Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a home in Southern California (earthquakes) and was wondering if there is more to this stone fireplace than it appears? Do you think there is more holding these stones up on the walls than mortar? Are they real (heavy) stones? I was just imagining what could happen if they fell over and I was sitting below them?
Yes, if it is a stone fireplace it is self supporting, with only stones and mortar. If it is a facade, the veneer is fastened to a supporting structure.
Yes, if it is a stone fireplace it is self supporting, with only stones and mortar. If it is a facade, the veneer is fastened to a supporting structure.
Either would hurt if it fell on you.
so the part of the picture you see is stone rocks/boulders fascade, the other side of the wall is outside and is a normal, basic brick chimney/base. Would these large boulders be connected to the brick on the other side or just cemented to the plaster/drywall wall?
so the part of the picture you see is stone rocks/boulders fascade, the other side of the wall is outside and is a normal, basic brick chimney/base. Would these large boulders be connected to the brick on the other side or just cemented to the plaster/drywall wall?
Those stones appear to be a facade attached to the wall with adhesive and mortar. I doubt they are connected to the brick chimney.
I assume you are asking so you can remove them. I am a fireplace purist. I believe that fireplaces should match the architecture of the home. Too often I see people rip out beautiful fireplaces and replace them with the latest fad (the Property Brothers are the biggest offenders of this). To me that is far worse so I suggest you proceed with caution. Jay
I don't know enough to be able to visually analyze things from the photo. The stones look thick enough that they are not just "glued" to the substrate with mortar, as ceramic tiles or thin stone veneer might be, they are supported by the mortar and stones beneath them to some extent, and the better the mason was who laid them, the more vertical support they have.
You mentioned living in an earthquake zone. I imagine that in the violent shaking of a real earthquake, all bets are off. You could have that masonry fireplace removed and have a modern direct-vent wood stove or gas stove installed. Jotul sells some beautiful examples of each. They use a light metal stovepipe that can go up inside the room and through the ceiling and roof, or even through the wall behind the stove. https://jotul.com/us/products/wood-stoves https://jotul.com/us/products/gas-stoves
Having all that stonework and brickwork dismantled and hauled away wouldn't be cheap though, because they'll need to take care not to damage the house while they take it apart, and then they'll need to fill in that space with a wood framed wall section to match the rest, and if you wanted to add back a heating stove for charm, install that. Don't know what that all would cost - I might guess $15K-$25K. You could always get an estimate or two from a contractor to help you decide what to do. And if it's too expensive to remodel, but you just aren't comfortable with it, then rather than remodeling the current house into what you want, you can sell it and get another that's already set up the way you want.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 11-13-2019 at 09:51 AM..
I think the stones are a decorative touch that were added after the fireplace was built. Look at how close the outlet on the side is to the stone. The wall with the outlet was there before the 'stone' was put in place. It appears they put the stone over the faceplate. This could even be a DIY facia put over a small modern zero clearance fireplace. Does it burn wood or gas?
Those stones are definitely not natural field stone but rather a man made veneer product, without a doubt!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
