I need help... with clearance!

[next61]

Hi guys,
I've been on this forum for months; since I bought this old house, several months ago. I learned and read so much that now, I am overloaded. We found a massive insert build by an unknown manufacturer placed in the existing fireplace of the house. The chimney was damaged by water, bricks where fallen in, no lining on the chimney, the insert was all rusted and full of holes covered in two feet of creosote... Nasty picture!
I took my friend's excavator and wrapped a chain to the chimney and off it went. In the process, we discovered major water damage to the foundation, exterior wall, roof, etc. Couple of months latter, after the whole picture improved and a major remodeling took place, we have a different looking house. No more fireplace, new foundation, roof repaired, cathedral ceilings but no wood stove. Now, I have a back up furnace but I am in PNW, having access to good wood (oak, maple, fir, etc.) and I want a wood stove. The place that we decided was in the middle of the living room, next to the stairs, below the cathedral ceiling. On one side I have 55" on the other I have 45". The surface is about 1700 sf, pretty much open, the heat will rise upstairs, toward the attic bedrooms. I was looking at Jotul after many of you commented on this forum about it. The stack will be double walled, going through the ceiling with a type A connector (?).
F400 or CB Black Bear. Is that space enough? Do I need to build a heat shield, even though they come from manufacturer with heat shields? I want to do the building of the heat pad and/or the lateral/side and back wall. The installation will be done by a professional but I want to save money and do what I can... Please help!

 

[Pagey]

The manufacturer of whatever stove you choose will specify the minimum CTCs (Clearance to Combustibles) in the stove's literature. They will also specify whether or not any of the CTCs can be reduced via any additional means of protection.

 

[oconnor]

With the nearly 4 feet of clearance you mention, you won't have much trouble finding a stove to fit the room. You should download the manuals for whatever stove you prefer, and review them for the specifics of the clearances needed.

Don't forget the hearth pad requirements - some need simple ember protection, and others need a specific R value to be built into the hearth pad.

The other measurements to look into are for your chimney - 2 feet higher than any portion of the home within 10 feet rings a bell, but don't quote me.

Start cutting and drying your wood now - if you don't have some on hand already you may be in for a tough time getting wood that is ready to burn.

Good luck

 

[Pagey]

That's a good point on the hearth pad: see if you need a specific R value or if you only need ember protection. It can make quite a difference in how much is involved in building one, assuming you make your own. Most of today's stoves, especially if you go with plate steel, have heat shields that significantly reduce the clearances, especially when used along with listed, approved double wall connector stove pipe.

However, keep in mind that the "jacketed" stoves give up a lot of their radiant heating characteristics to achieve their close CTCs. Radiant stoves lack the heat shields, but generally require higher CTCs. It sounds like you've got a decent amount of room to work with, though.

 

[next61]

Thank you Pagey and CleanBurnin, I guess I was not very clear in my question: there is plenty of space for Jotul Bear and F400. Do I have to build a wall with 1" spacers also, if the stove itself has a heat shield? I guess that's where I'm stuck. I could not understand that from the literature of each stove.

 

[Pagey]

As long as you follow the manufacturer's guidance on CTCs, you won't need additional wall protection.

 

[begreen]

The Castine has a rear heatshield. This was not optional when we bought ours. The stove has pretty tight clearances, but I would exceed them a little. It never hurts and it sounds like you have plenty of room. There should be no need for a wall shield in this case.

 

[Pagey]

Next61, from what I've seen/read, generally the wall protection with the 1" air gap is only used in more rare circumstances, such as installing an older stove that would otherwise have much higher CTCs than a more modern, UL listed/tested stove. Some stove manufacturers will specify in their documentation that the listed CTCs can be further reduced with such wall protection, but that is very, very rare from what I've seen.

A modern, EPA certified and UL listed/tested stove will clearly list its required clearances, and the documentation will state whether or not those CTCs are for a "protected" or "unprotected" surface. Unprotected is drywall. Protected would be a wall with a heat shield like you describe. The majority of the stoves I've seen list their CTCs based on "unprotected" surfaces.

Bottom line: meet or exceed what your stove's documentation calls for, and you'll be in good shape without the need for additional wall protection.

 

[next61]

Thank you guys, that saved me with planing, a lot!

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi guys,
I've been on this forum for months; since I bought this old house, several months ago. I learned and read so much that now, I am overloaded. I remember this feeling well . . . kept reading and taking notes until I thought my head would explode . . . so much information that it is sometimes hard to digest it all. We found a massive insert build by an unknown manufacturer placed in the existing fireplace of the house. The chimney was damaged by water, bricks where fallen in, no lining on the chimney, the insert was all rusted and full of holes covered in two feet of creosote... Nasty picture!
I took my friend's excavator and wrapped a chain to the chimney and off it went. In the process, we discovered major water damage to the foundation, exterior wall, roof, etc. Couple of months latter, after the whole picture improved and a major remodeling took place, we have a different looking house. No more fireplace, new foundation, roof repaired, cathedral ceilings but no wood stove. Ah, the joys of being a home owner . . . home renovation. Sounds like it came out nice . . . any pictures . . . if you've been here for a few months by now you know we love pictures. Now, I have a back up furnace but I am in PNW, having access to good wood (oak, maple, fir, etc.) and I want a wood stove. The place that we decided was in the middle of the living room, next to the stairs, below the cathedral ceiling. Sounds like a perfect place for a woodstove -- more or less centrally located and in the room where you probably spend the most time. On one side I have 55" on the other I have 45". The surface is about 1700 sf, pretty much open, the heat will rise upstairs, toward the attic bedrooms. I was looking at Jotul after many of you commented on this forum about it. The stack will be double walled, going through the ceiling with a type A connector (?).
F400 or CB Black Bear. Is that space enough? I think you'll find most every stove in the Jotul line up will work for you due to the relatively close clearances . . . what I am wondering though is if the two stoves you mentioned will be big enough to heat 1,700 square feet . . . I tend to suggest figuring out one's needs and going a step larger. -- if I'm reading this right you have 1,700 square feet of space which would mean the Castine would not be enough (rated up to 1,600 square feet) and the Black Bear would be just a little more than enough at 1,800 square feet . . . granted I don't know about weather in the Pacific Northwest, but around here I would recommend going one step up to the Oslo or new Rangeley to make sure the house is adequately heated and the stove isn't being run too hard. Do I need to build a heat shield, even though they come from manufacturer with heat shields? No . . . as long as you meet the clearance requirements to the walls you do not need to build a heat shield . . . and with most Jotuls the clearance requirements are prety darned close . . . I could have gone down to 9 inches I think with my Oslo . . . but pulled it out a few extra inches just to have a measure of comfort and personal security. I want to do the building of the heat pad and/or the lateral/side and back wall. The installation will be done by a professional but I want to save money and do what I can... Please help! I cannot speak to every Jotul stove, but many of their stoves only require ember-protection . . . which means building a hearth for the stove is wicked easy . . . in fact I would highly recommend anyone that can cut a straight line with a saw or paint a room to try their hand at building their own hearth . . . with a bit of guidance you will find the project to be rewarding . . . and very economical . . . more important than saving money is the pride that comes from building one's own hearth . . . I'm a construction numbskull and I was able to build a very nice hearth out of slate that still impresses me.