Custom gas assist, island, wood fireplace... Thoughts? Suggestions?

[SpaceBus]

I think you will find yourself spending all of your free time processing firewood. A glass box makes a poor heater.

 

[Awshin]

I think you will find yourself spending all of your free time processing firewood. A glass box makes a poor heater.

It is literally a center piece that divides the rooms. I burn only for the mesmerizing effect - and I don't get that from propane. Plus I live in a moderate climate.

 

[SpaceBus]

It is literally a center piece that divides the rooms. I burn only for the mesmerizing effect - and I don't get that from propane. Plus I live in a moderate climate.

Then a $50,000 sculpture it will be. I get the same effect from my smokeless outdoor firepit.

 

[SpaceBus]

If I were in your shoes with a $50,000 hole to fill it would be a beautiful masonry heater with a big glass door that could be used for baking and cooking. You only have the footers so far, perhaps there's a better direction to go in that won't require your home inspector to be a materials engineer.

 

[barnaclebob]

No just something outside the clearance to combustible range of the chimney that prevents anyone from touching it. The amount of insulation needed in the smoke chamber area will need to be figured out by your engineer again because there is no code precident.

I'm pretty sure his sketch has the intention of the chimney(ies) being enclosed in a chase.

OP a chase in this case is just the part of the "chimney" that you actually see. If you run multiple class A chimney pipes (you might consider them flues) then what you enclose them in is a chase. Again like someone posted above it might not actually be possible to have multiple class A chimney pipes venting a single fire due to possible draft reversals in some of them.

You are also showing your air intakes as pulling air from the house. This fireplace will pull massive amounts of warm air created by the furnace into the fire and out the chimney. I would look into providing outside air and it will probably even be a necessity if your house is sealed up tightly to modern codes. Whatever fireplace builder you hire should address these things.

Also as you've seen you'll get several skeptical responses here because open fireplaces don't provide any usable heat to a house and many are net heat losses. I understand that you probably don't care about the actual heat output from your fireplace but this forum has a focus on wood stoves and the amazing amount of heat they can provide.

 

[barnaclebob]

If I were in your shoes with a $50,000 hole to fill it would be a beautiful masonry heater with a big glass door that could be used for baking and cooking. You only have the footers so far, perhaps there's a better direction to go in that won't require your home inspector to be a materials engineer.

I bet Tulikivi could make something custom...

(broken link removed to https://www.tulikivi.com/usa-can/products/Special_orders)

 

[Awshin]

I'm pretty sure his sketch has the intention of the chimney(ies) being enclosed in a chase.

OP a chase in this case is just the part of the "chimney" that you actually see. If you run multiple class A chimney pipes (you might consider them flues) then what you enclose them in is a chase. Again like someone posted above it might not actually be possible to have multiple class A chimney pipes venting a single fire due to possible draft reversals in some of them.

You are also showing your air intakes as pulling air from the house. This fireplace will pull massive amounts of warm air created by the furnace into the fire and out the chimney. I would look into providing outside air and it will probably even be a necessity if your house is sealed up tightly to modern codes. Whatever fireplace builder you hire should address these things.

Also as you've seen you'll get several skeptical responses here because open fireplaces don't provide any usable heat to a house and many are net heat losses. I understand that you probably don't care about the actual heat output from your fireplace but this forum has a focus on wood stoves and the amazing amount of heat they can provide.

Thanks. Can you buy a single, large insulated chimney pipe?

I wish I had thought of creating an air intake under the slab. At this point, that ship has sailed. I wonder if you could pull at least some supplemental air from the roof down the chimney outside of the insulated tube?

I realize this is not a good way to heat a home. If I was going to dump 50 k into energy, I would probably build a solar array.

I like the idea of having my kids play the grand piano while I sit around a wood fire. We currently spend more time reading in front of our double sided fireplace than we do in front of the TV. It is something the whole fam enjoys.

 

[barnaclebob]

Thanks. Can you buy a single, large insulated chimney pipe?

I wish I had thought of creating an air intake under the slab. At this point, that ship has sailed. I wonder if you could pull at least some supplemental air from the roof down the chimney outside of the insulated tube?

I realize this is not a good way to heat a home. If I was going to dump 50 k into energy, I would probably build a solar array.

I like the idea of having my kids play the grand piano while I sit around a wood fire. We currently spend more time reading in front of our double sided fireplace than we do in front of the TV. It is something the whole fam enjoys.

I dont think you could pull outside air from the roof as its possible to start acting like a flue although gas fireplaces pull combustion air from pretty much the same height as the exaust vent. It might be possible to hide a duct along the catwalk and pull the air from somewhere lower than roof.

Your chimney designer could insist on breaking a trench through the slab, I dont know. The best we can do is educate you on questions and concerns to ask the designer/engineer for your beast.

Somewhere on here is a thread where someone paid a pretty penny (maybe 15k-20k?) for a really nice masonry outdoor fireplace. The mason designed and built it and it looked great. But, half the smoke came out the front because the mason had no experience designing fireplaces. There was no way to fix it without a complete rebuild. I think thats where the OP stopped responding but I'm guessing it wouldn't be easy and probably involved lawyers to get it redone.

 

[SpaceBus]

Thanks. Can you buy a single, large insulated chimney pipe?

I wish I had thought of creating an air intake under the slab. At this point, that ship has sailed. I wonder if you could pull at least some supplemental air from the roof down the chimney outside of the insulated tube?

I realize this is not a good way to heat a home. If I was going to dump 50 k into energy, I would probably build a solar array.

I like the idea of having my kids play the grand piano while I sit around a wood fire. We currently spend more time reading in front of our double sided fireplace than we do in front of the TV. It is something the whole fam enjoys.

Some companies make chimney pipes you can walk inside of. Jeremia's chimney comes to mind.

 

[SpaceBus]

I dont think you could pull outside air from the roof as its possible to start acting like a flue although gas fireplaces pull combustion air from pretty much the same height as the exaust vent. It might be possible to hide a duct along the catwalk and pull the air from somewhere lower than roof.

Your chimney designer could insist on breaking a trench through the slab, I dont know. The best we can do is educate you on questions and concerns to ask the designer/engineer for your beast.

Somewhere on here is a thread where someone paid a pretty penny (maybe 15k-20k?) for a really nice masonry outdoor fireplace. The mason designed and built it and it looked great. But, half the smoke came out the front because the mason had no experience designing fireplaces. There was no way to fix it without a complete rebuild. I think thats where the OP stopped responding but I'm guessing it wouldn't be easy and probably involved lawyers to get it redone.

That sounds like a nightmare

 

[bholler]

Thanks. Can you buy a single, large insulated chimney pipe?

I wish I had thought of creating an air intake under the slab. At this point, that ship has sailed. I wonder if you could pull at least some supplemental air from the roof down the chimney outside of the insulated tube?

I realize this is not a good way to heat a home. If I was going to dump 50 k into energy, I would probably build a solar array.

I like the idea of having my kids play the grand piano while I sit around a wood fire. We currently spend more time reading in front of our double sided fireplace than we do in front of the TV. It is something the whole fam enjoys.

Yes you can buy large chimney pipe. But at the size you need it will be a custom order there are several companies out there that can do this but you are going to pay allot for it

 

[Awshin]

What about taking the upper portion of this fireplace and setting it on top of horizontal metal beams above the glass?

 

[bholler]

What about taking the upper portion of this fireplace and setting it on top of horizontal metal beams above the glass?

That would be something to ask that fireplace manufacturer about. They would have to give you written approval for it to pass code.

 

[Awshin]

I found one from isokern that is large. Up to ten feet in diameter. They use multiple pipes though. Seems like I could possibly just use the top portion of this unit.

 

[Awshin]

Here is a better drawing of my fireplace design.

 

[barnaclebob]

OP, I saw this pic and thought of your project. Maybe see if you can figure out who did this fireplace:

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[Awshin]

That is awesome. Thank you!

 

[barnaclebob]

That is awesome. Thank you!

I did just see that this is a gas fireplace though.

 

[SpaceBus]

I did just see that this is a gas fireplace though.

The photo looks like an old school open fire pit with an air handler hanging over it. At least with gas it can provide heat instead of just being an eyesore.

 

[Hogwildz]

Ridiculous

 

[Awshin]

Thanks to those who have helped out with this project. I'll keep you posted.

And to the others:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

T. Roosevelt

 

[Awshin]

Anyone know a good place to buy fireplace glass?

 

[Bad LP]

I like the idea of having my kids play the grand piano while I sit around a wood fire. We currently spend more time reading in front of our double sided fireplace than we do in front of the TV. It is something the whole fam enjoys.

I get your point however grand pianos want moisture at a steady pace. We have friends whose kids are concert caliber, actually have played with the BSO. The grand in their house is as far away from the stove as it can get and has a humidifier pumping water 24/7 for the winter.
Their mother doesn’t play to bad herself.

 

[bholler]

Anyone know a good place to buy fireplace glass?

There are lots of places but you need to find an engineer who will design it for you before worrying about anything else. If you don't have an engineers stamp there is no way it will get passed. Even with that it is questionable.

 

[SpaceBus]

I get your point however grand pianos want moisture at a steady pace. We have friends whose kids are concert caliber, actually have played with the BSO. The grand in their house is as far away from the stove as it can get and has a humidifier pumping water 24/7 for the winter.
Their mother doesn’t play to bad herself.

I hadn't thought about how the RH could affect a piano. My wife wants a baby grand, or at least an upright, but this really changes the possible locations.