ohgillian thank you very much for sharing - it looks great and I’m so happy to hear it gives off so much heat! You must be so happy with how it turned out. (And I love that rug!). I appreciate you posting these pics and sharing what ended up going with.
We have a 1907 house that was originally built with a wood-burning fireplace. At some point in the home's life, someone converted the chimney and firebox to a coal-burning insert. Later, the insert was either removed or stolen (our house's past is interesting). So, when we bought the house, we inherited an empty firebox and a chimney with a pipe and insulation running through it, meaning the whole thing was useless as-is.
Several fireplace companies told us that it would be much easier and cost-effective to convert to gas, so, that's what we ended up doing.
The fireplace/chimney company we used did all of the following: - tore out the 70's-era tile and mantel - removed the old coal pipe and insulation from the chimney, cleaned the interior and installed a new pipe/insulation for the new gas insert - built out the firebox to be 5 inches deeper in order for the gas insert to fit (the original opening was not very deep) - ran a new gas line to the fireplace - installed the new gas insert, blower and log set - installed a new tile hearth and mortared new stone all around the new fireplace - installed the mantel (which we had purchased separately)
We chose a manufactured stone, which was cheaper than real stone, and then chose small upgrades for both the log set and the metal face of the gas insert. Total cost was $7000, inclusive of everything listed except the mantel. AND WE LOVE IT. Mostly because it's now a useable, functional part of our living room now, but also because it's so warm and cozy and nice to look at.
That is the most gorgeous rug I’ve ever seen! Is it vintage or is it commercially available? Where did you get it?
Gosh, thank you so much. It's a 1980s Heriz. It cost less than the fireplace project, LOL. I got it at a place in Virginia called Green Front for about $1,400 in 2010ish. The rug market hasn't done much since then so prices are still pretty comparable. You should definitely be able to get a room size Heriz for under $2k wherever you live. The older ones (meaning older than this) are finer and nicer, and can be a lot pricier than this, but I like this one a lot. Here's an example:
Cost will be depend on whether you have a gas line in your home already, what kind of insert you want, and how big your fireplace is.
When all is said and done, our conversion will cost a little over $3,000. We have a large/wide fireplace and needed a 30" insert. We went with a local family owned company to purchase them and bought a higher end brand/set. For us, the gas extension is costing $1200. It's a two day process and requires the city to come out and inspect the work. Fireplace technology has gotten really good so look for a place you can go see them all. There are different kinds - vented, ventless, and then inserts. You can even do glass if you want a more modern look.
I am *so* excited to have it done (we started the process in November - with COVID it seems that all home improvement projects are taking forever - we'll finally get the gas line and logs installed in early February). We've lived all over the country and the thing I've loved in all of my homes is the ease and ambiance of gas fireplaces. I love outdoor wood fires, but indoor I like that convenience of an on/off switch.
That is the most gorgeous rug I’ve ever seen! Is it vintage or is it commercially available? Where did you get it?
Gosh, thank you so much. It's a 1980s Heriz. It cost less than the fireplace project, LOL. I got it at a place in Virginia called Green Front for about $1,400 in 2010ish. The rug market hasn't done much since then so prices are still pretty comparable. You should definitely be able to get a room size Heriz for under $2k wherever you live. The older ones (meaning older than this) are finer and nicer, and can be a lot pricier than this, but I like this one a lot. Here's an example:
I think we're going to move forward with this. I stopped by a one stop shop place yesterday and got some quotes. They felt a little high so I'm thinking about ordering online and just finding a licensed plumber to run the gas line/install. Can anyone recommend an online website where the ordered a vented log set? Is Woodland Direct good? Any specific brands or sets you recommend? Anything else I should know?
The quotes we got are $4,200 for a ceramic log set installed and $3,200 for a cement log set installed (that's all in). I was really hoping to keep this little project closer to about $2,000 and I see nice log sets online for $500-$900. Just not sure which ones are good. I'm in HCOL area.
I think our first step is to get our fireplace/chimney cleaned so we're doing that tomorrow. Hopefully all is good otherwise we may consider a vent-free log set if the repairs would be too high.