shake roof screen needed?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

woodsie8

Member
Hearth Supporter
Have had several bids and only one told me I have to put some kind of special screen up since I had shake roof. Does anyone know what he is referring to? Not one else has even mentioned it. It is the same guy tho, that said he had never insulated a liner and will never insulate a liner, because stoves overheat and are ruined. I'm sure you can guess, I won't be calling him back............ :) Got to have it insulated..........
 
If I had a wooden roof...and I take it you have cedar shakes, I would NEVER, EVER put in a wood stove. No matter how many safety screens you have in place you are flirting with danger cause you have a wooden roof. Don't do it.
 
I'm not saying one way or the other, but I grew up in a house with cedar shakes and we heated with 100% wood. The chimneys were between 30 and 40 feet though. The house I am in now used to have cedar shakes on and it was also heated with wood and the chimney here is about 25 ft high.
 
I am kind of wondering now, got me a little scared. Why would only one installer tell me to use screens and all the other ones, not even mention it. I do plan on replacing the roof, but don't have the money for several more years. I am in a A-frame with the chimney coming out of the very top of the roof. What can I do, to make it safe? all the homes on this mountain, have shake shingles and stoves.
 
Don't worry so much. I mean what if a big tree falls on the roof? What if Mt. Hood decides to erupt? You're in an area of damp roofs, this is not likely to be an issue and your new liner cap will likely have some sort of screen in it.
 
That's what I thought; my roof is pretty wet and soggy all the months I would be burning a fire. I mean, I know smoke comes out of the chimney but in these new stoves, does sparks ever get that high??????
 
Possibly when a fresh load of wood is added and it pops and cracks. But you are not in LA, your roof will be wet most of the time.

FWIW, I had more sparks come out of the stack of our pellet stove than I've seen from the wood stove.
 
A spark arrestor screen is, I think, pretty standard, and required by code wherever you live (or certainly should be). I've noticed that when burning in my workshop stove, I occasionally see little flakes of black creosote drift around...almost powdery stuff. But I've never seen a live spark/ember come out of that chimney, as I sometimes did from the chimneys on my old masonry open wood-burning fireplaces in Virginia. Both my chimneys here have what I'd call conventional ("nothing special") sort of caps with wire mesh around the outlets. My roofs are concrete tile, but even if they were shake, I wouldn't be too concerned about setting my roof on fire. The burning efficiency of the modern equipment, and the required height of chimney above roof peak should obviate most all of that danger. Rick
 
Your roof may have a fire retardant on it.
I'd be more concerned with sparks from a stove setting dry leaves or pine needles outside on fire.

It's just a screen. You could make one if you ha to. It just minimizes the chances of the larger hotter sparks from going far.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.