Expert: James Ball - 4/4/2010

Question
Hello James,  We have an old home,( BUILT IN 1953) with an old fireplace, a family room was added in  1960 behind the wall OF THE EXISTING FIREPLACE  which opens to the family room making the fireplace in the center of our house. I would like to see ,if we could knock through the back wall of the existing fireplace to make it a double-sided one, making it a see through one , and use it in our family...that where we spend all our time.

Answer
Hello Jason, you would need to contact your local building department, a mason and possibly an engineer to see if it can be done, but I do not think it will work as you hope it will. When  fireplace is built it's opening is sized to the flue (air channel that runs up inside the chimney) and I do not think yours will be big enough to handle a 2 sided (most don't work that well to begin with).
you can contact your local wood stove store and they might be able to suggest a direct vent gas fireplace/stove of installing a prefabe fireplace
James