Newbie seeks feedback on plan for wood insert

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TNGator

New Member
Feb 13, 2014
2
Tennessee
Hello. I’m a newbie planning to buy a wood burning insert and was very happy to discover this forum. I would appreciate feedback on my initial plan.

My house: I’m in Tennessee. I have a two-story 2400 sq ft house—about 1700 sq ft downstairs and 700 sq ft upstairs. The fireplace is on an exterior wall in a living room that is 28’ x 16’ with 20’ ceilings. A loft area upstairs overlooks the living room.

Fireplace/chimney: The fireplace opening is massive: 47’’W x 37’’H x 27’’D. The chimney is about 30’ tall with a masonry interior.

Wood: I live on 40 acres of black walnut, sassafras, hickory, and persimmon trees.

What I think I want:
- A lot of heat and long burn times.
- A big insert to fill up this big fireplace.
- A catalytic unit.
- An “outside air kit” because my house was built in 2007 and is pretty tight.
- An insulated stainless steel chimney liner all the way up.

I am gravitating toward the Buck Stove Model 91 or the Blaze King Princess, but I’m open to other models.

Does this sound like a decent plan, given my house (which I know is not ideally set up for wood heating)? Think I could get a liner and an insert installed for $4,000? Still trying to decide whom to pay to do what. Wondering if I should go with the local wood stove dealer to install everything or if I should break the job up into parts.
 
Welcome. Both are good choices. That fireplace is large enough to put in a freestanding stove if you wanted to. Just be sure to put in a block-off plate if you chose this route.
 
Not sure but you might be able to fit the BK King free standing in that fireplace. Would be a more appropriately sized choice imo, however if your house is very tight and very well insulated then the princess might be just the right size.

I think you are going to have a hard time getting the stove, the liner (with insulation), and installation under 4K.

If you purchase the stove, pick it up yourself, and get a 3rd party to install the liner maybe you can get it closer to 4, but my experience with the stove store a little more expensive. I had a stove, and non-insulated 6inch liner installed for 4400 (They did everything, I just swiped the card). My smaller VC is probably going to cost the same as your larger BK. And you probably need an 8 inch liner.

You will save tons of bucks if you can install the liner yourself. You will probably still save more if you find your own guy to install the liner (as you can shop around). But definitely 4-5k range i my opinion.
 
As BG mentioned a freestander opens up a lot of options.
 
Great thing about technology is that you can take a pic of you fireplace and insert any image of an insert or fireplace and see how it will look. But it looks like your starting with some good choices. Just a preference thing but I really like the look of freestanders in front of an open fire place if you have the hearth space. If I had to stick a freestander all the way inside the box I'd go with an insert.
 
If you buy and install the liner yourself you can get a Woodstock Progress for $4k. The buck 91 is a good choice, you can install that as an insert or free stander, make sure you can get an 8" liner down your flue for the Buck, sounds like you probably have a big enough opening considering your fireplace is so big. Not sure the Princess is enough stove, might be close especially with your high ceilings.
It's not that hard to install a liner, you can watch some you tube videos on how to do it, it all depends on how easy your roof is to get up there and throw a liner down.
 
I have liberty mutual insurance through geico. Significantly cheaper as I have been with Geico for almost 15 years now and get a discount.

I called liberty mutual and to be covered the stove had to be purchased new, installed professionally by a licensed contractor. My rate went up 50$ a year.

Installing a liner is not rocket science, but I wanted to stay with my insurance and not have to go hunting and deal with making sure the mortgage escrow was properly in check...so I just dealt with the price of paying someone to install it, and my wife was not happy with the thought of me doing the stove install at all as she gets paranoid about that kind of thing and insurance/legal aspects (rightfully so). I still think my insurance company would try to stick it to me if any kind of accident surrounding the stove occurred though. I don't trust insurance companies one bit.

I am curious if everyone that installs their own liner contacts their insurance companies and clears that? Or ensures they get an official liner/stove install performed? I would like to know what insurance they have.
 
Thanks very much for the replies and suggestions. I considered putting a freestander in there, but my wife vetoed. She likes the looks of the inserts better and says a freestanding stove in this fireplace would look like an afterthought.

I am having my chimney inspected and cleaned on Monday. Then I'll get a liner installed. Then put in a block off plate. Then order the stove. I'm now leaning toward a High Vally 2500 (w/ Old World Surround Kit) with the Buck 91 in a close second place.

A remaining question I have is whether I should insulate and line with sheet metal the back and sides of my fireplace while I'm putting in the block off plate. I know the block off plate is most important since heat goes up, but it seems like I would get some value from also insulating/blocking the backs and sides of the fireplace. Anyone have thoughts on that?
 
TNGator said:
A remaining question I have is whether I should insulate and line with sheet metal the back and sides of my fireplace while I'm putting in the block off plate. I know the block off plate is most important since heat goes up, but it seems like I would get some value from also insulating/blocking the backs and sides of the fireplace. Anyone have thoughts on that?
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. I would use Roxul covered with something like Durock or Micore. See here for an example: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/got-the-itch-again-jotul-c450-kennebec.120801/
 
Confirm that insulating the firebox is ok with Buck or High Valley first. It's not ok with all manufacturers to insulate the fireplace interior. Covering the insulation with Micore would be redundant. Micore is insulation board. If you don't mind it getting a bit dusty you can leave it uncovered.
 
Did you specify with your insurer that it's going in a fireplace? My insurance company was going to have someone come out and look at my new stove until I mentioned it was an insert.
"Oh, it's an insert in an existing fireplace? You're good. We don't need to check it."
 
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