Hearth project almost complete

Howdy mxd253,

Like others have shared, your hearth & stove install is very concerning. I do not mean to jump on a dog pile, however I believe all of the commenters truly have your safety foremost in their thoughts.

You are correct that your stone tile work is not combustible, but to be clear, when describing minimum required clearances to combustibles, the dimensions provided are considering entire assemblies, not just the finish materials. Gypsum wall board will not typically support a flame, but when fastened directly to wood wall framing, the assembly would then be considered as combustible as heat will transfer through the gwb directly to the wood framing. The conductive heat gain is then a matter of btu input less the limited insulating value of the gypsum. Is this clear so far?

The radiant heat given off by your stove will continue to dry out any lingering moisture in the wood framing of the pedestal you have framed for the hearth. Over time, the temperature point of combustion will become lower the more the wood dries out.

Another cause for concern is what appears to be your electrical service panel in the background to the left of your stove. All of the heat from your stove will downgrade the insulation rating of your electrical wiring. There are different tables within the National Electric Code that will show that different wire insulation materials will be less and less effective with increases in temperature. You may have issues where the electrical load of circuits were designed to one class of insulation and design temperatures are now ineffective with the increased temperatures induced by your wood stove. Also, I hope that you maintained appropriate service clearance in front of and beside the panel without encroaching into an unsafe proximity to your wood stove.

Please keep us posted, as we all are trying to help keep you safe and to work towards a better protected installation.

Cheers!