How to Convert Wood-Burning Fireplace to Electric
If you are like me, you will always have some amount of worry at the back of your mind when you operate a wood burning fireplace.
Not so much the risk of a fire breakout but more of the safety of the household, especially if you have children.
The smoke flames that are inhaled when sitting close to the fireplace may be dangerous to the health.
And children might get burnt or other accidents occur that is not preventable.
In the past, these are considered amenities and people don't have other choices than a traditional wood burning fireplace. With the emergence of electric fireplace, nothing should stop you from getting one if you can afford it.
Making the Conversion
Before making the conversion, there are certain things you need to do first. We will cover these first.
Measurement
When you already have a wood burning fireplace and you want to keep that opening, you need to be accurate in your measurement so that you can get a fitting fireplace insert.
By making sure you have an accurate measurement, purchasing an insert that goes into position without leaving a gap or being too big is much easier.
In this case, you will most likely get the best fitting insert in a fireplace showroom instead of ordering for one on the internet. All you have to do is have a template with you.
Refacing
If you would rather reface your existing fireplace, then want to look at resizing the existing opening to fit another firebox, although you may have some difficulties if you are trying to fit a larger opening to a wider insert.
When you go with this procedure, be aware that you will be a bit restricted to the design already in place.
Coverup
If the above two procedures are not feasible, then you may have to cover up the existing fireplace to make way for a new one. You may have to build a new fireplace wall, in which case you have to block the existing one.
But you can just cover the opening and get a free standing electric fireplace.
In all these method, this seems to be the most efficient as it doesn’t restrict you to an existing design or location.
If you want, you can change the location and use a new area especially if you want to maintain the aesthetics of your room with the new installation.
Conclusion
Since this is a DIY project, there are bound to be more than one way to complete the project. Turning your old wood burning fireplace to a new electric fireplace is not only exciting but requires some creativity too.
This means you have to visualize and think carefully about how you want to carry out the task and accomplish the goal.
However you decide to carry out this task, you will definitely be left with a more efficient fireplace that you can make use of all year round without the mess of firewood burning in your home and inhaling toxic fumes.
