Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

So, I am seriously looking at gutting my living room, removing the fireplace and replacing with a wood burning stove.

Question one.
Have I lost my marbles? We don’t use the fire place. It’s never been serviced and to be frank, it would just be for the “look and feel” of a fire. It’s totally inefficient.

Question Bee
What does this do to the resell value of the house? I expect to get a very nice model. Not just something that will heat but something that adds to the overall attractiveness/value of the home.

Question next
WHAT DO I LOOK AT????????

I want efficiency because I want to use it a lot to heat the house instead of using electricity. I don’t want to spend scads of money on wood, and in the end, end up with a bigger bill because of it.


I will be heating about 1000 sq feet (bed rooms are on the other side of the house and not likely to benefit, but kitchen, dining room and living room are all pretty open and the largest part of the house.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

WELL, I'm not the chimney Sweep, but from experience, my husband and I bought an older house, years ago, and the chimney stuck out in the room, (not a fireplace) and we decided it had to go, so we tore it out.

There might be a better way to go about it, but we just took sledge hammers and went at it. That was the dirtiest job I ever seen. Good thing that we were going to replace the floors and just about everything, because everything was black as coal. It's a good thing the we weren't living there.

If I had an unusable fireplace, I believe that I would buy one of those real nice fireplace insert stoves. And if you decided to sell your house, someone might want to renovate the fireplace.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Is it a masonry fireplace or a prefabricated metal one?

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

I currently have a masonry fireplace. it is about to meet my sledge hammer.

my living room is basically a rectangle and the entire fireplace is built into the space, not just built on a wall of the space.

It takes up a good bit of room, its awkward and my intention is to remove it, and rearange the room in a more fitting manner.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

If the fireplace is in good condition one option would be to put in a fireplace insert. Lopi and Jotul are good choices. You can research them on the internet. You would probably want a dealer to come and look at your fireplace to determine which models fit. They are very efficient and put out a lot of heat. I prefer free standing wood stoves though to the inserts. They have much more radiant surface to heat the room and therefore don't require circulating fans to disperse the heat. Fireplace inserts require fans to circulate the heat. Also some stoves have ash drawers to make removing ashes easy. Fireplace inserts don't have ash drawers. Hope that helps.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

See a big part of my reasoning is the fireplace itself is just not attractive and is more of a inconvienience than it is a part of the space.

it was almost an afterthought. kind of "oh no, we forgot the fireplace so lets just build it into the room" kind of thing.

I am pretty much set on the idea of knocking the whole thing down and putting in a stove.

so for stoves, what do you like? nice, attractive and value adding while being a useful item to heat the house?

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

My FIL had a wood burning stove. I felt it warmed the house much more than the fireplace we had.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

My previous house had a Hearthstone stove which I installed and was really my primary heat source in the winter. I loved it and miss it. My current house has a very nice fireplace which my wife and I like a lot and use often. But for heating purposes it's pretty useless. I am considering putting in an insert.
,
It will add value to the house if a perspective buyer appreciates it. As far as heating the house they certainly have enough heat output to do so. One question to ask would be is the layout of your house such that the heat from a stove can circulate throughout.

Good stoves out there from Hearthstone, Jotul, Vermont Castings, Lopi. I recommend staying away from stoves with catalytic converters.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Never a chimney sweep around when ya need on.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Please tell me you've got video! That must have been something to see! :loo

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Nope, no video's no pictures. I wish I did have.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Thanks. the livingroom, dining, and kitchen are all open. the back part of the house where the bedrooms are are less so.

other than the catalytic converters needing replacement over time, is there anything else that is a negative?

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

From reading I've heard that they are prone to damage and premature failure if you put anything in the stove other than good clean seasoned firewood. For example, you use recycled lumber as kindling to start your fire and you don't pull out every nail. I guess the nails being in there can damage them. They are expensive to replace. There are a lot of good efficient stoves out there that don't have them.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Well, you'll just have to reenact it, then. :lol

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Got a fire going tonight on stormy winter night.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Nice fire!

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Marbles... Who needs em?

Ok assuming you are set on removal... And install of a freestanding stove...

Check out the Hearthstone Heritage in a blue Seafoam enamel. $$$$
A piece of art that heats very well. Hearth requirements are a bit extra because of the side and front loading options.

Also, for less money the Hearthstone Shellburne in a matte black looks great.

As far as the Real Estate impact... I think a nice wood stove is equal to a fireplace in adding value. The key here is to do it with taste. Consider a raised hearth 10- 15" to bring it ip from the floor a bit. Also, even though, tile or cultured stone adds no advantage for clearances it may be worth adding to the walls for aesthetic value.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Pilgrim gave some good advise. A non cat stove seems to work best for most people. The manufacturers have mostly abandoned the catalytic stoves with a few exceptions. That will likely change soon if the EPA has their way... With coming particulate limits. The two technologies of Catalytic and Secondary air tubes combined reach the lowest particulate.


The stove will likely require a footprint similar to your fireplace in terms of hearth and furniture clearance requirements. But it would certainly have a more open look and feel.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Thank you sir! much appreciated.

My wifes big concern i losing the mantle. I dont care but rule number one is Make momma happy....ergo....

I am thinking of moving this to the corner of the room (it will free up the largest wall in the house and make the space more functional)

does that all for a mantle to be added with a free standing stove?

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Ferd, looks like you're going to tear it out. Can you close up the living room from the other rooms? Take out all the furniture, take down the curtains?
It will make a mess, but nothing that can't be cleaned up, if you're careful.

An it certainly will be worth it. Especially if you get one of those pretty stoves.
Are the Hearthstone made of soapstone? I always wanted one of those.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

A mantle can certainly be done behind the stove. I would recommend using double wall connector (this is the pipe that connects from the stove to the chimney). That will allow for installation of within 6" to the mantle.

The other thing I have seen on corner installations is a mantle on each side - even at different heights. It's an interesting look.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Hearthstone makes soapstone/cast iron stoves.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

oh we will certainly be carefull with the removal....but that is just a part of the whole.

we are also going to remove the popcorn from the ceiling. Thats a nasty job too... we are likely to be pulling everything out of the house and doing a full on, remodel.... IF the Lord is willing...

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Thank you Hoovie. I may have more questions as we get more into this. we are about to have some serious fun at the Ferd house!

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Make a video.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

And be careful, but not too careful or the vid won't be funny enough.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

:rofl ya at least one scene of a cloud of coal dust blanketing--preferably--someone's tongue or something is mando :D

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

You might consider a zip wall! https://www.zipwall.com/video/produc...m-video?utm_s=

Also, a 20' long 8" round drainage pipe works as a nice chute to slide the bricks down into a barrel or trailer.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Dude that is cool! have you used it? we have a huge job ahead of us. getting rid of popcorn cieling in the entire house, redoing all the flooring, maybe taking out a wall between the entrance hall and dining room, removing the chimney, cabnets in the kitchen and countertop and sink. redoing the second bathroom, new counter top in the master bath....

basically its a gut job.

we might even (if we have the funds) take in the back porch and make that part of the livingroom. that would be an extra 130 square feet.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Thanks for this, Hoovie! I can really use this when I am painting furniture with my power spray gun. And they have it at Lowes!! :thumbsup :thumbsup

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Praying.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

I used the Zip wall a few years ago on a job and was happy. We rented extra long poles that time... 15' vaulted ceilings

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

I have removed my share of popcorn textured ceilings... Easy job if they are not painted over - even if a bit messy. Spray water on it with a pump up garden sprayer, wait 20 minutes and cut it off with a. 12" flat drywall finishing trowel.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

yea mine is painted.... twice...

LOL


Hey, I am now hearing that there can be issues with insuring a home with a wood burning stove. is that your experience? I really want one but I dont want to pay for it the wrong way...

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Some do have a slight surcharge most do not. Especially if it's not a primary heat. Here is the key... Install only a listed stove and chimney and per manufacturers installation instructions. Document with photos.
Talk to your insurance in advance.
Many times they require professional installation (CSIA.org or NFI.org). Or they many request an inspection. Alternately, if you have the documentation they may not require inspection.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

The paint on the ceiling... Spray with water, three times an hr apart then cut it off.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Get it too wet and the tape will fall off also.

Re: Questions for the resident chimney sweep
 

Thanks. I did talk to my agent yesterday and I think we are good. He did say "professional instal" but that has always been the plan.