Replies

1. 
   junkhound | Oct 07, 2002 03:12pm | #1

   Your local shop is correct.

   Built a 6 ft on a side triangular FP once.  Ended up putting steel doors on it. Smokey with both sides open unless  a window or door in the house was open - this was with 30 foot tall, 18" square flue.  Glass doors smoke up and are hard to clean, plus de-temper and break after a few years unless used only for small "social atmosphere" fires.

1. 
   BossHog | Oct 07, 2002 05:09pm | #2

   Any reason the thing wouldn't work if you put in a fresh air supply to it?

   With glass doors and a source of air, it seems like it should be doable........

   The secret of the universe is @*%#|&^^^.......NO CARRIER

1. 
   whancock64 | Oct 07, 2002 09:52pm | #3

   I know the four sided fireplace spec'd for one HUGE 32x35' family / entertainment room had an airsupply. It had a pair of vents in the hearth pointing in to it. I was afraid it be a jet engine when built and lit up all good and toasty. The drawn air and the exit air would definately lend a 'roaring' if it really got going. It was positioned rotated 90degrees, so the corners faced the walls. It was the support for the beams 32' and 35' spans so the legs were steel columns encased in brick. It was a unique idea, but I left before it was built.

1. 
   Piffin | Oct 08, 2002 09:11am | #9

   Did you mean rotated 45°?

   I've never seen a two or three sided one that drew well and a chimney fan has minimal impact if it's in a tight house. Designing in an outside air source is first priority, then sizing the fue right, then a fan as an addon if the first two don't help..

   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   whancock64 | Oct 08, 2002 05:50pm | #12

   Yep, that'd be it. 45 deg, I said 90 didn't I? Oops, maybe that's why nobody cried when I left....

   I did wonder how well the big 4 sided monster would work. You know, for the two sided thingy I've seen a glass encased fireplace, but it was gas. It looked nice and was actually 'open' on 3 sides, but I wondered about the venting since it had a TV on top of it and no obvious flue.

2. 
   rjw | Oct 08, 2002 02:06am | #4

   BH,

   My understanding is that the flue size has to be related to the firebox opening size, so that you end up with t a monster size flue with 2 open sizes.

   I've seen a few 2 sided fireplaces, they all had telltale smoke stains above the openings except for one which a flue big enough for a person to fit in.  If I recall, it was about 18" square!

1. 
   CloudHidden | Oct 08, 2002 02:23am | #5

   Bob's correct on the flue. I have a two-sided wood-burning. Flue is so big the first mason quit in the middle. I have the fresh air supply (actually should have two for the size). Often it's ok, but if anything causes a cross-draft through the both openings--such as a person walking by--it affects the draw. As an experiment last winter I closed the one opening with alum foil, and it solved all the draft issues. Haven't decided on permanent solution. I build about 20 fires in a year, so I get to enjoy the light that streams through 345 days.

1. 
   ANDYSZ2 | Oct 08, 2002 07:11am | #6

   I think they make a fan that you can install at the top of the chimney to draw the smoke up without smoking the house out.

                                        ANDYSZ2

2. 
   Mongo | Oct 08, 2002 08:38am | #8

   Bob hit it.

   If you want a two-sided fireplace with a standard-sized chimney, your best bet would be to have one side open and buy a piece of tempered glass to cover the other side.

   The glass doesn't need to have a gasket-tight fit...it just needs to restrict the amount of air that the fire can draw from. Keep the draw from one side so it stays strong enough to get a proper flow up the flue.

   The tempered glass may be pricey, but offset it against the savings of a smaller chimney and flue.

2. 
   mikeymoran | Oct 08, 2002 07:31am | #7

   go down to Wauconda, IL and talk to Bob Brown. He's your man. works at a place called grassroots energy. they mostly sell woodburning fireplaces to use as heating units. got a fancy-schmancy scanidinavian design stove for my living room last year and it cranks, and he was very helpful and knowledgeable.

   http://www.grassrootsenergy.com/

   28751 N. Rand Rd. (Route 12) Wauconda, IL, 60084
   (1 1/2 miles north of Route 176 on Route 12, Next to Victor Ford)

   VOICE 847-526-5888 | FAX 847-526-4966

    i don't work for them, really.

   -m

3. 
   MisterT | Oct 08, 2002 01:58pm | #10

   Do not build a fireplace out of wood!

   I am pretty sure this would be a fire hazard.

   your welcome.

   T

   Do not try this at home!

   I am a trained professional!

1. 
   BossHog | Oct 08, 2002 03:24pm | #11

   I used to have an advertisement for a Polish wood stove.

   It was guarantees to burn for 2 hours.The word "cunnilingus" just doesn't roll off the tongue. [Julie McKenna]