I want to install a wood stove this summer. Advice please? I need to install a liner

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lugoismad

Member
May 5, 2008
91
Ohio
I closed on my new house last monday, and I love the place. Only problem is, it has electric baseboard heat. I've also found out (since its been dipping into the 40's) that half the thermostats in the heaters don't work.

So I want to install a nice wood stove in the living room. Its a central room, and should heat the house nicely.

Heres the problem. Theres an existing fireplace in the living room, however its been capped on the roof, and walled over in the room. I'm ripping out the plaster and putting in drywall, so getting to it in the room isn't a big deal.

Obviously, I'm going to need to install a liner of some sort in it and uncap it on the roof.

I want to go as cheap as possible, while still getting quality products (don't we all! haha).

So, what do you suggest I do? I'm not too bad with my hands, and my moms boyfriend is more than willing to help me out with anything I need, and he's built several houses, so he knows how to install whatever I get.

What products, where should I buy them, and how should I install them?

I'd REALLY like to try to do this whole thing for less than 1500$ if I can...including stove (its a 1400 sqft house). How likely is it I can do that?
There isn't a hearth already, the old fireplace was just bricked and walled off, so I'll need to cut my wood floor and put in a stone slab for the stove to sit on.

I'd also appreciate recommendations on what stove to get. I want utilitarian while still looking good in a living room. I don't need gold trim or anything. Just a simple wood stove with a blower.

Thanks!
 
$1500 for both lining the chimney and buying a wood stove is not realistic. Perhaps you could do one or the other depending on chimney height or finding a good used stove, but not both. The first thing to do would be a chimney inspection to determine if you really need a liner. If you do, then you have two basic choices: stainless steel flexible liner or poured in place liner. They should be roughly equal in cost. If it is an old, unlined chimney the poured in place liner has some advantages in that it becomes an integral part of the chimney and adds overall strength. There are several systems. One can be seen at www.supaflu.com. Even if you have to spend 2 or 3 times the 1500, the payback versus electric heat should be quite quick.
 
You could buy an Englander stove and purchase a liner on the internet for less than $1500. If your looking at building a hearth. Download your stove manual and it will tell you what is required.
 
I appreciate your help guys!

Well, I spoke with my moms boyfriend today. He wants to upgrade his stove so he doesn't have to load it as often, and said he'd sell it to me for 250$.
It has a blower on it, and is more of a wood furnace than a stove. He heats his house with it easily, and its twice as big as my house.

I'm putting it in my garage. There is some duct work in the crawl space that goes to the living room, dining room and guest bedroom. I will tie this to the blower by dropping a duct from the blower through one of the crawl space access points in the garage (and being sure to insulate well around it) and connecting it to the existing ducts that go to registers that are currently capped off in the house.

I will then cut a hole in the wall between the laundry room and garage, and install a cold air return register, which will have the duct routed along the inner wall of the garage to the other side of the blower. This way all the mess stays in the garage, plus I'm heating my garage (I have a project bike and plan on spending alot of time out there this winter) with radiant heat from the stove.

Installing the chimney will be an easy straight shot up through the garage roof, and will be alot cheaper than a liner for an old chimney.
 
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
 
BrotherBart said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101:2-9

Please show me where my states fire code says that. It says I can't use it as a cold air source, however I didn't say I was going to.
 
BrotherBart said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

Wait...and the more I think about it, I've been reading this forum for a while, and I've seen quite a few people mention having stoves in their garage.
 
fraxinus said:
$1500 for both lining the chimney and buying a wood stove is not realistic....
Click to expand...

Chimney Liner Depot is still selling the Drolet Escape Insert and a liner for $1,699 with free shipping. So that's not too far off $1,500 and they're based in PA so shipping should be pretty quick to Ohio.
 
Burn-1 said:
fraxinus said:
$1500 for both lining the chimney and buying a wood stove is not realistic....
Click to expand...

Chimney Liner Depot is still selling the Drolet Escape Insert and a liner for $1,699 with free shipping. So that's not too far off $1,500 and they're based in PA so shipping should be pretty quick to Ohio.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, but I think I'm going to go with putting the furnace in my garage and just running triple wall pipe out of the garage roof. It'll be alot easier and cheaper.
 
And potentially illegal if this is a wood burning furnace. How is this a better idea?
 
My two cents My wifes Grandfather and I installed an Englander insert into his livingroom fireplace. We also installed a flexible liner from Chimney liner depot and he loves it. We bought the insert through the local True Value and total cost of material was about $1400.00. He loves the new insert and enjoys it very much. Good Luck.
 
lugoismad said:
BrotherBart said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101:2-9

Please show me where my states fire code says that. It says I can't use it as a cold air source, however I didn't say I was going to.
Click to expand...

Section 901.3
 
north of 60 said:
lugoismad said:
BrotherBart said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101:2-9

Please show me where my states fire code says that. It says I can't use it as a cold air source, however I didn't say I was going to.
Click to expand...

Section 901.3
Click to expand...

I'm going to call a local chimney installation company in the morning. I'm sure their familiar with the laws. But I don't see how a garage can be hazardous.
 
lugoismad said:
north of 60 said:
lugoismad said:
Bro said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101:2-9

Please show me where my states fire code says that. It says I can't use it as a cold air source, however I didn't say I was going to.
Click to expand...

Section 901.3
Click to expand...

I'm going to call a local chimney installation company in the morning. I'm sure their familiar with the laws. But I don't see how a garage can be hazardous.
Click to expand...
Fuels ,Fluids=vapor's. Even if you dont park your car/lawnmower/chainsaw in there or use it for storage someone else may. eg.. if you sell it and so-on.
Im sure there is more but this defines hazardous to me. Gotta get to bed as on the road early so maybe others can explain.
Hope it all works out for you. #1 is saftey for you and your family and #2 is your insurance will cover you on your biggest investment. As they are weasel's. ;-)
 
north of 60 said:
lugoismad said:
north of 60 said:
lugoismad said:
Bro said:
Now the bad news. Installing a solid fuel burning appliance in a garage is against fire codes. Talk to the local code officials and your insurance company before you start even thinking about installing that thing.
Click to expand...

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101:2-9

Please show me where my states fire code says that. It says I can't use it as a cold air source, however I didn't say I was going to.
Click to expand...

Section 901.3
Click to expand...

I'm going to call a local chimney installation company in the morning. I'm sure their familiar with the laws. But I don't see how a garage can be hazardous.
Click to expand...
Fuels ,Fluids=vapor's. Even if you dont park your car/lawnmower/chainsaw in there or use it for storage someone else may. eg.. if you sell it and so-on.
Im sure there is more but this defines hazardous to me. Gotta get to bed as on the road early so maybe others can explain.
Hope it all works out for you. #1 is saftey for you and your family and #2 is your insurance will cover you on your biggest investment. As they are weasel's. ;-)
Click to expand...


I just got off the phone with the states fire code enforcement office. They said as long as the insurance company gives it their blessing, I'm good to go.
 
BeGreen said:
And potentially illegal if this is a wood burning furnace. How is this a better idea?
Click to expand...


I spoke with the state code enforcement office and my insurance company this morning. Insurance company just called me back and said I'm fine as long as I have it inspected.
 
OK, I should just leave this alone but want to say that since Ohio hasn't updated their codes to current at least keep in mind this section of the Ohio code since the state office seems to have not mentioned it. We ain't raggin on ya we just don't want you to blow up your house. And blown up houses are why current NFPA and International Mechanical Codes say not to put solid fuel appliances in a garage. In addition make sure you have the manufacturer's installation instructions on hand for the inspection. There is a very good chance that those instructions will include a paragraph saying that the installation has to be in conformance with NFPA 2.11.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SECTION 304 INSTALLATION

304.1 General. Equipment and appliances shall be installed as required by the terms of their approval, in accordance with the conditions of the listing, the manufacturer’s installation instructions and this code. Manufacturer’s installation instructions shall be available on the job site at the time of inspection.

304.2 Conflicts. Where conflicts between this code and the conditions of listing or the manufacturer’s installation instructions occur, the provisions of this code shall apply.

Exception: Where a code provision is less restrictive than the conditions of the listing of the equipment or appliance or the manufacturer’s installation instructions, the conditions of the listing and the manufacturer’s installation instructions shall apply.

304.3 Elevation of ignition source. Equipment and appliances having an ignition source and located in hazardous locations and public garages, private garages, repair garages, automotive motor-fuel-dispensing facilities and parking garages shall be elevated such that the source of ignition is not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor surface on which the equipment or appliance rests. Such equipment and appliances shall not be installed in Group H occupancies or control areas where open use, handling or dispensing of combustible, flammable or explosive materials occurs. For the purpose of this section, rooms or spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit and that communicate directly with a private garage through openings shall be considered to be part of the private garage.
 
It's a tough one when local code officials and insurance companies give something their blessing. But the fact is that they are wrong. So be it. If you are going to go ahead anyway, make certain you get all those approvals in writing and make certain that the firebox is at least 18" off the floor.

It is a whole 'nother ball of wax about exchanging air (ducts) in and out of the garage......that is something for a HVAC pro to comment on.

Most of these codes are relatively recent - and to be honest it does not mean every house with a stove in the garage was burning down! First they started by trying to lift the source of ignition off the floor where the vapors gather. This may have lowered the number of problems, but for whatever reason the NFPA committee decided it was not enough - and changed it to remove any or all solid fuel heaters from residential garages.

All codes aside, I'm sure there are plenty of safe ways to install such a thing- -provided that no cars are stored in the garage or no other power equipment, gas cans, etc.... when you consider the old saying about a cup of gasoline being a stick of dynamite, it's not hard to understand why having 15 gallons of it (or more) in some car gas tanks in the same room as a fire may be a problem.
 
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