Main Menu

MrI mods a fireplace

Started by Popeye the Sailor, July 03, 2009, 05:22:56 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1 2 3 4
User actions

Popeye the Sailor

July 03, 2009, 05:22:56 PM
So, wood stove home came with was inadequate. No control of airflow, no ash pan, not enough heat. Sucks, really. It's shown off to the right here in this picture. Yeah-the little dinky thing with the chintzy brass.



Paula and I decide to buy a new, better wood stove. We decide on a Vermont castings defiant, and contacted an installer to see what he thought, which was that it just wasn't going to fit, find something smaller. Me being stubborn, unreasonable, and rash, I decided to ignore the advice of the paid professional. After all, I didn't want something smaller-house is big, needs a fairly sizable stove.

This leaves one option, which is make the fireplace bigger.

Armed with a lifetime of no masonry experience and large volumes of liquor, I waited until P was out of town (did not want her to see potential disaster) and I picked up a nice circular saw, and a masonry blade, and set to work. The original was seven bricks tall, now it's nine.



I can't tell you how much dust this made. I mopped the house roughly six times before Paula came home to see what disaster was left. The black dog was white, the white dog looked like one of Joels legs. The horror. I also had to cut out the metal support that's there to basically hold all the bricks that are above the fireplace. After the initial cuts, I  knocked out most of the mortar with a hammer and chisel, broke the remaining bricks into pieces, and removed the bits.

I then bought some metal stock, and made a new horizontal metal support for the bricks over the fireplace, and some vertical struts to support it, and welded them in place. Then I filled the gaps between the metal struts and the bricks with concrete. Everything got coated in a nice flat black.



Today, the installer guys came in and put in my new fireplace  [thumbsup]




Now I just need it to get cold.  ;D
If the state had not cut funding for the mental institutions, this project could never have happened.

ducpainter

#1
July 03, 2009, 05:25:32 PM
Quote from: MrIncredible on July 03, 2009, 05:22:56 PM
<snip>

Now I just need it to get cold.  ;D
Just come home.  ;)
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


NAKID

#2
July 03, 2009, 05:28:40 PM
Looks nice, but looks like you made the hole one brick too big...
2005 S2R800
2006 S2R1000
2015 Monster 821

Got Duc

#3
July 03, 2009, 05:30:22 PM
Vermont castings =  [bacon]
Why do roaches always die on their back?

That because the survivors flip them over to steal their sneakers and wallets.

Popeye the Sailor

#4
July 03, 2009, 05:31:47 PM
Quote from: NAKID on July 03, 2009, 05:28:40 PM
Looks nice, but looks like you made the hole one brick too big...

It's a top loader-I needs the space  ;)
If the state had not cut funding for the mental institutions, this project could never have happened.

Bun-bun

#5
July 03, 2009, 05:33:43 PM
Looks a good bit better than I thought it would.


Ummm, you DID use a  high temp fireplace mortar around the metal, right?
"A fanatic is a man who does what he knows God would do, if only god had all the facts of the matter" S.M. Stirling

ducpainter

#6
July 03, 2009, 05:34:39 PM
Quote from: Bun-bun on July 03, 2009, 05:33:43 PM
Looks a good bit better than I thought it would.


Ummm, you DID use a  high temp fireplace mortar around the metal, right?
It will never get hot enough
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


Porsche Monkey

#7
July 03, 2009, 05:35:13 PM
Quote from: NAKID on July 03, 2009, 05:28:40 PM
Looks nice, but looks like you made the hole one brick too big...

+1  do it over
Quote from: bobspapa on July 18, 2009, 04:40:31 PM
if I had a vagina...I'd never leave the house

Got Duc

#8
July 03, 2009, 05:37:09 PM
Quote from: painter on July 03, 2009, 05:34:39 PM
It will never get hot enough

New tubing is double wall if I am right
Why do roaches always die on their back?

That because the survivors flip them over to steal their sneakers and wallets.

ducpainter

#9
July 03, 2009, 05:38:04 PM
Quote from: Printer on July 03, 2009, 05:37:09 PM
New tubing is double wall if I am right
You can get either.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


NAKID

#10
July 03, 2009, 05:39:34 PM
Quote from: MrIncredible on July 03, 2009, 05:31:47 PM
It's a top loader-I needs the space  ;)

That makes sense....
2005 S2R800
2006 S2R1000
2015 Monster 821

He Man

#11
July 03, 2009, 05:46:33 PM
Quote from: NAKID on July 03, 2009, 05:39:34 PM
That makes sense....

in never land. Why would top load something thats on fire? I burned my eyebrows off once like that. :( Maybe its just me though.

How far does it stick out? is there anyway you could uninstall it and carve out the back of the chminey? I think you should of gone with a white to reflect the heat into the house. I think it'll make a big difference. but that thing is so freaking big it probably wouldnt matter.

Looks good though especially since you had no masonry experience!

Popeye the Sailor

#12
July 03, 2009, 05:51:07 PM
Quote from: He Man on July 03, 2009, 05:46:33 PM
in never land. Why would top load something thats on fire? I burned my eyebrows off once like that. :( Maybe its just me though.

How far does it stick out? is there anyway you could uninstall it and carve out the back of the chminey? I think you should of gone with a white to reflect the heat into the house. I think it'll make a big difference. but that thing is so freaking big it probably wouldnt matter.

Looks good though especially since you had no masonry experience!

Toploading a wood stove is really convenient, to be honest. I've had this same model before.

I want it to stick out-it heats the house better.

In terms of getting the heat into the house, unpainted works better than a finish, but with this, it won't matter.
If the state had not cut funding for the mental institutions, this project could never have happened.

red baron

#13
July 03, 2009, 05:52:25 PM
A pellet stove would've been e better choice. ;)
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations... James Madison

ducpainter

#14
July 03, 2009, 05:53:31 PM
Quote from: trouble on July 03, 2009, 05:52:25 PM
A pellet stove would've been e better choice. ;)
Thank you.   [laugh] [clap] [clap] [laugh] [clap] [laugh] [clap]
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


Print
Go Up Pages1 2 3 4
User actions