Adding a new fireplace to upstairs bedroom. Want to tap into existing unused vent

Question

Our house used to have a wood burning stove in the basement. We also have a fireplace on the first floor of the house, leaving two separate vents in our chimney.

Before we bought the house it was renovated and a heat pump was added. As such, the basement wood stove was removed. The chimney vent for that stove is obviously still in the chimney so I was wondering if it is possible for a contractor to tap into that vent from our upstairs bedroom. The bedroom is directly adjacent to the chimney (behind drywall) but I figure if we can just tap into that vent it will save some time and money over adding a new stack.

I realize there are probably some building code restrictions in my area, but I am just trying to see if this is something that can be done?

Answer 1

I will start by saying, if you're willing to spend the time and/or money, almost anything is possible. My gut feeling is that a wood burning fireplace would generally be out of the question without permits, engineer drawings and significant modifications.

A gas burning fireplace is definitely doable along an exterior wall using direct vent models, bypassing the chimney all together. Some models can also use the chimney and I would think that as long as your current chimney can provide the necessary clearances of the exhaust vent, it could be used.