Ceiling Clearance Question

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MAF_13

New Member
Feb 22, 2016
2
Maryland
Hello,
My wife and I just purchased a home with a wood stove in the basement. We are loving it but the home insurance agent told us that the flue pipe is less than 18" from our ceiling and we must install a heat shield on the ceiling. Here is the information they gave us:

Install a 24 gauge sheet metal over 1" glass fiber or mineral wool batts reinforced with wire on rear face 1" away from the ceiling.

Does this mean that the sheet metal is facing the ceiling or the floor? what would be considered the rear face?Is the reason for the wire to support the wool batts? I know this should be easy, but I am having trouble picturing this the way it is described.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
they are quoting the NFPA211, the shield is exposed to the pipe(on the bottom) and the insulation is above it between the shield and the combustible surface

think sandwich, your "bread" is the combustible and the shield, the insulation is the "meat in the sandwich" NOTE, there is also 1 inch of air space above the Batts so the shield will actually be 2 inches off the combustible surface. this affords a 66% reduction in clearance to that combustible surface.
hope this helps
 
How close it the pipe to the ceiling? If there is greater than 9" clearance you could switch the stove pipe to double-wall for a cleaner looking and operating installation.
 
I did a rear heat shield on the single wall pipe. That shield is from the stove to the ceiling box. It stands off the single wall by a inch. I don't know if this could help your clearance issue.
 
they are quoting the NFPA211, the shield is exposed to the pipe(on the bottom) and the insulation is above it between the shield and the combustible surface

think sandwich, your "bread" is the combustible and the shield, the insulation is the "meat in the sandwich" NOTE, there is also 1 inch of air space above the Batts so the shield will actually be 2 inches off the combustible surface. this affords a 66% reduction in clearance to that combustible surface.
hope this helps
Mike,
Thanks so much. Your illustration really cleared it up for me.
 
Interesting. Is the extra insulation a requirement for shielding on a ceiling only? First I've heard of it and my roof heat shield has no insulation between it and the ceiling. Just the 1" air space. It's proven by checking with a IR gun to be very effective.

image.jpg
 
Yes, most of the time an open airspace behind the shield is what is required, but if this is what the insurance company wants then no big harm.
 
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