If you’re thinking about purchasing a wood burning fireplace insert, you know that installation costs are going to add a lot to your already high purchase bill. You may be looking to cut that expensive fee by doing it yourself. This is definitely possible, but it’s not going to be easy. So how do you install a wood burning fireplace insert?
1. Check your county’s regulations
The first step is to check with the fire inspections and regulations team in your county. They may require a professional installation team to install your insert for you, and for good reason! Installing a fireplace insert incorrectly can be a serious fire safety hazard. If installed incorrectly, that brand new insert could become one of the most dangerous items in your home.
Here are a couple of mistakes you could make and the hazards they could cause:
- Incorrectly installing and sealing the chimney liner. This can lead to build up of creosote, a flammable substance, in the chimney. The creosote can ignite and cause chimney fires. This mistake could also allow smoke and toxic fumes into your home, instead of sending them up the chimney.
- Damaging the insert while putting it into place. Fireplace inserts are heavy and awkward to manage. Unless handled properly, you can damage the insert without even knowing it. When damaged, fireplace inserts become fire hazards.
- Guessing how to solve unanticipated problems. Installing an insert is complicated , and you will undoubtedly run into some issues: a dirty chimney, a poorly fitting insert, a tricky electric hook up, etc. Professionals have experience dealing with all sorts of issues like these and can solve these problems. If you try and solve these problems but do a poor job or are unknowingly unsuccessful, your fireplace is a serious hazard in your home.
All this being said, if you take the process slow, one step at time, you can be successful! Read through the following steps carefully then watch the video at the end of the article. Don’t start the process until you understand each step, and comment below with any questions you have.
2. Measure your masonry fireplace
- Measure height and width: Take three measurements at three different places and record the smallest of the three. If your fireplace has a lintel, record the height from the bottom of the firebox to the lintel. If it has an arch, also record the height from the bottom of the firebox to the highest point on the arch.
- Measure depth: Measure from the face of the firebox to the back wall.
- Measure clearance: Measure the distance from the top and sides of the firebox to combustible materials (probably your walls or the mantel).
3. Prepare your masonry fireplace
Unless you are the first person to live in your home, you won’t know what obstacles could be within your masonry fireplace. A previous resident may have installed a damper. You might have to remove a firepan, which will release ash and creosote into your home; how much depends on how many fires previous residents burned. You could have to grind some brick or stone away so that the fireplace will be flush.