How to install a built in fireplace

Only you can determine that, but we can help you sort out your options. Be assured that it is possible to add a fireplace to an existing home. Get familiar with your area's building codes to check requirements such as minimum clearances around vent pipes and limits on fireplace emissions. Fireplaces generally fall into one of three categories: gas, masonry, and zero-clearance also known as prefabricated or manufactured fireplaces.

For the easiest installation, choose a direct-vent gas fireplace. You can install this type of fireplace on any exterior wall, and it will vent directly out the back. Installation usually takes about a day or a day and a half. While you won't get the sounds and aroma of a wood fire, gas fireplaces give any room ambience and often supply more warmth than a wood-burning fireplace.

Plus, gas fireplaces start with a flip of a switch and they're easy to clean up and maintain. Less propane is needed to provide the same amount of heat as gas. Both are considered to burn clean, but natural gas burns cleaner.

Gas logs are available for vented or vent-free gas fireplaces. Vent-free gas logs are cheaper and produce the most heat but release more carbon monoxide. An oxygen depletion sensor comes with unvented gas logs and will shut the fire off before levels of carbon monoxide get high. Choose based on fuel type, the addition of lava rock cinders, and a remote-control option. Otherwise, you can just plug it in. Electric fireplaces are safe and more practical than traditional open-hearth fireplaces.

They require no clearance between combustible materials like paneling, walls, or wood and themselves, because they maintain a cool exterior. Also, electric fireplaces don't require a chimney or hearth and can add a high aesthetic value to a room. They are better at heating rooms, as their heat does not escape up a chimney. However, prefabricated fireplaces are much cheaper to install and cleaner to run.

Of that total cost, the cost to install a fireplace and to buy the firebox the fire burns inside are two different price points to consider. Do you want a large mantel, simple mantel shelf, ornate frieze, or inlay brickwork? Is the area irregular or difficult to add fittings and moldings to? There is also the cost of materials used to assemble the mantel or surrounding molding, like plaster. Indoor and outdoor models are built the same way, but outdoor models are more flexible on fireplace codes.

Additional charges may come with masonry work used to build a surround structure of the firebox, such as a hearth. An outdoor fireplace is an excellent alternative to a firepit. These fireplaces can be installed on exterior walls so they can be seen from both inside and outside. The cost is the same as installing an indoor fireplace, but you may be quoted a higher estimate than usual for the hole that has to be cut to create an opening to the outside.

The way your home is constructed will largely determine additional installation costs. If a gas company already installed the main gas line to your home, then connecting them to a gas fireplace from the meter will be less expensive. Even if you have no connection to the main gas lines, most gas companies are happy to install access to it if they can set up a monthly gas service with you.

Bringing gas to an upstairs room can be a little more expensive, as there are more linear feet of gas pipe needed. Extra costs may apply to remove an exisiting fireplace , depending on the type and the extent of the demolition. Customizations usually include adding a decorative mantel or brickwork around the opening. Masonry work will be the most expensive customization you can do to improve the overall aesthetic and is not typically done by the professional installing the firebox.

To find the square footage around your fireplace, measure the space across the top of your fireplace multiply the height by width and then the space on each side of it. Add these three numbers together to get the total square footage of the front of your fireplace. Despite the independent inner and outer wall construction, it is important that only the outer section be punctured. The internal spacers used between the inner and outer walls will ensure that the inner sections remain in position.

A few high-efficiency wood-burning fireplaces will use a twist lock chimney system that has inner and outer walls made together, much the same as direct vent gas appliances. In this case, the assembly procedure essentially mirrors that of a direct vent gas appliance. As with gas appliances, you'll need to utilize a firestop at the top of your enclosure and install the proper flashing necessary for the chimney system you're using. Strict attention should be paid to the required vent pipe clearances.

Finishing your fireplace enclosure will be very similar to completing any other drywall, tile, or veneer project. For a drywall application, you will simply need to affix the drywall sheets to the enclosure with coarse thread drywall screws or nails.

Drywall cannot touch the metal chassis of the fireplace, and trim kits are available to cover the resulting gap. Stone or tile can be applied to the wall as well. As with any other installation, a concrete or fiber backer board should be secured to the studs first.

It's okay for noncombustible tile and stone to cover the metal chassis of a fireplace, as long as the fireplace design has a smooth face with no louvers or grills. Louvers, grills, and other vents cannot be covered. The finishing material also can't cover any part of the fireplace opening, and should not be allowed to impede access to any control panels for a gas fireplace.

Each fireplace manufacturer and model is different, so it's essential to understand the finishing section of the manual for the appliance. Each fireplace manufacturer and model is different and it is very important to read and understand the finishing section of the manual for the appliance. While a skilled DIY homeowner should be able to take the information provided in this guide and work through the process with little difficulty, a homeowner who is new to this particular process may be leery of moving forward without additional guidance.

It's always recommended to consult with a local professional regarding any uncertainties over structural framing, plumbing, or electrical installation. We at eFireplaceStore. Our sincere wish is to see each of our customers completely satisfied with their fireplace selection and installation process. I would suggest reading our other helpful articles on topics like choosing the proper venting for your fireplace and common mistakes that fireplace contractors make.

Whether you have decided to install your new fireplace yourself or opted to go with a licensed contractor, don't forget your free fireplace installation checklists. They're sure to assist you at each stage of the process.

If you still need additional guidance, please contact one of our certified fireplace specialists , and they would be more than happy to help you. He is a Master Hearth Professional, which means he is certified in all three hearth appliance fields—wood, gas and pellet. When not at work, he spends time with his wife, Lindsey, and his sons, Samuel and Eli, on their ranch enjoying their many animals. Completing projects around the ranch and spending quality time with his family are among his greatest joys.

My Account Order Status Help. Shop By Brand. View All. Shop Vented Log Styles. Shop Ventless Log Styles. Shop By Type. Shop By Use. BY Collin Champagne Planning and Considerations Regardless of the fuel type, there are common design aspects of all factory-built fireplaces that must be taken into consideration when planning a DIY installation.

Framing the Fireplace Once the projection has been established, the unit can be pushed into the framed opening and nailed or screwed into position. Installing the Venting Components Other designs use similar caps or lids for the unused flue collar, while a few designs are a dedicated top or rear vent configuration.

Passing Through the Roof Depending on your preference, the vent pipe can be exposed above the roof or boxed into a decorative chimney chase. Electrical and Plumbing Connections Wood burning appliances follow much of the same design and installation requirements as gas appliances, but there are some differences.

Assembling the Chimney Strict attention should be paid to the vent pipe clearances required. Finishing the Installation Finishing your fireplace enclosure will be very similar to completing any other drywall, tile, or veneer project. Need More Help? By not having to draw air from the room, these fireplaces can operate up to 70 percent more efficiently.

But whereas zero-clearance fireplaces can usually be installed anywhere, these more efficient designs must be situated on an exterior wall. Plus, gas fireplaces are much easier to start—say goodbye to all that newspaper!

Environmental friendliness is another reason why gas fireplaces have become more popular. A wood-burning fireplace pollutes; a gas fireplace pollutes less. For a standard unit, the main installation requirements are 1 a connection to the gas supply line and 2 an adequate venting mechanism. Deal with the first requirement by positioning your fireplace near the propane or natural gas line, or in a room to which it would be both feasible and cost-effective to run an extension.

The second requirement—venting—can be handled in a variety of ways. You can do it through an existing chimney, by installing a new chimney, or most simply, through a length of lightweight metal tubing that leads from the unit to the outdoors. Note that unvented gas fireplaces are available and increasingly common. They use catalytic converter technology to cleanly burn all the fuel that is fed to it, with little to no off-gassing.

But be advised that some have expressed concern that unvented gas fireplaces might not always succeed in burning percent of the propane or natural gas.