Let There Be A Fireplace! Finally!
After months of anticipation, ta-da! It didn't go in without some hiccups, but in the end, all turned out well. It was absolutely wonderful being able to sit here last night with a fire going. I'm still partial to a woodburning fireplace or woodburning stove, and maybe that might happen in a few years, but for now, this will do. This was the more financially feasible way to go since the firebox and chimney need quite a bit of repair in order to function without burning down the entire house. I certainly don't want that to happen. The vent free insert has a blower, so it heats the space very nicely, and it closes off the chimney that has no damper. Now the cold air of winter can't get into the house, and the cool air in the summer can't get out by way of the chimney. There is some clean-up to do around the surround. The old surround/doors had been caulked into place with the red caulk, and the brick underneath the old surround/doors is a different color than the res...