Hi!! I am currently doing a new tile job around my gas heatilator fireplace and was having some re-tiling questions were posted in the remodel forum (Link at the end of this post). What I found just now is that the fireplace front face is not square with the drywall and framing around it. This photo might show what I am talking about - the fireplace is "leaning" backwards: This pic sort of shows the slant but not really: Underneath the fireplace, I found that the firebox is resting on 4 cinder blocks. But on the front of the firebox, there is a 1/2 thick piece of wood running across between the cinder blocks and the firebox as seem here: AS far as I read in the manual, there should not even be any wood touching that surface. There is not wood on the back cinder blocks as seen here: Can I remove this board? I do not see any other places where the firebox is attached to the frame. I am hoping that is I can remove this (or shim up the back somehow) I can get the front face flush with the new drywall or concrete board I will be putting in to put the new tile on. Here is a link that might be useful: Original Fireplace

Shure, a direct vent fireplace can be on any wall. You have the option on direct vent fireplaces of venting verticly or horizontaly.

For a little clarification, I am looking at units similar to this. http://www.smarthome.com/91371/Skytech-Ssytems-1410-Fireplace-Remote/p.aspx Thanks for your time.

We recently had a mendota gas fireplace installed. It puts out a lot of heat. The tile surround has now chipped/cracked in one area and the grout is also seeming to crumble/peel along the edge with the fireplace blower. I think it is design issue with the fireplace - the blower is directed towards this side and it gets extremely hot to touch. Has anyone seen anything like this before?