Potential new hearth/chimney project.

[cmonSTART]

After I get my wood situated when it arrives, I want to start redoing our hearth and chimney setup.

Chimney: Currently our chimney is Simpson triple wall stainless which runs up the outside of our house - one of those through the wall kits. It works OK, but the horizontal run we have I'm sure is holding it back a bit. I would like to run it straight up (slightly offset actually). Does the chimney need to be supported where it runs through the ceiling? I know it needs 2 inches of clearance. There's probably a kit or something. Also, here's the more important question to me. Will I be able to remove the stovepipe from the stove so I can clean the chimney easily?

Hearth: I want it to be similar to the attached install, which would move my Englander 30 back closer to the wall a bit. (Though, not as close as the one in the picture. Yikes!) Any words of wisdom? I'm going to build the platform out of metal studs with airspace below, then 1/2" durock with brick over top. (I've never tried to lay brick before mind you....)

Yee Ha!

 

[begreen]

Does the chimney need to be supported where it runs through the ceiling? I know it needs 2 inches of clearance. There's probably a kit or something. Also, here's the more important question to me. Will I be able to remove the stovepipe from the stove so I can clean the chimney easily?

Go to Simpson's or ventingpipe.com and look at the parts involved. You will see a ceiling support box that supports the class A pipe. From the ceiling support box to the stove you can use double-wall DVL pipe with a section of adjustable pipe. When it comes to stove cleaning time you can just lift up the pipe.

Hearth: I want it to be similar to the attached install, which would move my Englander 30 back closer to the wall a bit. (Though, not as close as the one in the picture. Yikes!) Any words of wisdom? I'm going to build the platform out of metal studs with airspace below, then 1/2" durock with brick over top. (I've never tried to lay brick before mind you....)

The Englander has nice close clearance requirements. You should be fine as long as you have at least the minimum clearances to combustibles. With all that weight on the hearth I'd put the studs on 12" centers, maybe add a center stiffner at the midpoint of the hearth and use a double layer of durock. If you want it to be extra cool add a sheet of 28 ga sheetmetal under the durock.