Converting Fireplaces to Wood
We are in the process of renovating a browstone on Dean Street in Boerum Hill. The house has multiple fireplaces, none of which work, and we’re having problems finding the right sort of gas fireplaces. The contractor is of the opinion that the fires will not draw properly and smoke horribly if we convert the…
We are in the process of renovating a browstone on Dean Street in Boerum Hill. The house has multiple fireplaces, none of which work, and we’re having problems finding the right sort of gas fireplaces. The contractor is of the opinion that the fires will not draw properly and smoke horribly if we convert the fireplaces to wood. I’m English and in London lots of people have gas fireplaces in place of wood-burning. What I’d like is an antique grate with fake coals/logs and an open flame, but all we can find so far is rather unatractive gas inserts. Can anyone help?
Many thanks
Hi. I am happy to hear that many people have converted old coal-burning fireplaces to wood. We have 2 in our 1885 home and want to convert them to wood. Can anyone give us an idea of what it costs and what’s involved in doing this type of project?
Thanks,
Erika
We live in Prospect Heights and had 2 Fireplaces restored this summer. Parlor and Kitchen. A&A Chimney and Fireplace Expert did the job.(Andre Buchanan) We were extremly happy with their work. It was a very dusty job, but totally worth it. Nothing beats a woodburning Fireplace.
how much did it cost you to convert from a gas fireplace to a wood one??
the place on 3rd st is Foro Marble. My experiences with them have been great.
You are right about the Victorian era houses using for coal or gas only for the fireplaces. We had our non-working fireplaces converted to wood burning last year and LOVE it. The fireboxes were enlarged, so the room does not get too smoked out to me at all – unless I forget to open the flue :). The open window idea is a good one just in case – thanks. I recommend Chimney and Fireplace Expert (718) 953-2836 – Andre Buchanan was excellent, very fair priced, and extremely knowledgable in every aspect of Brooklyn fireplaces. It will be really hard finding anyone as good as him. P.S. My husband is English too and previously had gas fireplace but now loves this wood burning one.
We also live on dean street and have working fireplaces. The parlor floor is shallow and looks to be the original size. It works so so as a word burning fireplace but I’d like to convert it back to gas for the heat. The whole parlor floor is drafty and there is no radiator in the living area on that floor. I think they heated the room with the fireplaces. The radiator is in the hall and there is a hot pipe in the front corner of the parlor. It’s always freezing in there in the winter.
We recently had our chimney’s relined (stainless steel flu’s) and now burn wood. We did have to have the fireboxes enlarged (new larger ones installed), but the extra size is hidden behind the marble mantels. I can tell you there’s nothing like a wood burning fire place in the winter. My advide, don’t settle for a gas imitation.
I was told a while ago that the fireplaces in Victorian-era brownstones in NYC were designed for coal and are too shallow for wood. Fireplaces were lit at the start of Winter and were intended to stay lit until Spring. Houses were smoked out as the house warmed up, but once the flue warmed up, everything was fine. When using wood in a shallow firebox, where you light it for short periods of time and then let it cool, I was told that unless you have something to help the flow of air (a fan or an air intake within the fireplace, for example), you’ll get smoked out each time. Alternatively, you can open a window to create an air intake, but that cools the space. Anyone know if this true or just the ramblings of someone trying to sell me a flue fan?
try victorian fireplace. http://www.victorian fireplace.com (or http://www.thevictorianfireplace.com).