Ripping out a gas fireplace, putting in a wood stove.

Honey does this gas fireplace make my butt look big ?

 

Like I said, small war starting....LOL! Or, put nothing in the corner except for a life size cutout of you in your leopard print banana hammock- "thought this would warm the place up faster than any ol' gas fireplace!"

 

I can't believe you used the bag that was already mixed and then left sit while you went looking for another drill. I would have pitched that bag (1 of 7) in the woods and gotten a new bag before the job. Not sure what you were going for but it looks fine from here anyway. I spin my grout paddle with a regular 1/2" dewalt 18volt drill, the same one I use for all drill chores. It warms up but does the job.

Wet masonry is very stressful for me too. It almost always turns out great but the stress of the time constraint is what kills me.

 

We have a gas fireplace in a 14 by 14 foot insulated porch pretty much. I'd give it to you if you want. Propane is such a scam if you only use a little they charge over 4 dollars a gallon. Cost us over 800$ to heat that room last winter. I just called the propane company to tell them to come get their tank. I'll keep it closed off if I have to.

 

I ordered the liquidcrete kit online, and needed just shy of the 7 bags I ordered...so it was either make it happen, or wait another week for the other bag to show up.

Now that it's basically cured, it doesn't look too bad at all. I am admittedly a bit of a perfectionist, and little imperfections in projects I do plague me...it's funny, because I'm way more forgiving of other peoples' mistakes.

 

Question about a vapor barrier in the alcove...there will be 1/2" durock with approx. 3" of cultured stone veneer on top of that. The sheathing is 7/16" Zip System that will have vinyl siding on top of it.

Planning to go with R15 Roxul, but do I need a vapor barrier in there or not?

 

You should be able to get one or two of the 20 gallon bottles that they sell at the big box stores and can legally transport without a hazmat endorsement and just have them filled when needed. Saves a bundle over time. They're a little heavy and should be transported vertically and secured. When I found out the propane tank in our house was owned by the propane company, I unhooked it as soon as it was empty and dropped it off at their office. We only run a cooktop on propane so our 20 gallon bottle should last about 3 years. The test on them is good for 12 years so just divide your cost by that and that'll be your annual cost. Make sure it has a current date stamp when you buy it.

 

This has been suggested might go this way. I might be crazy but we are exploring electric heat at the moment

 

Appreciate the stove offer, we picked ours up over the summer. We have natural gas here and the prices are reasonable for what we will use it for.
If I had propane I'd most likely be putting in a second wood stove vs. the gas fireplace.

 

Depending on your setup, and how often you use it, electric heat might make sense. Perhaps a kerosene heater would work too with proper venting. Hate to not use a room because of the cost to heat it, but certainly don't want to get raked over the coals in the process. If you open the room to the house and only use the electric to augment what is coming out of the house, the expense might not be as bad as you expect. That plus any potential solar gain, its certainly worth an experiment.

 

I have a portable electric oil type heater, I use part of the time in the winter, in the bedroom far from the stove room, adds 40 to $60 a month depending on how much I use it, it automatically adjusts heat output to where I set it, if I leave it on full at will cook me out

 

No prob, natural gas is a totally different animal. So I have been told

 

Not at all. Equipment cost is dirt cheap, easy to install, thermostat operated, zone heating with zero maintenance. The only drawback is cost of fuel and that depends on your local costs as well as consumption. I don't have a central heating system so when I remodel a room in this old house I either replace or add a 240 volt wall heater. They work when you need them and sit there silently when you don't.

 

Just curious....do you live where you need a building permit and
all this work has to be inspected and approved?

 

Yes...the permit required footing, framing, chimney pipe installation, and final inspections.

Edit: so...aside from those inspection areas, I have a bit of creative license. I bought R-13 craft faced fiberglass since I figure I do need a vapor barrier, but am wondering if Roxul/plastic Michu be the way to go? Also, I just have the final inspection left to pass.

 

Holy cow, I didn't realize the vapor barrier question was as controversial as it is, but after doing a bit of reading, I think I'm going to forego the VB in my alcove. To review, my assembly from the inside out will be 3" of cultured ledgestone, mortar scratch coat, 1/2" Durock, bare studs/R-15 Roxul, 7/16" Zip System
(taped), vinyl siding.

 

...wow....I have been out of construction for 35yrs.....that has been a good thing.
Never heard of Roxul. Pretty neat stuff.

In my construction days in Alaska, the standard was fiberglass w/a visqueen (plastic sheeting)
vapor barrier. You haven't lived 'til you've smashed your thumb w/a hammer stapler
putting up visqueen on a balmy 10F morning.

 

Vapor barriers are very location dependent. I know that I would always have a vapor barrier on the inside since I am in a heating climate but in WV, I have no idea what you do? If I were you I would most likely replicate whatever was done on your other walls in the house assuming you've been inside of one to know. More important that sealing out vapors, the VB can be an air sealing tool.

 

^^ and house dependent also.. others may argue but in my mind if the house is set up with a humidity control system (all new construction is required to have in this state) it makes no sense to have the vaor barrier on the inside! when outside humidity can be 70% plus in summer and close to 0 in winter (very little humidity at 20 below)

think about it if interior is a constant 50% moisture why barrier inside? oh and just so people know vinyl siding is only supposed to stop about 90% of moisture why it has weep holes ... OK I digress

 

Very little absolute humidity at 20 below, but if the dew point is also 20 below, the relative humidity is 100%. Now bring that air inside and warm it to 70f and the relative humidity is 2.27%. I thought that a moisture barrier wasn't so much to keep the moisture from getting out as it was to keep the warm moist air from getting to the outside of the wall where the temp is far below the dew point thus causing condensation inside the wall. This condensation then invites rot and insects. If it's 70 degrees inside with 40% RH (pretty comfortable in the winter) then the dew point is about 45 degrees. So a wall with relatively uniform insulation would have condensation about halfway through the insulation without a vapor barrier below 20 degrees F. I could be wrong, but that's my understanding of it. Where is our resident architect?