Brick fireplace dilemma

[rch3791]

I am looking at a house which has an odd fireplace/chimney construction. A brick fireplace is installed in the basement. A brick chimney goes through the first floor up to the roof. There is no fireplace on the first floor. Instead, the brick chimney wall is covered with a drywall (doesn't it get hot?) on the first floor. It makes the room look wierd.

Is it possible to take down the drywall covering the chimney wall, make a hole in the chimney and make a fireplace on the first floor?

I've seen houses which have fireplaces right on top of each other sharing the same chimney.

Thanks in advance.

[handyandy]

Two fireplaces can share one chimney, but you may get a backdraft of smoke from one to the other fireplace. I am sure you see this from time to time, but it is considered an unsafe practice.

The best way is to have each fireplace have its own flue.

Could a double-wall stainless pipe be run from the first floor through the chimney? Maybe you can replace the existing one with two new ones, each running to its own chimney?

Welcome to the forum!

[rch3791]

Thanks for the idea! I think that might be a solution.

[boxer5073]

lots of old homes have this --we had an old two story and both chimneys were old wood burning type that had mantles upstairs right above the ones downstairs--they were also loaded with soot-i got on my back jabbing up with a broomstick to knock some out and there was a load whoose and a weight of solid soot came down and pinned me down i managed to pull and wiggle out---if you do this why not convert to clean gas and fake logs--all at home depot- ace--etc?? much cleaner and safer--if you really want to burn wood make sure and get the mesh screen to keep the sparks from flying