My first stove install + hearth build chronicle thread!

So, I'm finally getting my first wood stove! I've been waiting to do this for several years and it's finally time (it'll be installed on 9/23). In preparation of this my wife and I decided to build a hearth and a custom ember pad.

I'll try to update this thread everytime there's an update to this build, and I'll start with the completion of this first weekends worth of work. It'll change from a ugly painted over wood paneled wall to a hearth for my 987sf home in NW Arkansas. This home has never had a wood stove and I'm wanting to be done being a slave to propane, so here it goes!

Lol, she was just surprised to see me taking her picture. The dog was happy, although she was a little bored all weekend.

The quality of the stone is fantastic for the price, it's just $8sf at lowes.

The stove is going to be a pacific energy neo 1.6 with white side panels.

We are putting them on using a wall tile mortar and they are on very stout (my 5 year old tried to climb it last night until we got onto her). I haven't done the floor yet, that's going to be Mexican river pebbles and that'll be be this week.

Here's a link to the materials, it is heavy but doesn't call for backerboard a unless it's over 10', mine is 8'.

http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-...=3477519&store=2230&view=detail&nValue=SEARCH

Sorry for the long time since an update, it took us some time to get the mexican beach pebbles in. We started installing them on yesterday/last night and here's what we have so far. We recieved the 2nd batch of them today, but I'm going to grout the area that we have done so far tonight for the stove to be installed on Thursday morning!

The PE Neo 1.6 has leveling legs, so I'm hoping that this will allow of the different heights of the rocks.

Long night of grouting! But, it's all ready to go for the stove on Thursday!

I'll be doing more rocks this weekend, but it at least meets the min ember protection for it to be installed. I'll give another update on Thursday after the Neo is installed. This is exciting!

Here's one after it was fully grouted and ready.

Ok everyone, here's the moment I've been waiting for for about 2 years from the beginning of my research, trying to find the right stove, location in the house, convincing the wife, and finally the work and purchase of the stove. Our Pacific Energy Neo 1.6 stove was installed yesterday afternoon! I must remind you, that we will be installing more stones than what you see, but we just did the min required for the ember protection since it's very time consuming to do each individual rock.

Here it is!

begreen said:

Well done. That's a very creative hearth.

Click to expand...

Thank you! I think it'll look great after it's fully done.

With such a small house (987 square foot) there's no such thing as wasted space, so I figured why not turn the hearth into a partial walk way. The stones are going to make a path all the way through the kitchen.