Reimagine Your Fireplace with a Warm Wood Stove
If you find yourself frequently tending to a lackluster fire in search of warmth, it may be time to reimagine your fireplace with a wood stove insert. Transforming your unused fireplace into a toasty and efficient heat source is an increasingly popular project for homeowners. With the right wood stove, you can reinvent your fireplace completely, enjoying radiating warmth and classic wood-burning charm all winter long. From determining fireplace suitability to choosing the perfect small stove, we cover everything you need to know before installation.
Assessing Your Existing Fireplace
Before committing to a new wood-burning stove, carefully examine your existing masonry or zero clearance fireplace construction, dimensions, venting, and condition. This early due diligence sets the stage for proper stovefitting down the road. If your initial assessment reveals significant wear or structural shortcomings unable to support a stove's weight, pursuing a full fireplace rebuild may be required prior to installation.
Fireplace Sizing
The sizing compatibility between your fireplace and stove are paramount. Wood stove inserts range widely in firebox size, heating ability, effectiveness ratings, weight and prices. To achieve both visual appeal and heating efficiency, the stove you choose must align with your fireplace opening measurements.
Allow for adequate clearance to combustible mantels and surrounds based on building codes and individual stove requirements. While newer constructed fireplaces often readily accommodate inserts, fitting stoves in older masonry fireplaces can prove more challenging if lacking ample depth and width.
Fireplace Condition
Inspect general fireplace wear and tear before installing your stove. Check for concerning cracks in brick or stone materials. If your existing mortar seal looks compromised, enlisting a professional repair prior to housing your stove is wise. Ensure the base beneath your stove remains sturdy and level so heating functionality isn't later compromised due to sinking or movement issues after excess strain.
Pay special attention assessing your fireplace damper, chimney flue, smoke chamber and chimney cap. If adapting an older fireplace, installing stove pipe liner is often essential for establishing proper venting up to code.
Choosing the Right Wood Stove
Once determining your fireplace safely structures a wood-burning insert, explore reputable stove manufacturers offering equipment aligning with your fireplace measurements and heating needs. Leading brands including Englander, Napoleon, Pacific Energy and Regency produce reliable, highly efficient stoves meeting EPA emissions standards.
Compare freestanding stove and true insert styles to decide which allows your existing fireplace to warm most efficiently. Inserts fit fully within your firebox while freestanding stoves sit slightly higher at the opening. Consider output BTUs required to sufficiently warm your living space. Increased firebox capacity typically raises potential heat productivity. Also examine special feature preferences like glass aesthetics, fan kits, removable ash pans and compatible cooking surface options when useful.
Getting An Expert Consultation
Reputable wood stove retailers have certified technicians to provide site evaluations assessing your fireplace readiness in-person while advising perfect product solutions. Technicians confirm proper chimney lining exists meeting stove venting needs. They also oversee entire installation processes start to finish. Listen to their guidance around necessary fireplace modifications beforehand.
A reputable dealer educates you on essential factors like: required permits and inspections, equipment prices and wait times, installation costs and structural modification fees where necessary. They also review warranted work and maintenance requirements to keep your warranty intact following professional stove placement in an existing fireplace.
Preparing for Wood Stove Installation
Once you select the optimal wood stove model and size for your masonry or zero clearance fireplace, some structural adjustments help you prep for installation day. Widening hearths too narrow to meet stove footprint requirements proves necessary. Tiling over construction adhesive on cement backerboard offers an easy upgrade. You can also purchase decorative, preformed hearth pads complementing your decor.
Install proper chimney liners if lacking. Flexible stainless steel liner kits prevent hot gas byproducts escaping through cracked tiles or aging mortar into wall voids. Liners also minimize drafting issues not efficiently venting smoke outside. Furthermore, Partial chimney relining might suit your needs if solely upper flue sections suffer damage.
Mind clearance to combustible compliance zones your owner's manual mandates. Adjust mantels or surrounds infringing upon safe stove distances outlined. Facing materials like wood, drywall or plaster need properly heat-shielded so proximity doesn't spark fires above average surface temperatures.
The Installation Process
Ensure your certified wood stove installer secures all necessary building permits before advancing with equipment modifications to your existing fireplace. Venting alterations, hearth expansions and structural changes to accommodate your stove should all meet local code compliance before the fire marshal's final inspection.
On install day, technicians definitively measure then mark fireplace centers precisely before safely deconstructing your previous setup. Next, talented tradespeople make structural changes like removing old dampers or catalysts and lining the chimney appropriately. Finally, the equipment centerpiece arrives for intricate connecting of custom stove pipe and intricate seal adherence for optimal efficiency and circulation.
Certified professionals always double check stove stability, venting alignments and firebox door closure before igniting initial test fires. Then, gradual temperature increases cure high-heat paint through several low intensity burns. Once fully cured and inspected, your reinvented fireside endures for years sustaining cozy, romantic ambiance and ample warmth as desired.
Safety Best Practices
Once your new wood-burning stove transforms your former fireplace, uphold strict safety guiding all future use. Follow individual manual rules regarding proper distances from combustibles. Only burn sufficiently dried, seasoned wood types appliance guidelines recommend so internal stove temperatures don't exceed equipment capacity.
Assure adequate indoor airflow circulation while stoking fires so oxygen easily feeds the flames. Always extinguish embers fully before leaving fires unattended. Double check external stove surfaces, pipes and glass remain touch-safe for household resident safety. Program high-tech carbon monoxide monitors protecting everyone indoors from silent, deadly exhaust leaks around malfunctioning stove seals.
Once your stunning stove installation proves fully complete after multiple vetted inspections, the real enjoyment begins. Test various wood fuel mixtures finding your hottest, longest-lasting fire formula. Play with adjustable air vents to pinpoint ideal combustion airflow settings.
Troubleshoot smoking issues indicating flue blockages or poorly sealing doors sometimes plaguing wood stove function after weather fluctuations. Ensure proper user maintenance clearing ash buildup and creosote inside smoke chambers minimizes unwanted chimney fires or decreased heating capacity long-term.
Surround your statement-piece stove with natural stone, stacked ledgestone or custom wood work matching your existing decor theme. Let radiating warmth and mesmerizing flames lower home thermostat settings saving big on energy bills as the cost savings rack up each winter.