Ordering a new fireplace for the old house

When a new house is build, it is easy to fit a fireplace in. But when the fireplace is installed to the old house, there are several things to consider. The following is a case study is about a house that has been built in 1970, and has an oil burner as a main source of heating. The owners of the house ended up using the services from Uunisepät, but in any case the process of setting the new fireplace to old house is the same.

The heating system of the house under a case study was in the good condition; both the boiler and the burner had been renovated recently and the oil consumption was reasonable. The reason why owners the house wanted to have a secondary heat source was that the oil price was getting up. Atmospheric home evenings next to the fireplace were in mind also.

First the owners went to see different fireplaces to get some idea about different types of options in the market. They ended up with heat reserving fireplaces and liked the models from Uunisepät, so they contacted the local representative of Uunisepät in their area. After one phone call the date was set for the representative to come to visit their house.

During this visit the representative of Uunisepät discussed about the needs and wishes of the house owners. Strength calculations were made and chimney options checked in order to make sure, that the installation was possible in the place where the owner wanted to set the fireplace. The representative of Uunisepät suggested different designs and solutions for the fireplace - that were considered helpful by the owners.

Calculations and careful planning help to avoid the mistakes that may lie in the future. In this case the condition or the structure of the house did not set any limitations for the fireplace installation, so there was a wide selection of fireplaces to choose. After the consultation with the Uunisepät representative the owners ended up with the Uunisepät model called “Erkkeri Nostalgikko”. The heating capacity of this particular fireplace was 4,2 kW, which is enough for heating about 70 square meters from this 130 square meter house.

The owners also preferred the stylish look of the fireplace that suited well for their interior and the style of their house.

How to retrofit a fireplace?

In this article it has been described, how a fireplace is installed in an old house that has no fireplace previously. At this case the fireplace to be installed is from Uunisepät, but the same process is with any fireplaces.

When the fireplace is ordered straight from the manufacturer, they will supply all materials needed for the fireplace installation. In this case the order consisted of three pallets of goods.

The chimney for the fireplace was built using Leca blocks. Both the inner barrel and the insulation around it are delivered in various lengths, which make the installation easy.

The background of the fireplace was built from the fireproof material in order to protect the initial wall structures of the house. Typical for the houses from 1970’s, this house was built to a concrete slab. Therefore the weight of the fireplace and the chimney were placed directly on top of the slab. This operation required the dismantling of the floor structures. It was carried out a detailed sizing and using a mechanical knife cut. With the help of building blocks the fireplace was then lifted to the same height with the room floor.

On the top of the building blocks the fireplace’s bottom plate was installed. This installation step have to be made extra cautiously: if the base plate position deviates from the horizontal position, the error multiplies easily when the fireplace rises. The same careful attitude must be obtained when starting the tile laying; the error is easy to see in the end result.

The walls of the old houses are never straight, and the move a bit followed by the heat and moisture, so there should be some space left between the firewall and the fireplace. This too gives the possibility to place the installation totally horizontal position.

One of the roof bar of the house was in chimney’s way so it needed

to be cut. Luckily it was not one of the load-bearing structures, but not any risks where taken during the installation: the ends of the cut bar were re-attached.

After the fireplace structure was set, the fireplace was decorated with the chosen tiles and seamed. Installers cleaned up after seaming, so that there would be no need for the owners of the house to clean. When this couple in the evening looked at the living room, they felt that the fireplace had been there forever!

New fireplace for the old house

Fireplace that stores heat is a smart decision for every home. Wood heating will greatly increase the comfort of living, and to substantially reduce energy bills. Comfortable and natural heat is the welfare and quality of life at its best.

Renovating an old house and adding a fireplace in it is one of the major purchasing decisions during the renovation. Fireplaces are often wanted to homes that do not already have the chimney. Many fireplace manufacturers, like Uunisepät, have a full service for chimney foundation that will take care of everything included in the process of installing the fireplace in the old house.

When purchasing the fireplace comes topical, the first thing to consider is for what purpose the fireplace is planned to use. Is there a need for heating, or is the atmosphere most important? Would someone like to do some baking? Is the fireplace planned as space dividers, is it an interior design object to catch the gazes?

Home visit for technical calculations is needed for all houses to be renovated with fireplace. The aim of this visit is to ensure a straightforward setup, and make sure that the fireplace deliver is supplied with all the right components. When the fireplace is ordered from Uunisepät, the fireplace specialist of Uunisepät makes the home visit. At this visit the location of the oven is checked together with safety distances, and all permits, licensing matters and regulations are checked over with the owners of the house. The specialist also plans firewall issues, and will help with domestic help reductions if they are possible to use. If the fireplace

is used for heating, the size of the fireplace has to be determined by the surface area to be kept warm.

If the building has had a fireplace already and new fireplace is intended to set at the same place than the old one, the foundation of the fireplace is not an issue. For the old house, which has no fireplace installed, the structure load capacity of the floor must be checked. Same goes with an old chimney: if the old chimney is to be connected to the new fireplace, it must have the condition checked. The building control unit of the city must be contacted and the need for planning permission needs to be determined.

If the old chimney does not have a flue damper, the damper can be installed to the connecting pipe. The fireplace can be installed also on the destination, where there is no chimney or flue damper at all. In this case an expert needs to determine the best place for the chimney from roofing materials, bushings, traction conditions, and weather shelters in mind. All special cases are being planned and made according to the designer's instructions.

Contact http://www.uunisepat.fi/etusivu