How to Install a Fireplace Insert in an Unconventional Opening | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House master electrician Heath Eastman installs an electric fireplace insert into an unconventional opening with zero clearance.

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Time: 3-4 hours

Cost: $900 and up

Skill Level: Expert

Tools List for Installing a Fireplace Insert:
Drill driver [https://amzn.to/3a9Zlpa]
Spade bit [https://amzn.to/36Wsmme]
Caulking gun [https://amzn.to/2Rfm3TX]
Pliers [https://amzn.to/2NpIGUM]
Screwdriver [https://amzn.to/3a9ZsRC]

Shopping List:
Electric fireplace insert [https://amzn.to/2uOPYLi]
2x4 dimensional lumber [https://amzn.to/2Rk4qCm]
Pocket screws [https://amzn.to/36V8uzE]
Granite slab
Construction adhesive [https://amzn.to/3a6sqSe]
Wire nuts [https://amzn.to/2TuKEal]

Steps:
1. Start by identifying an insert that’s the closest fit to the opening. Be sure that it is suited for zero clearance and no venting.
2. Fill in the rest of the opening with a fake hearth. Cut to size some 2x4” dimensional lumber and assemble a frame using pocket screws.
3. Secure the frame to the floor with more screws.
4. Cut a hole in the floor behind the frame for the wiring using a spade bit.
5. Shut the power off at the breaker. Fish the wires for the insert through the basement at the panel and through the floor and through the wood frame for the fake hearth.
6. With the wiring pulled through, secure the granite piece to the top of the frame using construction adhesive.
7. Wire the fireplace insert to the wiring coming up through the floor.
8. Secure the insert to the wall on top of the new fake hearth.
9. Turn the power back on.

Resources:
Heath installed an Allure 32 Wall Hanging Electric Fireplace Insert, which is manufactured by Napoleon Fireplaces (https://napoleonfireplaces.com/).

Since Heath was unable to find an insert that perfectly matched the strange dimensions of the opening at the house, he built up a frame for a “fake hearth” to fill in the rest of the hole. For this, he used regular pocket screws and 2x4” lumber, which can be found at any home center. Heath got the granite cutoff from LA Tiles | Marble and Granite Design (https://www.latilesandgranite.com/), though he mentioned that any stone yard would most likely be willing to cut and edge a piece of stone if they were provided with the correct dimensions.

The other tools and materials Heath used to install and connect the electric fireplace insert, including the wiring, fish tape, wire nuts, and screwdriver, can all be found at home centers and electrical supply houses.

Expert assistance with this segment was provided by Eaton and Eastman Electric (http://www.eatonandeastmanelectric.com/).

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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Keywords:
This Old House, Ask This Old House, DIY, Home Improvement, DIY Ideas, Renovation, Renovation Ideas, How To Fix, How To Install, How To Build, electrical, Heath Eastman, fireplace insert, zero clearance

Watch the full episode:
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/stoop-planters-fireplace-insert-ask-toh

How to Install a Fireplace Insert in an Unconventional Opening | Ask This Old House
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