Cheap quasi-mobile hearth pad?

[knxville]

Hello all,

I'm installing a Jotul F3 here in a week or so and have spent a lot of time researching chimney pipe installation. Unfortunately I haven't spent as much time thinking about what the stove will sit on as I should have. I'm hoping you all could give me some pointers on building a hearth pad. I've sifted through some of the previous posts but haven't been able to find a good answer for a lighterweight hearth pad.

I would prefer to construct a quasi-mobile hearth pad since I may be renting my house in a few years (wouldn't trust tenants with a wood stove). Also, I'm pretty low on cash right now and would prefer to build a fairly cheap (but still safe) pad. I'm not looking for anything fancy, just functional.

My stove calls for an R value of 1.1. Originally, I planned on stacking cement board and then placing a stove board on top until I realized how much weight would be sitting on my subfloor. Has anyone had any luck with a raised-ventilated (open in the front/rear) platform? I was thinking about cutting/stacking strips of cement board to act as joists and then stacking two 1/2" layers of cement board, and then a stove board such as this one (http://www.tractorsupply.com/hand-t...rd-black-pebble-finish-36-in-x-52-in--3197018). Any thoughts?

Also, I will be installing the stove in a corner. Is it necessary to take the pad all the way back into the corner?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks,

HT

 

[begreen]

I would build it out of: a decent 3/4" plywood with extra plys, then 1/2" micore, then 1/2" cement board. The stove can sit on the cement board. If you don't slide the stove on it, the cement board should stand up ok. Maybe put some metal squares under the legs to prevent divots. Or tile the top, though that will add weight. I'd take it all the way back into the corner, especially if rear venting the stove.

 

[knxville]

BeGreen,

Unfortunately, the closest supply of micore board is 3 hours away. Not really feasible for me at the moment. Is there another product comparable to micore?

Oh, and I forgot to add that I'm venting the stove out the top.

Thanks,

HT

 

[begreen]

Fiberfrax Duraboard. http://www.fiberfrax.com/#Fiberfrax-Duraboard

If you want this pad to be reusable, do you know if the stove will be top vent in the new location? Or I guess for that matter, will it be a corner install?

 

[knxville]

The stove will be topvent and a corner install. I'll be installing cement board on the wall for protection and reduced clearances. Will probably stack strips of cement board to achieve the 1" airspace.

My brother is coming up this weekend and bringing me some micore. The retailer sells it in 4x8 sheets at 3/4" thickness. Is micore a little squishy? If so, does it lose some of its r-value if compressed?

Since I have access to micore, the pad will be straight forward"

Subfloor (combustible)
Micore 300- 3/4" (R 2.05?)
Cement Board- 1/2" (R .2)

Total R value is 2.25.

Sound good?

May or may not add tile, not sure yet.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

That's essentially what I'm doing as well, for much the same reasons, though we decided to tile over it for aesthetic purposes. We only plan to stay in our mobile home another ~10 years, and damned if I'm leaving my woodstove behind! You can get ceramic tiles pretty cheap and they take abuse pretty well, and it's not hard to do.

~Rose

 

[begreen]

Micore is soft, but the 1/2" cement board will evenly distribute the weight. Screw down the cement board at frequent intervals (every 8"?) as recommended. That will make the micore captive like a nice sandwich.

 

[nate379]

I have about $250 into my stove pad and it would fill your needs I'm sure.

2 layers of 3x4" plywood, 1/2" Durock on top and then ceramic tiles.

Plywood was $48/sheet (2 sheets), Durock was $10/sheet (2) and the tiles (about 16 I think) where $3 each. Rest of the cost was screws, mortar, grout, wood trim for the edge

Similar built one at the stove shop was in the $600 price range.

I mean if you really want cheap could just throw down a piece of 14 guage steel under the stove and call it a day. I know many of the people on here would freak out and start spouting off specs of R valves, flamability, etc, etc... but the pad under the stove is really just needed to catch the rare ember or two that comes out when you open the door.

 

[greythorn3]

I have about $250 into my stove pad and it would fill your needs I'm sure.

2 layers of 3x4" plywood, 1/2" Durock on top and then ceramic tiles.

Plywood was $48/sheet (2 sheets), Durock was $10/sheet (2) and the tiles (about 16 I think) where $3 each. Rest of the cost was screws, mortar, grout, wood trim for the edge

Similar built one at the stove shop was in the $600 price range.

I mean if you really want cheap could just throw down a piece of 14 guage steel under the stove and call it a day. I know many of the people on here would freak out and start spouting off specs of R valves, flamability, etc, etc... but the pad under the stove is really just needed to catch the rare ember or two that comes out when you open the door.

you buy yourself a chainsaw yet?