LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Monday, December 8, 2014

Finally Finished


Following removal of the old insert, trimming of some stones, and removal of the old hearth, the new insert was put in place.  It is wider and taller than the old insert.

The gas line was hooked up, new electrical wiring to accommodate the new remote.




 The unit viewed from the cut in the chimney.
It looks very much like a small furnace.


 The chimney was closed off about eight feet up and the new fireplace vented to the outside.  The workers re-assembled the shingles which were removed for the cut.

 Look at that.
You cannot tell where the cut was made.




 The lower hearth stones were placed and cemented.


The gas logs were inserted and connected.  The wiring was completed.  A glass panel was placed to seal the fireplace and then the frame was placed around the unit.

The county inspector came out twice during the process to make certain everything was done safely and properly.

 So after 10 days and a ton of money we went from this...




 To this.  TaDa!



The fireplace has gentle blowers which, when activated, suck the cooler air from the floor and send it out through the sides.  That plus the radiant heat from the glass warms the room quickly.  The remote has functions we will likely not use and can be programmed like your furnace thermostat to automatically come on or shut down at certain intervals.  You can set a temperature and the fire will adjust itself to keep that temperature.  There is even a light inside to illuminate the fireplace when there is no fire.  The frame doors will open if you choose and you never have to put a log on the fire.

We are absolutely delighted with the fireplace.  How wonderful to have a warm fire with my morning coffee.  We just love it.  And Lucy loves the warm hearth which is so much easier on the neck now that it is not so tall.



14 comments:

Carolina Linthead said...

Awww...dear Lucy has her hearth back! That fireplace looks amazing! Wow. My father's works in a similar manner, with the glass front and a blower. His logs don't look so spectacular, but they are nice to sit in front of. I think he doesn't like it because my brother and I do :-)

Ms. A said...

Bet you are relieved all that work is done... and so is Lucy.

Anonymous said...

It looks beautiful, and so wonderful that it generates so much warmth. Enjoy every moment of it. I'm sure Lucy appreciates all the work you did for her!

Arkansas Patti said...

I am so glad you showed us the end product. That is one lovely fireplace and the fire so much more entrancing than before. Definitely worth the temporary inconvenience. They did a really nice job.

troutbirder said...

How I wish we'd done something similar. :)

Barbara Rogers said...

But who's going to chop wood now? Joking, I'm sure you'll be happy and warm with this new unit, since you already were "cooking with gas."

Busy Bee Suz said...

It is beautiful. I'm so happy you're enjoying it already....oh how convenient to push a button!

Unknown said...

I too wish Thanksgiving were a week earlier and I agree with your points.

The Bug said...

Excellent!

Cheryl said...

Beautiful addition to your home.
Lovely on a cold winter evening.....so pleased Lucy approves:}
A job that was certainly worth all the chaos.

KB said...

I'm glad that it gets the Lucy seal of approval! I love that you can sit by the warm fire to sip your coffee in the morning. We rarely do that because it requires having the brains to build a fire *before* drinking coffee :)

Vicki Lane said...

Oh, I'll bet she loves it! It does look beautiful!

Peruby said...

If I had a warm fire with my morning coffee, I would seriously fall back asleep. LOL! Enjoy. It looks absolutely delicious.

How Sam Sees It said...

It's really beautiful. I think it was well worth it!

Monty and Harlow