What options do I have with this mantle.

[MacKay]

I need help. My wife a mantle put out for garbage pickup locally, after stripping and refinishing the mantle we found it was quarter-sawn oak. Obviously my wife loves the mantle and currently uses it as furniture. She would like me to find a way to install a fireplace, insert, or stove so that she can use the mantle. It is an exterior wall that the mantle is currently against. The opening of the mantle is 35 1/2" H x 35 1/2" W. We do not have gas service in our area. We currently heat with oil. Which is why I am looking into a Jotul insert for our family room and would like something that puts out at least some heat here in the living room. Ideally the living room is the best place to heat other parts of the house, it is very open (cathedral ceiling) and it is next to the open stairway leading upstairs. Fitting is only half my challenge, I need it to look attractive for her. Any suggestions? I would post a picture, but have not yet figured out how to get below 1200 pixels.

 

[Vic99]

Welcome.

To get below 1200 pixels, try opening your picture with Paint . . . this program comes with many windows type machines. Usually found under your start menu/accessories/paint. After you open the image with that, pull down the "image" heading and select "stretch/skew". A window with 100% for ht and width will open. Try reducing each to 50%. Save the newly modified image and then try to post it.

Make sure that the mantle is the appropriate distance from the insert or stove. Get a copy of the manual to find out and treat the distance to combustibles as law, it is their for safety reasons . . . even go a few inches higher in case you decide on a different stove later or your install doesn't go the way you plan and you have to raise your hearth or any number of other things that come up.

Get the distance from the manual. Don't rely on a stove brochure, they are not always exact. Many new stove manufacturers publish the manual online.

Good luck.

 

[MacKay]

Maybe the picture will work this time.

 

[Vic99]

Every stove has different specs.

That said, it looks like wood will be way to close to insert and certainly to close for a stove mounted part way into the hearth opening. All of these products get extremely hot. It would be a fire hazard and you probably wouldn't pass inspection as is.

Good luck

 

[bcnu]

My wife had an old mantle she also wanted used. We had to really work to get all the clearances - especially top clearance. I ended up with a surround and heat shield plus we had to raise the mantle surround up about 9 more inches. It sits up more than intended - but my wife loves it - and me too for figuring it out. That said, I agree - you must get th specs and really do the math first.

 

[jtp10181]

First of all you can't put a wood insert into a wall without an existing fireplace.

You might consider a pellet insert. What is the height of the mantle off the floor, and what is the depth of the shelf from the wall.

 

[MacKay]

The mantle is 44" high, the depth of the mantle from the wall is 11 1/2". I was not thinking a wood insert, but maybe a zero clearance unit. I am not opposed to punching a hole through the wall and installing a masonry chimney. I know outside chimneys are not as efficient, but in this case we do not want to lose the floor space.

 

[jtp10181]

Well the two ZC EPA wood units I know of the mantle must be 60" up from the floor, and thats not just the shelf, thats any combustibles.

Northstar and 7100FP would not work with that mantle.

Honestly I think the only thing you could fit in there is a pellet insert.

 

[MacKay]

Any recommendation on a pellet insert?

 

[Hestia]

I love the quartersawn oak! Very handsome piece. This is probably not that helpful, but just thought I would mention it. The Woodstock Soapstone gas stoves also work on propane, if you can get it in your area. The back and side clearances are not nearly as much as the wood stoves they carry. I thought that the Franklin stove they carry would look great with your piece, if you built a hearth in front of the mantle. You could use double wall pipe, which has a 6 inch clearance. You would probably be better off with a pellet stove, but we just purchased a Keystone from Woodstock, and it is just beautiful. If the clearances were not such an issue, I would recommend one of their wood stoves - I think the Fireview would look very nice with the mantel as well, but the clearances would be too much. The Cottage Franklin is also nice, if you can get propane. Granted, we haven't even had a fire in our Keystone yet, but it is getting hooked up tomorrow, the inspector comes next week, and then we will be celebrating!

I can't believe that your wife scored that in the trash! She did a beautiful job refinishing the wood. I am so happy that it did not end up in the dump. Hope you find what you need.

Hestia

 

[MacKay]

She did do a nice job on this. When we got it it had about 6 coats of white paint on it.

 

[billb3]

I'd guess removed from an old fireplace. Posibly a living room or smoking room fireplace never used.
Really, really surprised you found it one piees. they are usually ripped into pieces to carry more easily.

Usually fabricated to fit an existing fireplace, not the other way around.

No place to use it as a make-up mirror / trophy / knick-knack holder ?

 

[MacKay]

It really looks good in the room where we currently have it. We would love to have soemthing in that room that generates some heat, it tends to be the coldest place in the house.