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How to make a small fireplace useful?
01/12/2010 6:13 AM by John M
A reader writes in with a question about a fireplace:
We have those tiny early-1900s fireplaces and would love to put in something efficient for burning wood or pellets (or maybe even coal?) to heat a small space. Has anyone had any experience finding something small to fit in or just in front of a tiny fireplace? Ours is only 22 inches wide and 15 inches deep.
I’d recommend talking to the folks at the Victorian Fireplace Shop on Broad St. http://www.gascoals.net/ — they’ve been very helpful to me with my questions about my old fireplaces (notably replacing the “summer covers” – the stamped metal sheets with decorative scenes on them).
Also, be sure to get a proper chimney inspection from a certified sweep (http://www.csia.org) — there are a number of issues that can develop in those old chimneys, even moreso if you have stacked upstairs/downstairs fireplaces.
Fireplaces that small were meant to burn coal back in the day. I have looked for an insert (wood or pellet) that would fit in my small fireplace to no avail. They just don’t make them that small. Only option is having a wood or pellet stove placed right outside the fireplace and vent the exhaust up the fireplace. Have to have a hearth or a hearth pad big enough for the stove to sit on. You’ll also will need to put in a new vent pipe down the chimney if the fireplace hasn’t been relined.
Certain Gas fireplaces will fit in.
I agree with everything in #1, would only add that these fireplaces were designed for coal originally. They are shallow so as to reflect the heat outwards. However, I have burned coal and it’s dirty!
I’d suggest using gas – you can now get wonderful gas coals that look very much like the real coal, but burning gas is so much cleaner. You’ll also get a surprising amount of heat out of gas (logs or coals).
Again, to echo #1, please make sure you have your chimney inspected before burning anything!
I have a small wood/coal stove that works quite well. You’ll need a chimney inspection and liner most likely. You might also need a hearth extension depending on clearances required for the stove you get. The installation is not something to skimp on.
Jotul makes nice wood stoves but I don’t know about coal. My stove is a Petit Godin. You might find the forums and info on Hearth.com useful.
Coal can be quite clean burning; it depends on the stove and the coal. Many stoves have double burning mechanisms that are clean. Antracite coal is best, followed by bituminous coal. I have not yet found a source for anthracite coal in Richmond, but then again, I have not really looked too hard yet. This last cold spell would have been great for coal. I’ve burned more wood than I planned.
I just had Eurotech come out and inspect one chimney to see what work would need to be done to burn wood in one of my old coal fireplaces. The estimate came in at approximately $20,000-25,000 for just one fireplace and chimney (brought up to code). I have eight fireplaces and three chimneys in total. You will never get those costs back given the real estate environment. If anyone knows of someone else who does this work at reasonable prices, please let me know.
#4, Juliellen – you have a Petit Godin? How COOL! I used to have one, years ago. The one I had was oval, w/ gray porcelain enamel, and burned only coal after I started a small wood fire. I used only anthracite coal, bought it by the ton from what was then Ashland Coal – I don’t know if they still exist (check yellow pages for coal in this area). My then-husband built a bin using just 4×6 plywood; it held a ton of anthracite, didn’t take up much space, that type of coal is real dense, weighs a lot. We kept a coal fire going for about a week at which point it would get clinkers, and we’d let it go out, shake it down, dispose of ashes, and start over. Anthracite DOES burn real clean, as opposed to bituminous. Unfortunately, the latter is more easily found around here, but it really is dirty to burn. Since you have the stove, I’d look into sources for the cleaner burning stuff! That’s a wonderful little stove you have.
I still think if I had a small fireplace now, I’d go with gas if at all possible. Also you can line a chimney with pipe (be careful when using gas, you can’t use certain kinds of metal) cheaper than you can put in the clay liners.
#5, I’d follow what #1 said, and talk to the folks at the shop recommended in that post. By the time you redo the chimney, plus build out the hearth, you’ve ruined the entire configuration – look instead at getting gas in the building. If you really want to use wood, there is also a pour in liner system, used to be a business called either Superflue or Supaflue, I’ve seen them around here in the past few years, but they were also real pricey. If I hear of any other bricklayers who can do chimney lining, I’ll post here. Good luck.
Thanks for the info and ideas everyone. The problem with gas is getting it piped to where the fireplace is — seems like we’d have to really tear up walls and/or floors to do that. I am thinking about a little Morso or Jost stove, if it wouldn’t stick too far out into the room. A coal-burner is definitely worth thinking about too. Not a renewable resource, but then again who really does plant a tree for each cord of wood they burn? And it sounds like the cleanest burning coal is actually cleaner as far as particulates than most wood…. All in all, sounds like there’s no easy answer, but a little stove is maybe the best option. By the way, Hearth and Home is the name I kept hearing when I called around to ask about inserts and so on. They’re in Mechanicsville.
We had one chimney double lined for two fireplaces (upstairs and downstairs, sharing one chimney) by Magic Sweep Chimney Services of Sutherland, VA. This is not the same as “Magic Sweep.” The company we used is owned and run by a man named Randy Goodfellow and he did and AWESOME job on our chimneys. He does all the jobs himself (with an assistant or two) and is really dedicated to getting things right. We had a major problem of a firebox being too big for the flue and of the three companies that we had look at it and give estimates (one would not even offer an estimate- they didn’t want to touch it!), his suggestions and price seemed the most reasonable; I’m so happy we went with him. I think we paid around $6000 for all the work– yes, alot, but less than the other estimate by several thousand. This was for a poured in liner, not a metal liner (He uses Guardian Chimney Liner, which comes with a lifetime guarantee. The company says that the liners also help support the structure of masonry chimneys- good for us since ours is 100+ years old and had been long neglected. See http://www.guardianinc.com/).
Both fireplaces work great and one is a very small coal type fireplace. We just use smaller logs in it. If I had the money I’d have Randy do all of the fireplaces in the house. The number to the company is 804-861-6153. When we bought our house we could not use any of the fireplaces. I think the money we spent on this is one of the best house improvement investments we’ve made. I’m not a real estate person, but I would bet a safe, guaranteed, lined chimney that can be regularly used does add value to a sale price. Either way, it’s worth it to us, because we love the fireplaces and use them all the time.
crd, thanks for the info on Ashland Coal. I will look into it. My little stove is very cute indeed, and I really enjoy it.
Michael, I’d encourage you to get some other estimates. I had my chimney work and stove installation done by All Seasons Chimney in Sandston. I have a new ceramic-insulated liner and a hearth extension (removable). My chimney did not have to be rebuilt, but he did put a cap on it. Total was $1500 (I already had the stove). The work took most of the day to complete. Luckily, I have a small house with only one chimney.
Wood or coal stoves are alot more efficient than open fireplaces. Most of the heat from a fire goes right up the chimney, while a stove gets hot and warms up the room.
I have been very pleased with the unvented gas logs in my fireplaces. They burn clean and give up instant heat where you need it. With the use of flexible gas piping, installation is much easier and no need to repair a chimney flue. While I miss the smell of burning logs, I don’t miss the mess and labor involved in keeping a warm fire burning.
The posts here have been very informative. I am currently renting a home in Church Hill that has 5 fireplaces and 3 Chimneys. The landlord does not seem to care about the structure or safety, so he told us not to use any of them except for the gas log one in our living room. However, the gas line was leaking and I had to have it sealed off. I later found that the inner part of the fireplace was falling apart and would need serious repairs. I may end up buying this home in a year and will begin some fairly intensive restorations. It would be nice to one day be able to use all or most of the fireplaces. Now I know who to talk to. Thanks!
Wood pellet stove insert. Englander, out of Monroe, VA, makes them.
http://englandsstoveworks.com/pellet_stoves.html
More here:
http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-hvac/woodstoves-and-pellet-stoves/
There is also a wood pellet mill in Tappahannock where you can buy wholesale. Buy collectively with neighbors and share costs.
If you are going with a pellet stove for heat etc I would recommend one that is consistent your home. If like most homes on the Hill 1920(+ or -), take a look at Thelin stoves. It’s attractive and more appropriate than the typical square, ugly, black ones. I bought it on-line, had it shipped and installed – all for less $$$ than lining just one chimney.
Pellet stoves and wood stoves with blowers require electricity to operate. Just something to keep in mind if you are considering a back-up heat source for when the power goes out.
Good point #14.
Question to #13: you are using a pellet stove in an unlined chimney? How is that possible?
We have a corn stove that we purchased from Mark Lavery corner of 25th and Leigh St. It burns exceptionally clean and they come in various sizes. He can tell you if they have one to fit your space. He also delivers the corn and puts it in a silo (he manufactures)we have on the alley. We have been using htis for the past 3 years and love it. He also knows a great deal about heating and ventilating these old homes. If you are interested I could get him to give you a call.
I used to live near Takoma Park in Maryland. Takoma Park had a community corn silo for all the corn stoves in the town. Corn stoves are good in that you can vent them through the wall like a dryer so you avoid all the chimney hassle. And the neighborhood smells like popcorn. They do require electricity for the hopper, though, so they don’t work during power outages. If you can get locally-grown corn it makes alot more sense than having it trucked in from Iowa. There’s also some debate surrounding the use of a potential food source for heating fuel, but I’ll leave that one to others.
I considered getting a corn stove at my old house that did not have a fireplace. But then I decided to move, so I didn’t pursue it.
Mark obtains the corn from a supplier near Petersburg, though I imagine they have more in Iowa! Just fyi in case you are thinking we have the popcorn smell in the house-no. Just a warm glow from the stove.