Anatomy of a Fireplace

Here it is the end of May and I've once again let myself get too far away from the Pahk. I looked over the file of photos for May, thinking, what have we been doing for this to happen AGAIN. Like the Red Sox, who started slow but are on a roll, I'm getting back in the groove.

Project 1. The Fireplace- Start date, March 30
Estimated time to completion: 2 weeks max

Step 1. Remove wood stove, and find it a new home. It's a good stove, but Lloyd just doesn't want to mess with wood, smoke, ashes, etc. Heck, he's retired! He'd rather be building stone walls, or skiing, or camping, or organizing a street festival, or designing websites.


Step 2. Frame in where fireplace will go. Include some bonus seating for our small living room.

Step 3. Box in, wire the outside, and basically stucco it.


Step 4. Decide it's way too tall. Cut down, repatch top.

Step 5. Insert super duper energy efficient natural gas stove unit. Hook up gas lines.


Step 6. Face the box with rock, then lay the hearth stones.



Step 7. Get someone to make the mantel. Meanwhile rearrange furniture.

Step 8. Patch the hole in the ceiling left by the stack removal.

Step 8. Get final inspection. Add mantel.

End date: May 15- Things always take longer than you think they will- Murphy's Law in effect.

Was it too warm to use? Heck no, it was cold all the next week. We used it every night!