I see no issues

 

For you or for me? <g>

Is furnace cement the best way to mortar the fire brick in there? Or is there a superior product I could use?

I am guessing that I can cut the brick to fit well with my diamond wetsaw? It's actually for ceramic tile.

PHM
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PHM. I just re Re-bricked the free-standing wood stove at our cabin. It has a steel exterior. The original bricks were dry fit with no mortar, so that's how I redid it. It's like new again, and working well for the past 9 months.

 

this is a good idea as well, however I would keep the spaces as thin as possible this way if they hit the wall with a piece of wood its sturdy.

 

Or heavy wire screen to hold it all up in

 

Uh, yes there is a SLIGHT problem with this: burning the house down. That fireplace was tested and listed under UL 127 with the mfrs. refractory panels. Not panels from another mfr. or bricks, or cement parging--just their refractory panels. All the test numbers on surface temps of nearby combustibles go out the window when you change the components as does the listing, warranty and probably your homeowners insurance. If this is attached to multi-family units, the fire marshal and AHJ could spank you for reckless endangerment of occupants and gross negligence. Having worked in the R&D test labs of the largest fireplace company in the world I can ASSURE you bricking up a firebox WILL significantly raise temps. and IS a fire hazard.

A test lab was testing some aftermarket panels made of densified vermuculite. They kept failing the test until the stamped brick pattern was glossy enough to reflect just enough heat to pass the test.

If the fireplace was made by Heatilator, you can still get OEM panels. They will cost a bit and take a few months but they are the safest and proper route to travel.

Or, you can provide me with job security investigating the fire. I'm being serious here. Don't do it, please.

 

What nearby combustibles do you mean? This is a steel box, inside of another steel box, with air blowing between the two boxes. There is what appears to be a stainless steel heat shield behind the refractory. All of that would remain intact.

And maybe 'rebricking' paints the wrong picture. I don't want to build a firebox or anything. My concept would be to recreate the previous refractory panels by cementing face-bricks together on edge as they are about the same thickness as the original look-like-brick refractory panels.

I'll see if I can get the name plate data - maybe the originals are still available?.

PHM
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You said brick panels (refractory panels) which come with factory built fireplaces listed to UL 127 for built-in construction using combustible framing, flooring and wall sheathing. Now, if this is a steeform fireplace properly installed into masonry only then it shouldn't have firebox liners. Those are intended for bare steel exposed to the flames.

Look for a rating plate. It's usually on the right side either behind mesh curtains or behind a smoke shield. It would probably be riveted on. What is surrounding this fireplace? All solid masonry or frame construction? Factory built fireplaces are a steel box inside of a steel box yes, but typically installed into combustible frame construction observing the stated clearances to combustibles. Any pics?

 

So far as I know there is no rating or manufacturer plate on this thing. A stone chimney and granite surround / hearth. The floor under it could be wood I guess. The smoke / chimney damper is round (two half rounds open and close in the round top opening.

There is an inner and an outer steel portion to it. There was apparently a heat-a-later blower at one time - now missing.

The refractory parts are cement; molded around expanded metal. The backs are smooth - the faces are molded to look like gray brick with mortar joints. Behind the rear panel is a dimpled stainless steel sheet - loose. The refractory panels just sit in there - at the top a small Z clip restains them from tipping forward. The sides are actually not too back so I was thinking today to just furnace-cement a single 1" layer of face brick in front of them. For the back (which has crumbled) I need to use a sheet of something flat - expanded metal maybe - in front of the stainless steel sheet? So that the fire bricks in the back will stand straight and smooth against it. The way it is the dimpled stainless steel sheet makes them sit uneven.

PHM
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Sounds like a Frankenfireplace. Can't really comment further without pics.

 

The Conclusion -

I decided to re-brick the little bastard as I originally intended. But I left the side-refractory panels and bricked over them. The floor panel just had some divots out of it which I filled with furnace cement. The rear was was a POS so I threw it away and made an expanded-metal replacement. The same size left & right and with a lip bent backwards the depth of the original panel. To duplicate the air-space which the original panels had.

The expanded-metal replacement was then bricked over - with the furnace cement 'keying' into the diamond holes.

Afterwards I dusted the interior with flat black hi-heat BBQ / exhaust manifold paint to make it all look the same inside the fireplace as it had previously. Rather than wait for it to soot up again. <g>

I'll see if I can manage some pics in a minute here.

 

Or would never be better than late ?

You reminded me that I promised pics.

 

I made a new expanded-metal bit to attach the rear bricking to but the battered side panels I left as-is and re-bricked over them.

Narrowing the firebox width by 2" - but no one notices.

The bottom panel I just 'repaired' with furnace cement and left it - with the idea that it would soon covered with ashes and so forth.

The replacement panels were something like $500. as I recall, and some weeks to get them. This re-build job was about $100. Well; unless you add in the million dollars worth of talent I utilized. <g>

The rebuilt fireplace was subsequently used pretty much every cool day since then and the building didn't burn down. Well; yet anyway. <g>