Hello folks, name's Adam.
First post but I've read here a lot--I have a barrel stove in the detached garage. Works very well and I enjoy the process of heating with wood
This post is about my home, we believe it was built around 1915ish.
There's a beautiful fireplace in the living that we believe used to burn coal. It's empty now and the throat/damper appears to be blocked off with bricks and mortar.
There is a modern vent at the top of the chimney
We'd like to burn wood or coal in this fireplace for ambiance and some heat. We have radiant heat already so the fireplace wouldn't be a primary heat source.
My questions are these:
Is this a coal or a wood fireplace?
Are we able to burn either in it again?
Before I break the bricks open, what do you expect I'll find in the flue?
Fireplace:
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192349-e7ad04336db52c6de5ece5d148a5f9e7.jpg)
First view looking up the fireplace:
Second view looking up the fireplace.
Chimney:
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192352-bd8397ae975bc1fe0a07ee7d1ccd6f61.jpg)
First post but I've read here a lot--I have a barrel stove in the detached garage. Works very well and I enjoy the process of heating with wood
This post is about my home, we believe it was built around 1915ish.
There's a beautiful fireplace in the living that we believe used to burn coal. It's empty now and the throat/damper appears to be blocked off with bricks and mortar.
There is a modern vent at the top of the chimney
We'd like to burn wood or coal in this fireplace for ambiance and some heat. We have radiant heat already so the fireplace wouldn't be a primary heat source.
My questions are these:
Is this a coal or a wood fireplace?
Are we able to burn either in it again?
Before I break the bricks open, what do you expect I'll find in the flue?
Fireplace:
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192349-e7ad04336db52c6de5ece5d148a5f9e7.jpg)
First view looking up the fireplace:
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192350-3aad4a63385fd84116d41dfdf52f35e6.jpg)
Second view looking up the fireplace.
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192351-fc03a06240edeff94a779da3e2291578.jpg)
Chimney:
![Restoring old Chimney Advice Restoring old Chimney Advice](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/192/192352-bd8397ae975bc1fe0a07ee7d1ccd6f61.jpg)
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