New Fireview install and hearth extension (updated)

I'd always planned to upgrade our prefab fireplace in Michigan (a Majestic WMC42) and with the discounts and (formerly) high propane prices now seemed like a good time. Here's the original setup:

The lintel height is about 27", which was perfect for the Fireview. The hearth is a 42" x 20" x 2.25" concrete slab, which is thick enough for the Fireview but not really deep enough for a 20" deep stove with rear controls. I thought of various ways to extend it, and ultimately decided to slide the slab forward 8" onto posts. This would let me keep the existing stonework intact and visible and minimize the new stonework. Luckily it turned out that the slab was mostly just sitting there, it was glued to what looked to be at least two layers of micore or similar underneath but that pulled off without my even noticing it at first. The new space behind the slabs I figured I'd fill with rocks from the beach, and wrap the posts with same.

Here the slab is pulled out onto 4 4x4 posts, which I glued and screwed into the floor with two-headed screws. I wrapped them with metal lath and did a scratch coat, and put down a layer on top to level and attach the slab. I framed the 8" gap with oak to match the existing trim and lined the gap with lath:


Here the rear rocks are mortared in. The mortar is still wet and dark here, it wound up drying lighter than I expected:


The WMC42 is the rare prefab that has a proper class-A HT2100-rated chimney, CFM's 8" ID triple-wall "type S" or "S8" chimney, also used on the Sequoia EPA fireplaces. I decided to start with the cheap route and do a direct connect; if I had draft problems I could always run a liner later. Here's the blockoff plate, I went a little nuts with the screws because the top of the fireplace was a little warped:


And finally, some different views of the finished product with the stone on the posts:



Notice that I pulled the stove out past the mantle, hopefully this avoids the need for a shield. (The wife doesn't want a shield.) I also put a pipe shield on the horizontal run of pipe and angled the shield up towards the stove so that the hot air comes out past the mantle. I don't currently have any additional hearth protection in front of the stove; Woodstock told me that the 10" height of the hearth counts for the 8" I need in front. I couldn't find that anywhere else but if anyone knows let me know.

*EDIT* Here's the fireplace painted metallic gray to match the stove and pipe.


I've done 4 fires in the Fireview so far. I've had zero draft problems, even with the first break-in fire when it was 75 degrees out. Everything they say about this stove is true. A single load of tiny splits goes forever and the stone stays hot longer than that. I've only had the top up to about 450, so it still has an extra gear or two to show me in the winter. With all the shielding the stone surround and the metal fireplace don't get very hot, and I can even run the fireplace blower if I want, which will dump any heat from the fireplace and just happens to blow right across the top of the stove to boot.

Hey, that came out great. I like the way you've repeated the fieldstone on the supporting posts under the hearth. Would there be any way you could paint the black surround of the opening in a grey tone to make it recede and mimize the contrast with your beautiful stove?

Holy Cow DiscoInferno I bet you guys talked about that stove v. insert over many times before there was an agreement.

You're gonna love the difference in heat output to. I suppose if you always use the side door that heath would do but even cleaning the glass in the morning sparks could damage your floor. My wife would insist more of a heath and that would be that...she's the inside boss. All in all a lovely installation.

We're thinking of that. Woodstock sells a can of matching hi-temp gray paint.

There aren't many inserts that would fit, the height of the opening is rather small (on the order of 19"). Plus it seems like you can get more heat out of a freestanding stove, and I wanted to try a cat stove.

Very nice! Your going to love the stove. I agree with painting the fireplace grills gray or maybe you could just get more stone and cover the whole thing over?

Covering the fireplace with stone has a few problems: getting a good match to the surrounding stone and mortar would be tricky (and a bad match would be more visible than the other areas), I wouldn't want to cover up the louvers which cool the firebox, and I might need to get access to the pipe in the fireplace at some point. I suppose I could make a removable panel out of cement board and stone that covers the fireplace opening and leaves the grills open though.

You could make a removable panel out of cement board and I'll bet you could face it with a veneer of soapstone or simply skimcoat it with Conproco "structural skin" and paint it to recede. That would look really sharp.

I used the Conproco stuff to skimcoat a masonary block chimney in my studio and simply painted it to match the walls, it's a clean, simple look that provides a nice background for the stove. It wasn't terribly difficult (I'd never done anything like it before) and turned out nice.

hits head... DOH!

Congrats on a beautiful set up. I dont think you will be disappointed with it in operation this winter. You will soon also have CAT scratch fever. Again nice job. Enjoy having longer lasting woodpile. Cheers!
N of 60

Great looking install! Love the raised hearth.

Disco, you will love that stove and the heat it puts out for the little amount of wood it burns.

That stove also is the very same color as ours and we love it.

Looks great. I just installed my Fireview back in May. I only had it up to just over 300*. I can't wait to get mine cranking too. I was also amazed at how much heat a few little splits made and how long the stove stayed hot.

You must have done it wrong - I got it higher than that using a toothpick and some pocket lint. ;-)

It was too hot in the house to build any bigger a fire. I already had the central AC going.

Ha, an epic battle - A/C vs. the Fireview. No contest, I suspect. We're lucky to get to 70 this summer so I've had a few chances to break mine in.

Crazy me, I am actually looking forward to this winter.

I got a can of matching gray high-temp paint from Woodstock, and now the black fireplace is no more. (I added a pic at the end of the original post.) One could argue for a darker gray that matches the mortar instead of the stove, I guess. I'm not really strong on aesthetics. I also probably will cover the area between the louvers someday with a piece of stuccoed cement board.

Looks better with the gray paint IMHO. Hey, do you think there's enough room that you could store some firewood back there in the fireplace?

I could certainly fit some wood back there, but it would be hard to keep it 18" away from the back of the stove and the single wall pipe that goes back and up. It would probably be ok (in practice, not code) if the wood was cycled out regularly since the Fireview doesn't have such a high stack temp.

That application of grey paint to the background makes a huge difference! I'm thrilled to see you went for it. Instead of seeing black grating, now the stove is moved front and centre and the monochromatic treatment of the grating takes a background position.

I work in the interior design field and so often I see people "drop the ball" and blow off the little details that take a project from OK to "finished". Nice work and a handsome upgrade for a very pretty stove! you ought to send your pictures to Woodstock!

DiscoInferno that's the nicest set-up I've seen so far.
Great job.