Making Fireplaces Functional
We have several fireplaces in our b’stone which we are interested in making functional – gas, not wood-burning. Does anyone have any idea of what the process is to make this happen? How long does it take? Any idea on the cost? Also, there are 3 in our owner’s duplex and 4 in the rental…
We have several fireplaces in our b’stone which we are interested in making functional – gas, not wood-burning. Does anyone have any idea of what the process is to make this happen? How long does it take? Any idea on the cost? Also, there are 3 in our owner’s duplex and 4 in the rental duplex – we only want ours to work.
Thanks, brownstoners.
Most brownstones in Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill and parts of PS are wood burning. The houses built after say 1880 or so have the shallow hearths for coal and later, gas. It is costly to retrofit these hearths to wood-burning units that won’t fill the house with smoke. I will check out the gascoals website.
Most brownstones in Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill and parts of PS are wood burning. The houses built after say 1880 or so have the shallow hearths for coal and later, gas. It is costly to retrofit these hearths to wood-burning units that won’t fill the house with smoke. I will check out the gascoals website.
Minard
Yes, most of the commerciallly available prefab gas fireplace “boxes” are VERY tacky but we’re talking about adding a “coal” unit to a restored hearth.
I suggest you have a look at the gascoals website.
Also, as one of the posters pointed out above, the $20k cost of renovating the chimney may beyond many people’s reach.
The majority of brownstone fireplaces are only deep enough for a coal basket style fire, not a wood one like earlier Federal homes.
gas fireplaces are not worth it. Even remote-control ones.
They are, well, fundamentally tacky.
Wood burning firplaces are the way to go. It’s the aroma, the crackle, the variation, the labor, the dirt.
No way around it ducks. Sorry.
Putting aside the proposed solution above, we are in the midst of finishing up our reno where we will be activating one of our fireplaces on our parlor floor (back kitchen area) to be gas burning.
But it was just not an inexpensive venture. What I thought would be a $5-$10k project I believe has turned into something closing on $20k because of work we had to do with the chimney, etc.
In any event, the total cost is not for the feint of heart. I am sure people have done fireplaces for far less expense, but my contractors are adamant the guy they use does it right as opposed to many of the others out there. Apparently they used to use less expensive sub-cons for the work, only to have problem after problem at other sites.
I don’t know – in retrospect given all the expense, not sure I would do this again.
The inserts on the urban remains website look cheesy??? They were the most upscale ones at the time.
denton, when i was very young, our neighbors got coal too.
dibs, I know there’s coal in the US. I owned CNX for a while, back in the good old days.
I know there’s a lot in PA also, hence Philadelphia makes sense to get coal. When I was a kid, I used to watch the coal trucks deliver all over. I’m showing my age, natch.
But if the OP puts in seven coal fireplaces, can you get coal in NY? I’m just curious… Like the old movie, Cotton Comes to Harlem. Will coal come to NYC?
Thanks for the info Dave- I have a nice summer cover and was wondering how I could integrate. The full inserts with their own covers tend to look a bit cheesy.