Expert: James Ball - 11/14/2008

Question
We have a brick fireplace (3' x 21.5" internal base) which is open toward our hearth area. The back is in a large hallway (7'10" wide), that has been connected to a garage turned into a family room. My idea is to make a large opening in the wall connecting the hall and family room and also make the fireplace double sided. Reasoning is for looks but more so to allow the heat from the wood burning stove in the family room some circulation to the rest of the house as well as be able to see the fireplace from either room. How involved is it to open the back of a fireplace and make it double sided and functional. I do notice that the back wall on the inside of the fireplace curves toward the chimney as opening gets smaller going up, however the brick outer frame that is visible from the hallway goes straight up. I have been told it would be very difficult as well as very expensive??????

Answer
Hello Michelle, I am not a big fan of double sides fireplaces they really do not heat well (get a wood stove/insert)and tend to smoke if not built correctly. I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep (www.csia.org, there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have. You will need a mason they should be able to tell you if you can do it safely, how much, if it will draw (fireplaces are sized when built to the size of the flue and the flue might may not hold the double sides fireplace.
good luck and keep me posted