Double-Sided Fireplace Conversion

[amkazen]

Hi,
I am looking for ideas on what to do with a double-sided fireplace in this 1971 house I just bought. There is a lot of info in this post as I tried to address the possible questions that I noticed from reading other posts, and to avoid a back & forth. Thank you in advance for your thoughts. We are open to anything & everything; well except for removing the fireplace and putting in a total freestanding wood stove in a different area (that was our Realtor’s idea- this is a massive chimney and is also the chase for the heating equipment in the basement)

We love wood stoves and we know fireplaces are not efficient. In one of our previous houses we had a Pacific Energy Artisan wood stove in the living room and in the master bedroom we had an England 13-NC. We loved to slow cook on top of both wood stoves and now would like to try actually cooking inside one.

Questions we have are:
1) what is a good woodstove fireplace insert that can be used to cook on?

2) Does anyone have experience with the Vermont Bun Baker or similar stove?

3) Would the Napoleon s25i inset be a workable solution? I can buy a brand-new floor model for $1,999 which seems to be a good price.

4) Should I remove the hearth on the kitchen side to be able to use a stove/insert with legs? Floor is to be redone.

5) Should I remove the hearth on the family room side to use a stove/insert with legs? Floor is to be redone.

6) Is it possible to put two inserts back to back?

7) Would it be stupid to put two inserts back to back?

8) Should we block off one side of the fireplace?

9) If one side of to blocked off which side is best to block off.. family room or kitchen?

Here are dimensions and important info.
A) The back stove is going to be moved to the right- the current doorway will be blocked by cabinets and the wall above the stove, above the counter, will be removed to give a more open feel from the exterior wall to the fireplace.

B) the wall to the left of the geese is going to be removed to allow access to the family room. If there was no plan to block off the existing doorway the furnace would be a complete walk-around fireplace.

C) Fireplace is offset in the brick because the wider side is the chase for the furnace and water heater in the basement

D) The kitchen side hearth is 13.75” deep x 71.75” long and is 12.75” high (off the floor)

E) The family room side hearth is 17.25” deep x 71.75” long and is 12.75” high (off the floor)

F) the firebox is approximately 43” wide x 32” deep and 41” tall to the flue. The top of the firebox starts to angle on the kitchen side towards the flue at approximately 28” high.

G) The damper is approximately 8.5” wide and is 43” long.

H) the fireplace is on the main floor, again one side is on the kitchen side and one side is on the family room side.

I) The fireplace is approximately 17’ at an angle from the bottom of the stairs to the 2nd floor (all bedrooms)

J) The kitchen has 8’ ceilings, the bedrooms above have 8’ ceilings, the house has a approximately 7/12 pitch, and it is unknown the distance from the kitchen ceiling to the above bedroom floor

K) The family room is currently approximately 12’4” x 19’ long. It will be expanded 6’ in length to be 12’4” x 25’

L) the kitchen & dining room combined is approximately 13’11” x 25’.

M) A small concern is having a woodstove on the kitchen side while also using the current propane range (soon to be converted to natural gas) will make the kitchen too hot

N) A hope & desire is the heat from the woodstove(s) will rise to the upstairs bedroom via the staircase

 

[begreen]

Put in a single insert facing the living room side. Screen off the backside with a custom screen made of perforated or expanded metal and paint it black. That will help capture some of the heat generated at the back of the insert in to the kitchen area while not overwhelming it with too much heat.

 

[amkazen]

Put in a single insert facing the living room side. Screen off the backside with a custom screen made of perforated or expanded metal and paint it black. That will help capture some of the heat generated at the back of the insert in to the kitchen area while not overwhelming it with too much heat.

That is a great cost effective idea!

Would you remove the hearth or keep it? We are putting down new floor so the hearth area would be covered.

 

[begreen]

This is a design issue as well as a practical one. The space looks like a traditional styled insert would look better than a contemporary one.

Personally, I'd probably keep it, an insert looks a bit odd if hanging in the air unless it is flush. That is a more contemporary look. Depending on the insert choice, it may need a small extension at the floor level. Inserts need at least 16" of hearth in front. Some inserts are flush and some project more out onto the hearth a bit.