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Can you install a wood-burning fireplace in an existing home?
Be assured that it is possible to add a fireplace to an existing home. You’ll just need to determine which one will work best. Get familiar with your area’s building codes to check requirements such as minimum clearances around vent pipes and limits on fireplace emissions.
How much does it cost to install a wood fireplace?
On average, a new metal prefabricated gas or wood-burning fireplace costs $2,900 installed, while an electric fireplace runs $1,200.Fireplace Cost. Fireplace Type Cost To Install Electric Fireplace $100 – $2,200 Wood-Burning Fireplace $1,900 – $3,300 Gas Fireplace $2,300 – $4,000 Masonry Fireplace $3,500 – $5,600.
Can I install a fireplace insert myself?
So, yes, you can install your dream fireplace or wood-burning stove yourself, provided you have the expertise. However, it’s highly recommended that you hire a contractor with experience specific to fireplace installations.
How hard is it to add a fireplace to a home?
Modern fireplaces – both wood-burning and gas-fueled – are much easier to install than building a traditional masonry unit. Fireplace inserts are even easier, because they’re pre-built from the factory and require only an opening to fit in to.
Can you have a wood-burning fireplace without a chimney?
Yes, it is possible to add a wood burning stove or a fireplace without an existing chimney, but you do need to install a chimney in the process. All wood burning fireplaces have to have a way to allow smoke and dangerous gases to exit your home. But you also don’t have to build a large brick or rock fireplace.
Does adding a fireplace increase home value?
A homeowner can often recover over 100 percent of the expenses associated with adding a fireplace upon selling their home. According to the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, adding a fireplace to home can increase the resale value of the home by as much as 6-12 percent.
Is a wood-burning stove better than a fireplace?
Like a fireplace, a wood-burning stove can help warm your home during the otherwise cold winter months. Wood-burning stoves, in fact, are actually more efficient at converting wood to heat than fireplaces. Therefore, wood-burning stoves are up to three times more efficient than fireplaces.
What is a zero clearance fireplace insert?
Zero-clearance fireplaces are pre-manufactured fireplaces that can be installed almost directly against combustible materials like wood, walls, or panelling. The construction and materials of the firebox do not allow the outside temperatures of the firebox to affect those materials and do not require a hearth.
Do I need a chimney liner for fireplace insert?
When installing a fireplace insert in your existing fireplace it is now required that you install a chimney liner system to vent the appliance. In addition to your installation being compliant with local code, there are many other benefits to installing a stainless steel chimney liner.
What does class 1 or 2 chimney mean?
You can have electric, gas and gel fires with a prefabricated flue. However, which specific fires you’re allowed generally comes down to the size of the flue. Essentially, if your flue diameter is 7 inches, you’ll need a class 1 fire. For 5 inch flues, you’ll need a class 2 fire.
How do you secure a fireplace insert?
Installation Steps Put a Cover Plate on Your Chimney. It is recommended to put a cover plate on your chimney before installing an electric insert to prevent water from coming in. Close and Seal the Damper. Install a Power Outlet. Insert the Firebox into Your Fireplace. Attach The Trim or The Frame.
What is a chimney liner?
Also often referred to as a chimney liner, a flue liner is a flexible tube that is connected to your stove pipe to line the inside of your chimney. It runs up the entire length of your chimney, carrying the fumes up your flue liner instead of releasing them straight into your chimney cavity.
Do wood-burning fireplace inserts need electricity?
As with freestanding wood stoves, wood fireplace inserts won’t typically require a source of electricity. If a wood insert has a blower then it will typically require an electrical supply in order to operate.
How do you seal a fireplace insert?
Adhesive Strips Available at many hardware and home improvement stores, small rolls of fiberglass-based stripping can be cut to size and applied in noticeable gaps between an insert and the masonry on the outside face of a fireplace, underneath the insert.
Can you add a fireplace to an interior wall?
It’s possible to install a wood-burning fireplace on an interior wall, but it’s usually not advised because wood-burning fireplaces need proper ventilation to draw outside air to feed the fire and get rid of the combustion exhaust.
What is the fireplace at home called?
The part of the fireplace that holds the fire is called a firebox or a firepit. There is a chimney or flue above the firebox that lets the smoke from the fire go outside. Until the early 1900s, most homes had one or more fireplaces as a source of heat for the residents of the house.
Can I build my own fireplace?
If you’re not lucky enough to have a fireplace in your house, you can certainly have one installed—but first review the options. In fact, by some estimates, homeowners recoup 130 percent of the amount they invest to build a fireplace, with 78 percent of home buyers rating fireplaces as a desirable amenity.
Can you use a fireplace without a damper?
Whether your fireplace is gas or wood-burning, if it was built with a pre-fabricated insert, then it almost certainly has a damper. And while older wood-burning fireplaces can function safely without a damper (gas fireplaces cannot), a chimney without a damper is just a gaping hole in the roof of your house.
Why do I have a fireplace but no chimney?
Ventless gas fireplaces are a sub-category of gas fireplaces. They run on natural gas or liquid propane. They are designed to operate without a chimney or vent. The design is achieved by reducing the number of emissions by burning less gas.
Does a wood burner flue have to be straight?
6 Answers from MyBuilder Chimney & Fireplace Specialists The straighter the chimney the better it works and at least 80% of the chimney must be vertical. In a factory made system (twin wall flue) there can be a maximum of 4 bends with a 45 degree bend counting as one and a 90 degree bend counting as two.
