Fireplaces can now be installed in any room in a house. No longer are people limited by the weight, design, and fuel type, which for years meant that fireplaces could be placed in a few locations. Because of their weight and extreme heat, for generations, fireplaces were only feasible on the ground floor, where they could be placed on a solid, non-combustible surface. Now, with the invention of gas fireplaces, vent free, and less heavy models, fireplaces can be installed anywhere easily.
When installing a fireplace it is very important to make sure that your house can support that particular fireplace. As mentioned before, there are two main things that you must take into account:
Wood burning fireplaces are heavy. The typical 42” Conventional FireRock weighs approximately 2,500 lbs. with the chimney adding an additional 150 lbs per foot. Therefore, if you are planning a fireplace with a 25 ft. chimney you are looking at a total weight of around 6,250 lbs. For most homes, this weight cannot be supported anywhere but the ground floor. However, there are ways around this. With the use of a metal chimney and a LiteRock FireRock fireplace, the overall weight can be lowered to approximately 2,700 lbs., a much more reasonable weight for upper floor fireplaces.
Gas fireplaces are typically not as heavy as their wood burning alternatives. Because they can be used without a chimney they are much more flexible in home design.
You can never be too safe when it comes to fire. Even with our heat retardant fire box lined with even more heat retardant fire bricks, we still require that all of our wood burning fireplaces be placed on a non-combustible floor. This is to ensure that our products work effectively, and safely, throughout their lifetime.
This, however, does not mean that you cannot have a wood burning fireplace on the 2nd floor or above. FireRock provides “riser kits” or a metal box that goes below the firebox, keeping it off a combustible floor and allowing air to flow, ensuring that the floor stays cool. Riser kits are designed to be sturdy and lightweight, a perfect combination for upper stories.
For more information on FireRock products or to ask any questions you may have on fireplace placement, call us at 888-876-1025. FireRock has experienced product specialists who can answer any questions you might have related to fireplace installation. For information on how we compare to our competitors, click below.
