Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 - Ember Protection

Ember protection means just that no thermal protection needed. These stoves do not put out enough downward heat [mainly due to the ash box] to be a hazard. You will read alot about R values for protecting the floor under a stove but that does not apply to your T5 and my T6.

Ember protection is just that. A non combustible surface so that a coal that falls out the stove or is shot out when the door is open and a piece of wood goes "snap" does not set the floor finishing on fire. Since the mass of the ember is generally not high, this is not the same kind of issue as a floor protector which is "required" for a stove that radiates a great amount of heat downward towards the floor and which over time could set the floor materials aflame simply by radiation. In some cases, one sees European stoves set on glass plate, in other cases a 1/8" steel plate. I went conservative with mine and used a double layer of 1/4" cement board, then laid tile over that. The cement board is commonly used for tile anyway, since the expansion coefficients are better matched than OSB or Plywood, so you avoid cracking down the line.

One recommendation I would make is to have the floor protector complete more than a week prior to install. Or delay the install if you must. The thinset takes time to cure to full strength and I allowed the time recommended for regular floor tile (2 days) and 3 tiles cracked under the feet of the stove. If you think about the weight of the stove and the tiny size of the feet, I personally have to wonder what the engineers were thinking. One has to look really close to see the cracks (and I laid my tile with 1/32" gaps, I don't like wide grout lines)), but of course I know they are there....

I would not skip this protection. I have had coals on my floor protector on a fairly regular basis, particularly when coals build up and one rakes then forward towards the air inlet.

I had the same thoughts when I installed my Super 27. Everywhere I looked people were talking about r value and how many sheets of cement board thick they needed to meet code / be safe. My install went directly onto a newly laid tile floor over 2 layers of 5/8" plywood and installed in the corner configuration that allows the stove corners to be as close as 4" from a COMBUSTABLE wall. Mindblowing compared to the stuff I had to do for insurance to allow me to fire the old stove that the house came with a few years ago.

Enjoy your stove.

Yeah, if you have something like a tile floor, you are good to go.

My stove (PE Vista Classic) has the same hearth requirements. Since mine was going to be sitting on linoleum (even though it was over a concrete slab), I had to make a little hearth out of Durock and tile. As long as a burning ember cannot catch the surface on fire, your are fine. Forget about R values for your stove.

KeithO said:

One recommendation I would make is to have the floor protector complete more than a week prior to install. Or delay the install if you must. The thinset takes time to cure to full strength and I allowed the time recommended for regular floor tile (2 days) and 3 tiles cracked under the feet of the stove. If you think about the weight of the stove and the tiny size of the feet, I personally have to wonder what the engineers were thinking. One has to look really close to see the cracks (and I laid my tile with 1/32" gaps, I don't like wide grout lines)), but of course I know they are there....

Click to expand...

It sounds like you have some tiling experience so maybe you don't need to hear this, but I'll add anyway....make sure you don't have any rockers (tiles that don't have complete mortar coverage underneath). The stove is a massive beast with all the weight on four tiny points. If you have a gap beneath the tile near any of the legs, in particular a corner, it's going to crack. I had some issues with uneven concrete and had to pull out a few and re-install during the installation process. You should have better luck on durock. Good luck and enjoy!

Here's a photo of a PE Spectrum, which has the same firebox as the T5, and the same "ember protection" listing.