Newbie question: Installing new fireplace on 1st floor, how straight does the chimney need to be?

[Bahyx]

I'd like to have a wood burning fireplace in a room downstairs. The wall where I'd like it to be is perpendicular to the outside wall of the house and is 3.4m x 2.17m (11.15 x 7.12 feet). I'm just wondering if it would be possible to have the chimney bend to the outside? I'm guessing it would need to deviate from the vertical by at least 35 degrees.

I realize the answer is probably no, just thought I would check as I'd like to avoid the chimney going through the roof and into the second floor.

 

[begreen]

You are correct, a maximum of a30 deg. offset is all that's allowed. I wouldn't be shy of going straight up and through the roof. The second floor penetration will need to be chased (boxed in) and firestopped.

 

[Bahyx]

I wouldn't be shy of going straight up and through the roof. The second floor penetration will need to be chased (boxed in) and firestopped.

Thanks very much for the reply, I'm thinking too this may be the best option. On the second floor there isn't a wall in that spot, so the pillar would be in the middle of the living room but I don't think it would look too bad. The only problem is that we have an asbestos roof.

Cheers again for the reply.

 

[begreen]

It's always good to look at the problem from multiple angles and perspectives. If you can post some pictures of the inside and outside locations maybe we can spot an option. Where are you hailing from?

PS: Welcome to hearth.com

 

[Bahyx]

I'm from Brisbane, Australia.

Thanks for the opportunity, actually I had a few questions that are probably quite 'newbie' in nature, but I better stick with this first though.

I took some photos, the red lines show where I was planing for the fireplace/chimney to be.

The first photo is from under the house and shows the back of the wall I'd like the fireplace on. I'm afraid I can't take a photo from inside the room but it's just a normal room with tiles and I guess plasterboard walls? At first I was planning on trying to bend the chimney to the right (the brick wall there is the outside wall of the house). But, if 30 degrees is the max, it doesn't look like there's room. We had some flood damage (ongoing problem in the cyclone season) under the house which is why things are so grimy and uneven.

The 2nd and 3rd pictures are of the 2nd floor. The hardwood beam at the top is the highest point of the house, you can probably see this better in the 4th photo. So if we can't bend the chimney I guess it would have to go straight up through there.

The 4th photo shows the asbestos roof. Unfortunately there are heaps of houses with these here, my Dad has one and had a very difficult time trying to find someone to put in a solar heating system.

Another probably more sensible option would be to put the fireplace in the corner of the room (far right in the first photo) and have the chimney on the outside of the house. But I think it would make the room too cramped as I'd like the fireplace to be the central focus of the room. If I had it in the corner I'd want to align the furniture that way and that would make the room look a bit weird and cramped.

The last photo is what I'd like the open fireplace to look like from the inside.

Hope all this makes sense. I've no idea if this would cost $5,000 or $50,000, do you think you could give me a very rough idea?

Edit: removed pictures

 

[begreen]

The pictures help a lot. That is a very challenging setup. I would not run a flue up the middle of the 2nd floor room. It would look like crap and probably would degrade the value of the house, even if the local inspector and insurance company allowed it, which is dubious. Also, you definitely don't want to violate that carrying beam at the ceiling.

Is there natural gas piped in? If so that may make for an easier install.

 

[Bahyx]

The pictures help a lot. That is a very challenging setup. I would not run a flue up the middle of the 2nd floor room. It would look like crap and probably would degrade the value of the house, even if the local inspector and insurance company allowed it, which is dubious. Also, you definitely don't want to violate that carrying beam at the ceiling.

Is there natural gas piped in? If so that may make for an easier install.

Well that sucks =/ No natural gas here, I'm pretty set on a fireplace that burns wood anyway. I guess I'll get someone in to have a look at it and see if he has any ideas. Thanks for your help.