Hearth and Wall Heatshield construction

Finally I am posting after trolling for over a year, great site here guys. OK, I am constructing a corner hearth and the wall heatshields for a wood stove (undecided yet). Everything is up to local code and of course NFPA 211. As far as the 1" spacers on the wall, I am looking at several options. One would be to use strips of cement backerboard and attach them to the backside of the backerboard panels with fire proof caulk, this way I can line them up on the stud centers. Another is to purchase ceramic spacers, and finally I could use steel studs, particularly "hat channel" or steel "furring channel". I seem to lean towards using hat channel since I can fasten them to the combustible wall and drive the backerboard through them and into the studs. I have not found a source carrying 1" channel...yet. Lowes and HD only carry 1/2" steel channel. What I did consider would be steel shelving brackets, the type that mount vertically on the wall and then you use brackets to hang the shelf. I have a bunch of these from doing closets, garages, etc. I can really bolt those up nice. The question is that since these are painted, do you think they would heat enough to burn off paint or smell? Also, the hearth and shields will be finished with slate tile. With the hearth being constructed of 2X8" lumber, 12" on center joists, with bracing in-between and with one layer of 1/2" backer on top and then the tile. Is there a risk of the tile cracking or punching through the backer with a heavy stove, as in a Jotul 600? That was a long first post, thanks in advance. Jim

Thanks guys. The Jotul F 600 requires an R-value of 0.5. I will be using two layers of 1/2" Hardibacker and that gives me R= 0.52 I dont know if the R-value of slate tile figures in but the figures look good anyway. I have to tell my wife I want the Jotul F 600 now, do you really think the open door burning with the screen in place is safe on occasion while attended? Jim

Ya, I figured the kids would be tyrying to push marshmallows through the screen anyway! I will look at your setup this morning, I see you have yours in Ivory, my wife likes it too.

Thanks again. So 1/4" backerboard will be satisfactory on the wall shields? I still want tile on the shields and using lighter backerboard would be so much easier that the 1/2". I'll also check NFPA 211. Jim

I hear all of ya, loud and clear. Yes it is primarily a tiling issue now since the hearth will provide adequate clearance to the combustible walls as per stove manufacturer docs. However, I am still building the wall tiling as a heat shield since that is by far the safest application. I probably would do the same if I planned on running an electric space heater on the hearth. The town building inspector and fire marshal I deal with are no pushovers either. I am overbuilding to ensure strict compliance for them as well as my home. As far as wasting time, money, and effort... I wish I could help myself there, I am an expert at all of those. The time and effort in practice will pay off as I have several people interested in the finished product which will lead to some effective bartering between them and I. I will post pics of the before and after of this project. Thanks, Jim.