Installing Woodstove

[OlJarhead]

OK, thanks to Don for both pointing out a stove for us (Vermont Castings Aspen) which won't overheat our little space (it's 18,000 BTU and designed for 600 square foot spaces and also meets WA State requirements) and helping me a little with what to do to install it.  Now I plan to share with all of you my plans and hope to get your feedback before I get going.

First I found this:  http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xim/R-100170507/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

That's $10.29 for the board which trust me, was a relief!  I'd been looking all over and kept running into $400+ boards with tiles in them and was starting to seriously question what I was looking at.  It wasn't until I tried again that I found this and did so searching for 'Tile Underlayment'.  Hardie Backer always seemed to give me other results  *wipes brow*.

So the plan is to put this 'hardie' board on the OSB flooring all the way to the finished wall.  This is actually more then a foot longer then I need so I'm using the extra foot at the back as a precaution.  Then I'll cover the hardie board with old red bricks that were used under a wood stove in our home (before I came along) and have been sitting in the yard (recycling them so to speak).

The stove must be installed no closer then 13" to an unprotected wall in the back and 24" to one at the side -- we will be fine there However, I'm thinking that I might run red brick up the wall behind the stove anyway -- perhaps all the way to a mantel which would be about 20" above the stove.

I beleive that putting in the Hardie board and surrounding it with a wood trim, then putting down some mortar and setting the red brick into the mortar and leveling it as well as filling the cracks, ought to do the trick.  Thoughts?

For the rear of the stove if I run the brick up the wall I think I recall someone saying to use chicken wire affixed to the wall securely and then mortar that and install the bricks against it (like a wall)...thoughts?

Thanks!


ED: fixed link - MD

[Redoverfarm]

OK, thanks to Don for both pointing out a stove for us (Vermont Castings Aspen) which won't overheat our little space (it's 18,000 BTU and designed for 600 square foot spaces and also meets WA State requirements) and helping me a little with what to do to install it.  Now I plan to share with all of you my plans and hope to get your feedback before I get going.

First I found this:http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xim/R-100170507/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

That's $10.29 for the board which trust me, was a relief!  I'd been looking all over and kept running into $400+ boards with tiles in them and was starting to seriously question what I was looking at.  It wasn't until I tried again that I found this and did so searching for 'Tile Underlayment'.  Hardie Backer always seemed to give me other results  *wipes brow*.

So the plan is to put this 'hardie' board on the OSB flooring all the way to the finished wall.  This is actually more then a foot longer then I need so I'm using the extra foot at the back as a precaution.  Then I'll cover the hardie board with old red bricks that were used under a wood stove in our home (before I came along) and have been sitting in the yard (recycling them so to speak).

The stove must be installed no closer then 13" to an unprotected wall in the back and 24" to one at the side -- we will be fine there However, I'm thinking that I might run red brick up the wall behind the stove anyway -- perhaps all the way to a mantel which would be about 20" above the stove.

I beleive that putting in the Hardie board and surrounding it with a wood trim, then putting down some mortar and setting the red brick into the mortar and leveling it as well as filling the cracks, ought to do the trick.  Thoughts?

For the rear of the stove if I run the brick up the wall I think I recall someone saying to use chicken wire affixed to the wall securely and then mortar that and install the bricks against it (like a wall)...thoughts?

Thanks!

If you are using regular brick and not veneer brick you will not need to affix the chicken or Lathe(mason term) to set your brick.  You just lay them normally as done in most brick laying procedures.  The lathe is to affix veneer to the wall.  I would find some "ties" to affix to the stud locations every so often to insure that the wall stays true and will not topple.  In fact leaving 1/2 -3/4" space between the brick and the hardee will help you even further creating more fire retardant.

I once used brick lying in a frame the bottom of which I placed flashing and brushed sand in the cracks and it worked just fine.  If you are going to lay the bricks into a mortar bed for the hearth platform then invest in a "grout" bag to apply the mortar between the bricks. Overfill the mortar joint and use a "tuck point" trial to push it down into the crevice until it is flush with the brick top.  Follow-up after a short time of setting with a natural bristle brush (horsehair) to give a nice smooth finished look.  Sorry for the rambling. 

[Minicup28]

I used this TABS metal over backer board for the wall behind my stove. It works great and made the spacing perfect. You adhere the brick to the metal with construction adhesive dots, twist the metal keepers against the brick and then grout when finished.

[NM_Shooter]

You probably know this already... apologies in advance.

If using material such as brick for the sides / rear of the stove area, this does not decrease the distance to flammable surface unless there is an air gap between the sheild and the flammable surface.  So for instance, if you have sheetrock and studs 18" behind a stove, putting brick directly on the surface does not make you less prone to fire hazard on that 18" distance.  You have to have a vented air gap with some sort of non-flammable material between the stove and the combustible surface.  Basically that shield provides some shade from the radiated heat. 

Bottoms of stoves are typically pretty benign environments, especially if you leave some ash in the bottom between firings. 

[MountainDon]

Just a note... the VC Aspen stove we're talking about here has a bottom heat shield that is usually sold with it as an option. Without the bottom heat shield the stove is only rated for installation over a bare unpainted concrete slab poured directly on bare earth, no wood framing or foam insulation under the slab. With the heat shield it still requires a non-combustible floor surface that extends 6" around the sides and back and 16" in front (US, Canada is different).

The side and back clearances oljarhead listed is the clearance to unprotected surfaces. Frank is right on in that brick, metal, whatever, when  used on the wall does not reduce clearance from combustibles UNLESS a 1" air space to allow circulation of air is provided.

Note that the vertical clearance to a combustible mantle above the stove depends on the depth of the mantle. EG: The bottom of a 9" deep mantle should be 22.5" minimum above the stove. It's in the user manual.


Also note, that in general I recommend outside fresh air intakes. The Aspen has one available that fits 3" duct pipe.

[OlJarhead]

Just a note... the VC Aspen stove we're talking about here has a bottom heat shield that is usually sold with it as an option. Without the bottom heat shield the stove is only rated for installation over a bare unpainted concrete slab poured directly on bare earth, no wood framing or foam insulation under the slab. With the heat shield it still requires a non-combustible floor surface that extends 6" around the sides and back and 16" in front (US, Canada is different).

The side and back clearances oljarhead listed is the clearance to unprotected surfaces. Frank is right on in that brick, metal, whatever, when  used on the wall does not reduce clearance from combustibles UNLESS a 1" air space to allow circulation of air is provided.

Note that the vertical clearance to a combustible mantle above the stove depends on the depth of the mantle. EG: The bottom of a 9" deep mantle should be 22.5" minimum above the stove. It's in the user manual.


Also note, that in general I recommend outside fresh air intakes. The Aspen has one available that fits 3" duct pipe.

This is my intention.  I have the heat shield for the bottom and plan to install the hardie board and then the bricks on top of it and the heat shield.  For the back of the stove I planned a 13" distance from the wall as per the book -- however I planned to put the bricks INSIDE that 13" -- is this wrong?  Do I need 13" from the bricks?  Something I hadn't considered.

Thanks!

[MountainDon]

  Do I need 13" from the bricks?  Something I hadn't considered.

Thanks!

No. The clearance to combustibles is measure from the stove to the combustible. Placing 10 inches of bricks for a ludicrous example, does not decrease that need. Some people think that the brick will act as a protective heat sink. That is not true. However, if your brick veneer was constructed to include a 1 inch air space between the bricks and the combustibles that can decrease the distance from the stove to the combustibles. There must be a lower and upper space left to allow air to circulate up through that space.

[eddiescabin]

I have seen the air gap made by ripping some hardi board and affixing mulitple layers to the bottom sheet of hardi board- furring strip style

[MountainDon]

What one needs to watch when providing for spacing the non combustible material out from the combustibles, is the heat transfer through the spacing material. Backerboard strips will still transfer heat through. The danger is IF the wood stove fire burns long enough, like every day through several winters, the characteristics of the wood studs behind can be changed. Instead of the normal ignition temperature of wood (400 or so degrees ??) the ignition temp can be lowered to as little as 250 degrees, or so.

(Sorry I do not recall the actual numbers; too much stuff rattling around my head for too few brain cells) We've had this come up a couple other times. Maybe I'll find them later, no time at present.

Therefore spacing should be done with things like the aforementioned metal "dohickies" when working with brick. With metal short lengths of metal tubing and screws is considered safe. There are even ceramic tubular spacers made and sold by some fireplace and wood stove dealers. The whole idea is to keep all the combustibles cool. The air spacing does work well, we have used it in our gazebo. I've measured the temps; again I forget the actual numbers but they are in the gazebo area of the cabin thread

[eddiescabin]

Yes Mtn Don, I even worried about the heat transfer thru whatever hardware was used to attach the strips...I'm still a bit unclear of the best type of heat reflective/air gap shield. Seems steel would conduct heat.  Prehaps a double layered hardi board (2 air gaps) As noted in another thread, raising the stove itself (as in the use of a riser) kind of leaves the distance to the floor a cold area. 

[MountainDon]

Here....  



The inside 24 gauge steel sheet was too hot to touch, The air space was running a tad over 74 degrees, Outside air temp was about 60.  This was September.   In 2009 after I'd bought an infrared thermometer I tested again in slightly warmer weather and IIRC the sheet metal behind the chiminea was running 300+ degrees and the air space was still less than 85.

There is no visible charring where the spacers and screws are used. Lag screws are used to support the sheet metal at the lower edge; metal roofing screws are used with the spacers.

[lonelytree]

I used sheetrock, then 1-1/2 hat channel to space cement board as a backer. I used 1" spacing at the bottom and believe it or not, I get heat from behind the cement board. My stove is over minimum by several inches on the corners and many inches in the back. Now to find how to attach a nice surface to it.

Mike