Reopening Bricked-in Fireplace?
Hi, We are on the top two floors of a brownstone and there is a bricked in fireplace on the top floor that I would love to get working again. Not quite sure what is behind it, but knowing absolutely nothing about this sort of thing, what is involved to get it functional? I would…
Hi,
We are on the top two floors of a brownstone and there is a bricked in fireplace on the top floor that I would love to get working again. Not quite sure what is behind it, but knowing absolutely nothing about this sort of thing, what is involved to get it functional? I would get it done by a professional, but would it impact the other people in the building if we got it working? What other challenges are involved?
Thanks.
Thanks all. Any idea (ballpark) how much it would cost to do this?
Unless there has been a change, the flue can also be lined with clay or ss. If you have a short, straight run and want to burn wood in an open fireplace – clay might be better. If you are using an insert – the stainless is the better way to go
BMS is right, the big issue is the flue and chimney, but it can be done. After unblocking the firebox the flue can be assessed. Code requires that flues are lined with stainless steel. You are on the top floor so the run to the roof is relatively short. Then you would want a chimney cap and damper. Most brownstones in the area were built for coal fires so you would have to have the entire firebox rebuilt to burn wood. You could install a gas fire in the original firebox. Whatever you do it should not affect anyone living below you because each fireplace has its own flue even though the flues share the same chimney.
this may be more of a chimney and flue repair issue than purely one of removing bricks from the fireplace opening. Depending on the era of the building and any later renovations, the fireplace could have originally been gas, coal, or a heat outlet for warmed air from a coal stove/furnace on a lower floor, so it may not be engineered as a wood burning fireplace.