[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I previously asked about pipe dope on another thread but plans have changed. This is for a rental duplex. One unit has a regular wood burning fireplace with normal brick construction. I assumed the 2nd unit was the same but it turns out to be entirely different.

I've attached photos below:

This fireplace has "brick looking tiles" and I wouldn't be caught dead burning wood in this unit. Closeup inspection and it looks very cheap and I now believe that this is for gas only.

I'm going to buy a gas burner/log setup and install and this will be a gas only fireplace. I just wanted to confirm with the forum experts (prior to me visiting a fireplace store). I'm assuming this is a vented unit since it has a flu that opens/closes. The chimney appears to be a steel pipe that runs up and out the roof (looks like a normal wood paneled chimney from outside),

Lastly, this fireplace has vents below the firebox. It that just for intake air or decoration?

Any comments?

Our old home had a chimney that was added by the PO who had been my wife's stepfather when she was younger. He owned a construction company that did non-residential (I think he did a bunch of construction for NASA). Those "tiles" inside the fireplace look the same as what was in our old fireplace. We burned plenty of wood in the fireplace and never had an issue. Those blocks, at least in our fireplace, were dense and substantial.

I think you could use that for wood no problem. Ours had vents on the sides, but not underneath, IIRC. Actually, that looks pretty similar to our old fireplace.