Sorry, this posting is a little off topic but folks here are the most
knowledgeable regarding home improvements.
I have a fully functional brick faced and lined, wood burning fireplace. It
and my house were built in 1960 and I am going to convert it to a gas-fired
log setup. Natural gas is in place. The existing fireplace is in excellent
condition; brick hearth and stone floor adjoins it.
I don't particularly like the looks of the setups found in the home stores.
I am looking for a system that will present the most realistic look while
still functioning to provide heat. If there is a tradeoff, look wins out,
as this is a secondary heat source.
Who makes the best on the market? Should it be vented or not? What
considerations should I be making? I see remote controls, thermostatically
controlled units and other bells and whistles, are there any I should avoid?
Any installation tricks to make it look better? I noticed a few places speak
of layering materials to make an appearance of ashes, some even glowing with
traces of fire, any comments as to what works best for that?
As you can see I am just cracking the shell on this one and really need some
help from someone who has been there and done that.
Thanks,
Roger in Abilene.
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Wed, Oct 15, 2003, 3:15pm (EDT+4) [email protected] (Roger=A0Jensen)
claims:
Sorry, this posting is a little off topic but folks here are the most
knowledgeable regarding home improvements. <snip>
No, that would be alt.home.repair.
JOAT
I find the best approach is to take life as it comes.
- Death
Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT
Web Page Update 13 Oct 2003.
Some tunes I like.
http://community-2.webtv.net/Jakofalltrades/SOMETUNESILIKE/
In article <[email protected]>,
ELAhrens <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>For a secondary heat source I would suggest an insert and stay away from the
>logs. To much heat (90%+) goes up the flue. See http://tinyurl.com/r36q as
>a source for additional information.
>
>We have two fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the family room.
>The living room fp was a build on site brick with red clay flue. The guy
>that built it didn't know crap about draft and flue design. We had to stuff
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|
THAT is the problem ------------+
A -good- wood-burning fireplace is an entirely different story.
My folks rebuilt the family house, when i was about 10, and added a fireplace.
Utilizing the skills of a _good_ architect. Even so, the brick mason
*refused* to build it, till the architect came out and 'reasoned' with him.
The mason had "good reason" for his reservations. There are a number of
'rules of thumb' for chimney design, and the plans for this one looked
like a winner in the "how many of the rules can you violate" contest. :)
The top of it was around 5' _below_ the roof-line of our house on two sides,
*and* a good 8' below the neighbor's roof-line -- only about 15' away, on
a third side. *PLUS* it rose right into a big Locust tree.
The architect knew all about the 'rules', and *also* knew when he could
'violate them with impunity'. And had spec'd a 'draft inducer' (big,
patented, no-moving-parts thingie, made by a firm in Texas) to be installed
on the chimney.
We had to have the mason out, after everything was done, to _show_ him that
"it really *did* work". <grin>
>paper up the chimney and light it with the front door open just to get it to
>draw! PITA!! We had a gas insert installed a few years ago and what a
>difference - It actually throws heat into the room instead of 95% up the
>flue like a wood fire. And it works during power outages (sp).
Proper design makes _all_ the difference.
We _never_ had a problem with it smoke. and a roaring fire was fully
capable of making things almost 'uncomfortably warm' at the _far_end_
of the 'great room' (living-room/dining room combo), about 24' away.
We learned fairly quickly to make "little" fires, if we wanted to enjoy
the living room area. :)
>
For a secondary heat source I would suggest an insert and stay away from the
logs. To much heat (90%+) goes up the flue. See http://tinyurl.com/r36q as
a source for additional information.
We have two fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the family room.
The living room fp was a build on site brick with red clay flue. The guy
that built it didn't know crap about draft and flue design. We had to stuff
paper up the chimney and light it with the front door open just to get it to
draw! PITA!! We had a gas insert installed a few years ago and what a
difference - It actually throws heat into the room instead of 95% up the
flue like a wood fire. And it works during power outages (sp).
Good luck,
Erik Ahrens
Apprentice Termite
"Roger Jensen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sorry, this posting is a little off topic but folks here are the most
> knowledgeable regarding home improvements.
>
> I have a fully functional brick faced and lined, wood burning fireplace.
It
> and my house were built in 1960 and I am going to convert it to a
gas-fired
> log setup. Natural gas is in place. The existing fireplace is in
excellent
> condition; brick hearth and stone floor adjoins it.
>
> I don't particularly like the looks of the setups found in the home
stores.
> I am looking for a system that will present the most realistic look while
> still functioning to provide heat. If there is a tradeoff, look wins out,
> as this is a secondary heat source.
>
> Who makes the best on the market? Should it be vented or not? What
> considerations should I be making? I see remote controls,
thermostatically
> controlled units and other bells and whistles, are there any I should
avoid?
> Any installation tricks to make it look better? I noticed a few places
speak
> of layering materials to make an appearance of ashes, some even glowing
with
> traces of fire, any comments as to what works best for that?
>
> As you can see I am just cracking the shell on this one and really need
some
> help from someone who has been there and done that.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Roger in Abilene.
>
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 9/29/2003
>
>