How do you remove the surround without marring it up?

[joefrompa]

Hi all,

Lopi Republic 1750 installed about 7 weeks ago. I saw them install the surround and I assumed it would just pull apart nice and easy.

I'm going to pull it apart in a few days to shove Roxul ATS Fire Batts around the backside of it and up around the flue pipe (to ensure that the top of the stove isn't getting slammed with cold chimney air and to keep heat from reflecting back outside of the house).

I've inspected the surround pieces and pulled on them some to no avail: each trim piece (about 10" piece) is a section that appears joined to the next piece. I believe these just slide together/apart with metal clips holding them in place. However, there is one continuous piece of metal trim with no fasteners for each side - horizontal top pieces and vertical side pieces.

The metal trim does not have any obvious locations for which it would come undone. The trim pieces themselves are nice and flush everywhere else. I've grabbed everything and pulled with a fair bit of force and didn't find any play....so where do I start on this puppy?

I assume this is really easy - I'm asking because I'm scared of scratching it in the process of figuring it out, and would appreciate any guidance.

Joe

 

[joefrompa]

All - I never received a response to this. I now have the Mineral wool (http://www.atsacoustics.com/item--R...atts-Mineral-Wool-2-inch-Case-of-6--1006.html)

and so I'd like to tackle this this weekend. Any tips, tricks, or helpful suggestions are welcome....I honestly don't know where to start on this.

Joe

P.s. The mineral wool arrived within 48 hours of ordering it, in a box that's got to be 4 feet high, 5 feet long, and 10 inches thick weighing around 25-30 pounds. I haven't opened it yet, so hopefully they got my order right

 

[joefrompa]

One last thing - I am planning on putting this substance DIRECTLY AGAINST the stove. It is non-combustible and has a melting point of 2150 degrees. I may also line the face of it with aluminum foil before wrapping it around the stove and pushing it up around my insulated liner to act as a blockade for cold air flowing down the exterior masonry chimney and cooling my stove.

Does anyone see any problems with this plan? My stove is technically sitting in a brick enclosure sitting outside of the actual walls of my house and I really think that it doesn't put off more heat because:

1. It doesn't have a block-off plate (which I'll simulate by shoving alot of rock-wool up around the liner)

2. Heat coming out of 3 sides of the stove is reflecting into a massive heat sink

 

[gpcollen1]

This information is in your manual at the end - accessories. Take a look. Those side panels are screwed in and you have to slide the stove out to access them. The Top surround just slides down once the sides are installed. That stove is like 400 or 500 lbs so you may need help - I do it myself. All you really NEED to do is seal that surround off with the insulation that came with the surround. I have no idea why you need all that rockwool. If you really want to be efficient, install a block off plate while you have the stove slid out. Most inserts are designed to send all the heat out the front and loss to the back is negligible, sort of. I have Olympic installed with a block off plate and no surround. The amount of heat coming off the back and sides is minimal - but all mine goes into my room.

 

[joefrompa]

I have a ~1970's colonial with a brick hearth area - a fireplace on my left and a brick "wood bin" on the right. The wood bin is about 2 feet deep and then continues on as brick to the outside world. I fill it with wood and use the stove close to non-stop, so this room is always toasty.

When I pull wood out of the wood bin near the back, it's probably around 40 degrees still. After 2 days of being there.

My purpose is to keep the heat in the house and the cold outside

 

[joefrompa]

By the way - thank you. I'm a bit scared of pulling the insert out - I'm guessing it can't hurt it or the liner though.... here goes

Actually, if the top surround just slides down then shouldn't I be able to simply slide the top off and then slip the soft batts back in there by hand? Hmmmm.....