Fireplace info....

[mrcaptainbob]

This ol' house has a fireplace that's in pretty bad shape. It has a beautiful natural stone face and hearth. THe problem is that there was a chimney fire in the past, apparently the chimney was brought down by the fire department (so the story goes) and gas logs were installed shortly after. One eve I planned to use the fire place, but couldn't open the damper. Found it was cemented shut...from the outside. After peeling away some exterior panels I found the metal box of the fireplace was left to the elements for too long a time and is badly corroded. What I'd like to do is replace the metal with cement block and cover the interior of that with firebrick. Of coarse, the exterior would be finished with brick and mortar to match the rest of the house. Needless to say, a new chimney would be included in all this. My questions are: where can I go for info on fireplace construction, where can I get a damper plate? The opening is 43" wide by 34" tall and the box at the base is 32" deep.

[lonestarheir]

Don't know off hand about the guidlines for fireplace construction, but your best bet for the damper would be a local sheet metal shop. Take them pictures of what you have along with your measurements and they should be able to construct any thing that you may need including that new cap for the new chimney.

[HayZee518]

I don't think you're gonna find your answer at a sheet metal shoppe. The damper and smoke shelf are made of 1/4 inch steel plate. Some are cast units of cast iron. They or it is installed as part of the makeup of the chimney as the blocks [bricks] go up. Off hand I'd say to tear out the whole chimney and start over from the top of the hearth.

[mrcaptainbob]

Tearing out the old....

Tearing out the old won't be that difficult! There's not much left except for that corroded firebox. The chimney and all the surrounding brick was ripped down to the house block! THen a cheap chip-board surround built on some 2x4's to cover the misdeed! I'd like to make it up of the cemtn block/firebrick base, then use the triple wall sections for the flu pipe. I'm needing that top piece though. It must've been through a lot in it's past. The metal front piece just inside the fireplace opening at the top is heat buckled/warped and would allow gasses/smoke behind it and up to the upstairs....would make for a permanent nap! But it sure looks good from the living room side!

[kactuskid]

Unfortunatly fireplace fixen isn't quite as easy as one would think. Each manufacuter has it's very own requirements in order to meet the safety standards of it's own individual units. These parts are not interchangeable amoung units. Even if you found a piece with the proper dimensions, this would not mean your installation is approved or safe.

The best and safest thing for you to do would be to start over completly from scratch. There are prefab units that you can insert from the back and possibly still use the same hearth. Below is a link that'll tell you about them and how to install one. Though each manufacturer will have their very own instructions.

http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlc...43c926d3b3&p=1

[Phelps]

I don't know if this could be made to work with your design and needs but I'll toss this out:

Years ago (25 about) I built and partially redesigned a blueprinted modified A-frame. We put in a Franklin type fireplace. Instead of chimney brick we framed in the triple-wall stainless steel flue pipe chase up to the equivelent of 2 stories right on up through the roof, where we then had a real wide wood framed chimney pipe enclosure. Then we plywooded it above the roof line. Then a stone mason came and put that faux stone on it. It looked like the real McCoy...and had a massive expensive look. Then out the top of this was of course the stainless triple wall with cap cover.

Triple wall requires minimal clearance in an enclosure. You could chase it right through where your brick chimney went. Then, where it exits the house you build the boxed framing, and then decide how you want to cover it.

Just a thought.

If this don't work for you, because perhaps you wish to retain your original hearth inside, perhaps this will give someone else an idea of how to have a real fireplace that is less expense. (It's very expensive to have a real fireplace chimney built!)