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| Nothing says "home" like a roaring fireplace. Something about it warms not only the body, but the heart and soul as well. The fireplace is a familiar sight in a living room, but now there's a way to bring that warmth into a bedroom, bath or kitchen. |
The kitchen is a natural gathering place in the home. It's where we come together to break bread, share stories, or just relax with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. It's the perfect place for an enticing "portrait" fireplace.
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The Internet is a great place to shop around for options. There you'll find vendors like Fireplace XtrordinAir, which sell these uniquely shaped fireplaces: compact hearths that fit perfectly into a corner cabinet. |
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| The fun part is choosing the place for your new portrait fireplace. Research the required clearance between the firebox and surrounding walls and cabinetry, as well as clearance between the venting and surrounding materials in the walls. Also be sure to find out how much space should be between the vent cap and exterior elements like windows, doors, and eaves. |
When you're identified a location for the cabinet, cut the caulk between the baseboard and the wall to allow for a clean removal of the baseboard. Hold a wide putty knife or flat piece of scrap lumber behind your prybar as you lever the baseboard away from the wall, to keep from denting the wall surface. |
The fireplace is supplied by a natural gas line, so a licensed plumber will need to drill an exploratory hole into the basement to mark the location where the pipe will emerge behind the cabinet, making sure the new gas line will clear any pipes and wiring. |
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| Once the plumber is satisfied that there are no obstructions, two larger holes will be drilled through the floor: one for a shutoff valve, and the other for the gas line. |
Now, it's time to place the base cabinet. Your local fireplace vendor may have installers who can help with this process. This cabinet was designed and built by the talented folks at Grand Mantel. |
With the empty cabinet in place, drill an inch-and-a-half hole through the top of the cabinet. The gas line will be fed up through the floor and pulled up through the hole in the cabinet.
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| Secure the cabinet by fastening it to the wall studs with screws. To do this, start by using a stud sensor to locate the wall studs near the corner, and mark those spots. |
Then secure the cabinet to the wall studs by screwing through the metal brackets that came with your cabinetry. |
With the cabinet base secure, carefully set the firebox and burner in place for a moment, to determine where the vent will go through the wall. |
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| Lightly mark the location of the vent on the interior wall. Then, make a more accurate mark by removing the firebox, placing the separate vent collar piece over your marked outline, and tracing a more precise outline on the wall. |
Carefully bore through the center of the outline to the outside wall with a long bit. Check outside to be sure that the vent will not be obstructed by anything, and that there are no wires supplying outside lights that could be in the way. If you are not sure, be sure to cut an inspection hole to check. |
Once the hole (which is used to mark the center of the vent on the outside) is drilled, cut away the wallboard with a hand saw. |
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