Pt 1: Fireplace Makeover – The Death Trap

From the very beginning, it was pretty evident that this corner fireplace needed a major redo. I remember my thought process clearly: 

“Yikes, black, pink, brass and beige?? Hmm…not really a fan of the corner location. What’s with the giant mirror?  Oh well, at least there’s a fireplace”.

Although I really disliked the appearance of this fireplace, I knew it would be easy enough for us to make a few cosmetic changes that could drastically change this fireplace into a focal point.

With time, we finally began our transformation. And as soon as we started, everything came to an abrupt halt.

This project went much deeper than a cosmetic facelift—we had some major issues with the gas fireplace.

Besides the obvious worn out interior, the fireplace struggled to function properly.  I experienced everything from loud explosion-like noises, to awful fumes, to the whole unit shutting on and off. It did crazy things. I had a gut feeling a quick fix by a service guy wasn’t going to cut it.

So I decided to dig a little deeper.  I took the model number and did a Google search. I discovered a TSSA ban on these particular fireplace series. As the company no longer exist (cough, cough..Insta-Flame), retrofit kits were not available for purchase. It states “to cease all use and dispose of immediately”.

At this point, I frantically realized our fireplace is a safety hazard. My dreams of cuddling on the couch in front of my fire, drinking hot chocolate are gone! Who knew they could even ban a gas fireplace to begin with?

After my initial shock wore off, I started thinking, “there must be a way to replace this 20-year-old death trap of a fireplace with something current”. I needed something similar in size with the same venting options. I wanted to avoid the costly route of ripping everything out and starting from scratch.

As I began looking at replacement options, I knew Napoleon was my top choice.  Back in January, both the hubby and I attended the Interior Design Show were we happen to stumble upon the Napoleon booth. We were so impressed with everything from the technology right down to the style and function.

Heck at the time, we didn’t even know we needed a new fireplace; we were just mesmerized by the all the beautiful flickering flames.

photo credit

These fireplaces come in every single style you can imagine.  On top of that, you can further customize your options with add on features to really tailor the look and feel.

What caught my attention the most was that Napoleon has one of the highest heater rating efficiency on the market. Let’s also not forget the advance burner technology, which only gives you the most realistic flames in the industry!

With some research and the help of Napoleon staff, I found a fireplace that will work as a replacement for my old unit. Meet the Ascent™ 36 vented gas fireplace.  It’s identical in height and width to my old unit (34 1/16″h x 35″w), which means I can still reuse my existing mantel. It will accommodate the rear venting so no new holes need to be made in the exterior wall. It also meets my natural gas requirements. It’s a win-win situation! And guest what! I’m even more excited to say that Napoleon decided to collaborate with us on this project *insert happy dance here* I’m always psyched to partner with a brand I love and trust.

We currently have a lot of work ahead that we plan to accomplish in a very short time period.  We removed our mantel and we have hired a certified pro to install our new gas fireplace. Now in order to avoid a super long post, I’m going to stop here.  I have decided to break this makeover into three parts since I do have a ton of info to share.  Get ready for the fun stuff next week as we say goodbye to our death trap and hello to the new Ascent™ 36 model.

Stay tuned!

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Part 1: Fireplace Makeover – The Death Trap
Part 2: We’ve Got a New Fireplace! Napoleon Ascent 36
Part 3: Fireplace Makeover Before & After
Before & After: Family Room Reveal