Fireplace Resoration
Interested in restoring three fireplaces. Two have that metal cover on it with a louver type grille that can be openned. First question- How were these FP’s used?wood? gas? they seem to shallow for wood burning. What does a chimney guy/fireplace guy have to do to get it going again?how efficient are gas fireplaces?
Interested in restoring three fireplaces. Two have that metal cover on it with a louver type grille that can be openned.
First question-
How were these FP’s used?wood? gas? they seem to shallow for wood burning.
What does a chimney guy/fireplace guy have to do to get it going again?how efficient are gas fireplaces?
Always get referals from someone you know when picking a fireplace company because there are to many con’s out there. It was most likely used for a coal burning fireplace. Are the chimneys sealed off on the roof? If so they must be opened to see the condition of the chimneys. If the chimneys are in good conditions wood burning should be the easy way out. When installing a gas fireplace in a brick chimney the law states that the chimney has to be lined with a liner.
My fireplaces were originally gas and I had them rebuilt to be woodburning. On each, the firebox was rebuilt with fire brick, damper installed and terracotta flue installed in the chimney through the roof.
You identified the main issue that unless you create a bigger firebox, which imo looks aesthetically displeasing, it’s pretty difficult to have a fire that doesn’t smoke. I use duraflame logs. Controlled burn – no sparks, and controlled size. All the ambiance of a woodburning fire – no. A good, safe compromise that doesn’t smoke up the house – yes.
The small fireplaces generally would have been either coal or they are actually grates for a furnace or stove on a lower level (like the original basement kitchen or the cellar). There are some neat gas inserts that mimic the look of a coal grate which are very cool. A wbf generally needs a larger box, so it probably makes sense to do something that allows you to take advantage of a smaller firebox–which are elegant in my opinion.
We did exactly this 10 years ago. Andre from A&A (who advertises on this site) did the work. I highly recommend him. He’s knowledgeable and honest. One of his team made a pretty bad mistake on our project but Andre came back months later to fix it — a litmus test for a good tradesman. When he opened up the chimneys to build new terracotta flues, there was no soot on the brick at all. We therefore surmised that the original heating system of our late 1870s rowhouse was forced hot air.
It’s critical to have this work done by a professional. Be sure also to check that the hearth is properly examined (and reinforced if necessary) so that you don’t run the risk of igniting concealed floor beams that may run under the decorative fireplace into the wall. Your new wbf should then be used with an appropriate amount of restraint, reflecting the very high heat burning wood can generate and the relative shallowness of these fireplaces.
My only regret is that we restored two fireplaces to wbfs. With hindsight, it would have been cheaper and more convenient to have used gas for the one in our upstairs study. While we love using the parlor fireplace to burn wood, it’s too much of a hassle to drag logs another floor up. Gas turns on with the flip of a switch and would have been easier for a little added warmth and atmosphere.
It is a pretty major and very dirty job. But it is definitely doable to convert your coal fireplaces to wood, though you basically have to rebuild them.
Expect the new fireplaces to project further out from the wall.
Good afternoon
I know a company perfect for restorations of fireplace. Tony Fisher of Two coats construction. I have worked with him several times on projects mainly fireplace restoration – non working units(s) restored to full functional fireplace. He is all knowing of these particulars, courteous, respionsive, neat, and precise with craftmanship His number is 718 837 9597.
Most likely the fireplaces were meant for either coal or a gas flame.
Depending on the size of the firebox and the situation with your existing flues, you may be able to restore one or two. You do not necessarily need to rebuild all the flues with ceramic liners. You can use metal. Costs start at $2,000 per fireplace and go up from there.
Argentina,
Look up Manny Lasalle on this site. He does this work and will give you an evaluation.
Argentina,
These were never wood burning fireplaces. A mason would have to tear open brickwork starting at the bottom and rebuild all flues with ceramic flue liners all the way up.
This is non-trivial, as leaving room for a wood-burning hearth on an upper floor requires snaking right or left up the side.
Although we install direct vent gas fireplace inserts in NJ and they are quite nice, permits, plumbing, and venting would seem prohibitive in NYC.