Adding a fireplace to an existing property

[ceilingfish]

Hi, 

So we really liked the open fire in our old house, and now my good lady wife has gone and fallen in love with a house which doesn't have an open fire. Or a chimney. She now wants to know how I plan on fitting a fireplace. 

 

Does anyone have any idea if it's even possible to fit a fireplace to a house?

 

The existing gas fire is on the first floor, with nothing above it but the roof. I'd guess the floor is the usual chipboard over wooden beams. 

[Simplysimon]

optiflame or look for a house with chimney. to go the whole hog and install a fireplace, chimney and hearth will not be cheap

[ProDave]

Why open? so inefficient.  How about an enclosed wood burning stove and twin wall flue system?

[ceilingfish]

Haha, thanks Simon. I didn't imagine it would be, but I am interested to learn if it is at all possible, and what structural challenges adding a chimney can create. I assume that if you wanted to do this then you'd need to reinforce quite alot? 

[ceilingfish]

@ProDave. Yep I know, but the lady wants an open fire. 

[Simplysimon]

15 minutes ago, ceilingfish said:

@ProDave. Yep I know, but the lady wants an open fire. 

wants and needs..... two entirely different things

[billt]

Open fires don't have to be inefficient. The Rumford fireplace is pretty efficient, maybe not as good as the best closed stoves but not at all bad, and it doesn't have the loss of radiant heat that glass fronted stoves have.

 

Not that I would recommend a fire of any sort, especially as you seem to have natural gas available, but it's always possible to do something like this if you're prepared to spend lots of money (and you're not in a smoke controlled zone).