Installing a tunnel chimney in a load-bearing wall? Distance regulations?

Good day,

we are planning to retrofit a see-through fireplace in our house. So far, we have neither a fireplace nor a stove in the house. The see-through fireplace is to be installed between the living room and the current office. The office will later be converted into a kitchen. There is a load-bearing wall between the two rooms. Ten years ago, a breakthrough was already made in this load-bearing wall, a steel beam was installed as a lintel, and a glass sliding door was put in. This opening in the wall is now to be replaced by a see-through fireplace and a door.

Below are the current pictures and concept images:





My questions are the following:

- Can a see-through fireplace be installed in a load-bearing wall?
- What distances need to be maintained with a see-through fireplace, e.g. to a door, a heating radiator, electrical wiring, etc.?
- In pictures on the internet, I have always seen that see-through fireplaces have "ventilation slots" above the stove glass or on the side. Can these ventilation slots also be placed on the fireplace top?
- Are there ways to restrict the view through one pane of the see-through fireplace if needed?
- Which see-through fireplaces are recommended?
- Should the breakthrough be closed with a drywall partition or built with sand-lime brick? What are the effects on sound insulation?
- How much does it roughly cost to carry out the construction project?

- Can a tunnel fireplace be installed in a load-bearing wall?

I don’t understand your question. You’re building the fireplace instead of a glass wall, right? Whether you place it in the existing opening or in front of the front door, the result is the same.

- What distances must be observed for a tunnel fireplace, e.g., to a door, a radiator of the heating system, electrical cables, etc.?

You have to do some googling and in the end the chimney sweep decides.

- In pictures on the internet, I have always seen that tunnel fireplaces have "ventilation slots" above the stove glass or on the side. Can these ventilation slots also be placed on top of the fireplace?

As a rule, they are placed both at the bottom and at the top. You should do this too; whether on a side wall or on top doesn’t matter for the upper ventilation openings.

- Are there ways to limit the view through a tunnel fireplace glass if needed?

At most, by placing a screen or something similar in front of it at a sufficient distance. Otherwise not.

- Should a drywall be used to close the opening or should it be built with sand-lime brick? What are the effects on sound insulation?

There are special chimney construction boards for that – for the fireplace. Otherwise, it is basically irrelevant how you build the wall.

- How much does it roughly cost to implement the construction project?

Have it done? With everything I list as questions below? Maybe 30,000 euros? Maybe more.

I have various questions:
- Can the floor carry the combustion site, or is there perhaps underfloor heating underneath?
- How will the chimney be realized? It then has to be routed through the upper floor and the roof.
- Where does the chimney get its combustion air? Controlled residential ventilation due to pressure monitor?
etc.

Have a chimney builder and the chimney sweep come.

Let a chimney builder and the chimney sweep come.

These would also be my first contacts. The chimney would be my first point, as it also has to go through the rooms above.

... The chimney would be my first point, as it also has to go through the rooms above.

I had actually thought that the chimney would probably not cause major problems, since the fireplace on the office/(later kitchen) side could be routed directly along the wall through a gallery. The only breakthrough would then need to be made to the roof. But of course, later chimney builders and chimney sweeps would also be consulted. The aim of my questions is initially to get some first advice.

Have it done? With everything I still ask below? Maybe €30k? Maybe more.

That is quite a lot. I had calculated about €10k.

- Can the floor carry the combustion site or is there perhaps underfloor heating underneath?

The chimney would partially stand on the foundation of the load-bearing wall. Since the chimney will certainly be wider, part of it would have to stand on the wooden floor, which will certainly not be possible (due to fire protection/statics reasons?). The wooden floor is Australian maple parquet, screwed onto wooden crossbars. Underneath is about 30cm of insulation material (glass wool) in the floor for insulation. There is NO underfloor heating installed. Possibly, a "foundation" would have to be built proportionally to the footprint of the chimney, as I strongly assume that the chimney should not stand directly on the wooden floor.

- How will the chimney be realized? It must then also be routed through the upper floor and the roof.

See previous post, the chimney could be routed directly through the roof via the gallery.

- Where does the chimney get its supply air from? Controlled residential ventilation w./pressure monitor?

I am not sure, what do you mean by supply air? There is no ventilation system in the house. The house was built in 2005.