Hey masonman, I have a question for you (and anyone else) regarding cinderblocks under stove!

[smokinokie]

I was searching this board for any and all references to the Jotul F100 stove (we just started using one, our first wood stove) and I stumbled across a thread started by "Yarzy" on January 1, 2011 titled "The Jotul has arrived..."

Inside the thread was a reply from "masonman" in which he had a picture of his Jotul Oslo sitting on cinderblocks, one block under the two legs on one side and one block under the two legs on the other. He said that he had been using his Oslo for two seasons so I guess those blocks have obviously held up under the weight of the stove.

Reading past his post on the thread I expected somebody to remark about the use of the cinderblocks to raise the stove (either positively or negatively) but to my surprise nobody did (and not much gets by you guys, a very astute bunch imho).

When we first got our F100 I was a little surprised at how low it sat and wanted to raise it a few inches off of the floor via masonry blocks of some kind.

I ended up being too afraid to use cinderblocks (didn't think they were strong enough being non-solid, the two big holes and all) and couldn't find any other kind of solid masonry block that I thought was suitable so we ended up just using our stove as is. Not a big problem, I just have to get down on one knee every time I open the door to do anything.

So, what DO you guys think about the use of cinderblocks (or any kind of masonry block) to raise a stove? As Ross Perot once famously said "I'm all ears."

 

[begreen]

There are solid cement half blocks available, 4"x8"x16". If you use webbed cement blocks, consider topping them with a sheet of cement board like Durock to distribute the weight and give a level, easier to clean surface, partcularly if this is a heavy stove.

For a more finished look you could use some nice thick pavers or just use bricks to raise it 3.5" Whatever the choice, be sure to put a cleat or border trim around the perimeter to keep it absolutely captive. It's also recommended to have a sheet of metal underneath them to prevent any embers from contacting a combustible surface below the brick.

 

[Eaglecraft]

I was searching this board for any and all references to the Jotul F100 stove (we just started using one, our first wood stove) and I stumbled across a thread started by "Yarzy" on January 1, 2011 titled "The Jotul has arrived..."

Inside the thread was a reply from "masonman" in which he had a picture of his Jotul Oslo sitting on cinderblocks, one block under the two legs on one side and one block under the two legs on the other. He said that he had been using his Oslo for two seasons so I guess those blocks have obviously held up under the weight of the stove.

Reading past his post on the thread I expected somebody to remark about the use of the cinderblocks to raise the stove (either positively or negatively) but to my surprise nobody did (and not much gets by you guys, a very astute bunch imho).

When we first got our F100 I was a little surprised at how low it sat and wanted to raise it a few inches off of the floor via masonry blocks of some kind.

I ended up being too afraid to use cinderblocks (didn't think they were strong enough being non-solid, the two big holes and all) and couldn't find any other kind of solid masonry block that I thought was suitable so we ended up just using our stove as is. Not a big problem, I just have to get down on one knee every time I open the door to do anything.

So, what DO you guys think about the use of cinderblocks (or any kind of masonry block) to raise a stove? As Ross Perot once famously said "I'm all ears."

smokinokie:

Not to worry. Using the standard masonry unit should not be a problem. One SMU is rated to support about 64 tons. Would that be enough strength for you? You can fill the hollow cores with concrete to make a solid surface. The SMU is about 8X8X16 inches counting the mortar joints. They weigh about 25 lbs each. The blocks are available in 4 and 8 inch heights and all kind of shapes, actually. If you want to stack one block on top of another, you can mortar them together, or you can use dry mortar stacking, which is kind of a concrete stucco applied to the blocks after they are in just stacked place. The dry mortar can be dyed in different colors. The SMUs, the cement, the mortar and the dry stacking grout are all available from Lowe's.

 

[yooperdave]

myself, i've used a 4x8x16 block. they have 3 holes in each block. the holes are about an inch by three or four long. seeing as how they are laid flat and placed side by side and not staggered, the holes line up from front to rear. this is for air transfer once the bottom of the stove (which is on legs) heats up the block...the air can convect through the holes and allows the block to transfer some of its heat. never even gave a thought about the strength issue since the same block is used to hold up houses!