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My wife wants to add a Hearth Cooking Fireplace onto our 110 year old here in NE Ohio- the kind with the crane and the side bake oven found in upscale colonial homes many, many years ago. This is a job I would hire a fireplace mason for-definitely not a DIY job.
I have a ceramic block foundation down about 7 foot below grade without a footer. The structure is balloon framed with clapboard (pine) siding.
Question:
How difficult is it to add a fireplace to an existing house? And in particular an older house such as mine?
Replies
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Jim,
I don't really know how to tell you "how difficult" is is but I can tell you what will be involved.
The easiest way will be if you can build an exterior chimney. If you want it inside the house, it means framing openings at every level and framing an opening in the roof.
The chimney needs to be on a concrete footing twice the size of the chimney in width and depth if it's only a two story chimney.
If we're talking about a brick fireplace than it too must sit on a concrete footing. On a first floor with a basement, this means building a block or brick base from below grade up to the level of the first floor. This is where your ash dump will be.
If you just want a fireplace, not one of those big "cook in" things, a steel insert is an easier and less expensive way to build. With many inserts, an insulated steel chimney can be used instead of needing to brick all the way to the roof line.
To answer your question, I think you are looking at a big project.
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My friend is a mason and when he built my fireplace he added a cooking crane that his neighbor (a blacksmith) made. We love it!
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Jim, above Ryan gave you the skinny on the project. I'd do three things:
First, find a design or take photos at a historical site.
Second, contact a mason of good repute, and ask for a design.
Third, seek out your local code-enforcement officer, and see if you can get him on-board early.
Most of these cooking hearths were backed with another hearth, often in the parlor or bedroom depending on the house design. All were massive units, as Ryan suggested.
*if the cost and volume of a masonry fireplace scares you, investigate an old wood cookstove. some came with both wood and gas for cooking (quicker) and i believe wood only for baking. many are beautiful. if you really want the fire visuals, study up on the Finnish style masonry heater with glass door for the viewing of flames. Tulikivi (if you have the $'s). they can be constructed of other materials than soapstone. their beauty lies in the efficiency of the burn and the way they hold the heat into the night. getting the pot arm in it might be not possible. best of luck. there is an association of masons hdqtrd. somewhere in ontario, canada. not all masons have the experience with the finnish design.
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Thanks all for your replies.
I suspected this would be a real big job to tie into an existing house. I'm thinking now of adding a small two story addition and incorporating the hearth cooking fireplace onto the side of the new structure, which I'm sure will be infinitely easier.
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My wife wants to add a Hearth Cooking Fireplace onto our 110 year old here in NE Ohio- the kind with the crane and the side bake oven found in upscale colonial homes many, many years ago. This is a job I would hire a fireplace mason for-definitely not a DIY job.
I have a ceramic block foundation down about 7 foot below grade without a footer. The structure is balloon framed with clapboard (pine) siding.
Question:
How difficult is it to add a fireplace to an existing house? And in particular an older house such as mine?