered here was weather or not it was ok to let the inside air feed the exposed gas burner. No different then a wood fireplace. For what it's worth I can build a block fireplace and tap into my chimney too. The floor could be supported and the existing chimney has a footer. The chimney hasn't been used in some time but it is clean. There is no reason it couldn't vent gas. I am more then certain that the same black pipe that is used for hand fired wood or coal would be adequate enough. I would look into my options and possible use something more specified towards propane if available. I just hate the look of fire behind a piece of glass. That was the whole reason I thought I could improvise and put some use to a chimney that was not being used. Thanks for replying.
Really for what it's worth I can just go vent free. The fire isn't as pretty but it would be way easier. I am a hard headed polock, we don't understand easy 
Really for what it's worth I can just go vent free. The fire isn't as pretty but it would be way easier. I am a hard headed polock, we don't understand easy
Hi, if you are considering going vent free you can purchase a self contained fireproof firebox that can be installed with zero clearance and install a set of vent free gas logs. You can choose the size firebox you need, there are 3 sizes available, and choose the log set you like. There are multiple realistic log sets available as well as a variety of vent free firebox styles to choose from. The brand we carry is Monessen, they are US made, carry a great warranty and you save money as we order direct from the manufacturer with no middle man. Monessen's website address is monessenhearth.com, take a look and if you want to place an order it takes about three weeks to get the product. You can also order from our website gas-fireplace.com. You can also call us with any concerns or questions regarding the product. 1-800-692-1436
FanMan
Feeling the Heat
How thick is this "cement board and stone" between the interior of your "fireplace" and the wood framing?
What do you mean by a "10 wall" and what does the slope outside of your house have to do with installing a fireplace?
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