Clearances to non-combustibles

[LogBear]

My wife and I want to convert a gas fireplace to a real wood stove. I've removed the fireplace and opened up the "chimney" (aka alcove) that is made of 2x6 construction - this meets the width and depth requirements for the stoves we are considering. Our goal is to have the appearance of a wood stove "peaking out" of an arched rock fireplace. Besides the aesthetics, this has two advantages for us - first the room is small enough that we don't want the full depth of the wood stove sticking out into the room, and second, I'd like to have the flue a straight shot.

My concern however, is the height clearance issue. According to PE's manual for the T6, our preferred choice, any alcove must be ~7' tall to combustible materials. Nothing is noted for non-combustible materials. For other makes, there are lower clearances required for "protected" surfaces.

Now, we are looking to lower the fireplace arch height down as low as possible so that this doesn't become overwhelming in the room.

If this height is reduced through the use of non-combustible materials such as fire brick, stone and steel studs/beams - with the full clearance to the combustible materials required fully maintained, are we safe?

This to me would seem no different than putting a stove in a fireplace. However, I've seen postings by BeGreen that would indicate that clearances must be maintained regardless if the material to which they are specified is more fire resistant.

If this is true, how can wood stoves be placed in existing fireplaces?

 

[begreen]

Welcome LogBear. I would contact PE support to see if they would allow a reduction of the alcove ceiling height with a protected ceiling and if so, define the acceptable protection and height. If they provide this information, I would try to get it in writing. If not, an alternative would be to chose a stove like the Jotul F500 or F600 that does specify a reduced ceiling height with ceiling protection.

 

[soupy1957]

If I had to re-construct my home to accommodate a particular wood stove, I'd choose another stove.........sure enough!
There are lots of stoves out there; gotta be some that would appeal to your eye, and still give you want you want for heat.

-Soupy1957

 

[begreen]

I'm curious, if the room is relatively small, will the heat be able to leave the room easily to the rest of the house? The T6 is a big stove.

Post a picture of the current setup and a drawing of what is envisioned for the new hearth. Maybe there are some alternatives that can be suggested.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

We did about what you are talking about, we didn't use stone, because we wanted a craftsman style look, but same principal of looking like a retrofit was our goal, our stove didn't require near the height you say the stove you want does. we built the alcove "ceiling" out of non-combustibles. Our pictures link covers what we did pretty well...

 

[begreen]

Thanks for posting the link DD. This is exactly what I had in mind. (The stove looks like it was installed just for the dog.)

Frequently these photo bucket links get lost over time. Could you pick out say 6 of the sequence and post them on the Pictures forum? That should keep them around for future reference.

 

[LogBear]

Thanks all for your inputs!
DD - those shots are great! A great job nicely documented -

Per BG's advice, I am playing phone tag with the Pacific Energy folks today - will let you know what they say soon.

The Jotul has been our second choice, but suffers from lack of a dealer nearby.
Jotul states they don't condone web sales, they also seem to lack any contact info on their web site.
So I'm concerned if this amounts to buying a stove w/ no warranty... They do clearly state (and picture the T5) in a low clearance fireplace inset which is exactly what we want.

WRT overheating the room - it hasn't been a big concern of mine - maybe it should be - the room itself is currently 15' x 15' with good coupling to the kitchen that in turn has two doors to the front half of the house - which in turn, has vaults to the upstairs .... so, not perfect, but reasonable air flow. I assume we can always "throttle back" and build a smaller fire on the warmer days, but there are usually a couple weeks when the temps drop to -20F while the house's insulation is less than I would like - so I suspect we can use the T6 class energy easily enough. Thoughts?

I am also looking at what the local codes and inspection routines are.

I'll keep you all posted - Thanks for the great ideas and speedy responses!

 

[begreen]

Best of luck. Be sure to explain that the nearest combustible above the stove will meet the 7' requirement. I think you will be ok. If you need to contact Jotul the number is (207)591-6601 - EDT, in Maine.

The T6 will heat over a fairly wide range of temps. If the room is open to the kitchen it shouldn't be too much. On those -20 nights, well... I wouldn't know and don't want to! Makes me cold just thinking about it.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Thanks for posting the link DD. This is exactly what I had in mind. (The stove looks like it was installed just for the dog.)

Frequently these photo bucket links get lost over time. Could you pick out say 6 of the sequence and post them on the Pictures forum? That should keep them around for future reference.

Is there a section for projects or howto's or something? I don't see an area, if I am looking in the right place, for those kind of pictures...

 

[begreen]

Start a new thread in the Perfect Picture forum. You can add to the thread at any time.