Can I install a smaller fake fireplace to replace my fake fireplace?

March 15, 2022 2:20 PM

I have an electric fireplace that I don't need, and I am wondering how much of a hassle it will be to remove.

My condo used to have real fireplaces, but when they replaced the roof they got rid of the chimneys. So the former owners installed an electric fireplace insert. It looks like this. It looks like there's metal surrounding the insert.

I want to put a TV on that wall (it's a 6' x 2' column extending to the roof) but the fireplace is 3 feet high and I want to mount the TV overlapping it.

Before I start tearing holes in the wall, what does it look like in there? How much metal is in there, and will I have to basically remove the wall and saw it out? Or can I just take out the insert and leave the surrounding metal in there and cover it with paneling or something?

I'd like the option to put a 12" high fireplace at the bottom of the wall, but that would probably require removing all the metal and creating a niche for the appliance, conduit for the plug, etc.

Also -- Higher up there's a couple of outlets, and if I remove the plate I feel a draft. I think there's also a slight draft from the fireplace itself. How should I best seal those gaps so I don't get insects/rodents and air exfiltration? I am probably going to lower or remove the outlets b/c I want to mount the TV lower than the previous owners.

Here's what I kinda think it could look like after paneling.

Is this something DIY-able or should I hire a pro? Already planning to hire an electrician but they're booked for weeks. Thanks.

posted by credulous to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

Best answer: In terms of just covering the existing fireplace, you should be able to do this yourself if you're handy. I would look to do minimal actual demolition (leave the existing fireplace and metal infill intact) and build a frame around the whole column then clad that with whatever panelling you want, topped with a 'mantel' as per your photo. If that's all you want to do, you may not need to move the outlets, although it's probably better to do so.

Adding the smaller heater at the bottom adds some complexity, but should be doable. To do this, you will have to remove the existing fireplace and, when you build around the column as described above, build a niche at the bottom the right size for the heater or heater plus any required metal shrouding around it. If you think you might want to do this later, you could just remove the existing fireplace and build around the column then, later on, cut the panelling to suit what you need to build the niche and install the smaller heater.

It would be much less work to do the whole thing at once (remove the existing fireplace, cover column with frame and panelling including niche for smaller heater and install smaller heater, but it's definitely possible to do it in two stages.
posted by dg at 9:07 PM on March 15, 2022

Best answer: Oh, in terms of sealing against rodents/drafts, just make sure the shroud you build is sealed tight against the column/walls/floor as required - use some gap-filling compound as needed to ensure it's sealed. You don't need to be too concerned about what happens inside the shroud, just that there's no gaps.
posted by dg at 9:09 PM on March 15, 2022