Clearances Reduction thoughts for Mama Bear

[Piney]

Wait, so why couldn't you do the same sort of shielding on the back and/or sides of the stove? Basically just building a shield shell around it without making all these changes to the house. Just asking.

My neighbour encased his stove using sheet steel. Works great. Insurance company is horrified.

 

[harbinger50]

Cement board is your friend. There are easy to follow rules on how to build wall shields using cement board - fastening, spacing, air gaps under and behind etc. Cement board on the floor is good too.
Read this:
https://woodheat.org/clearances.html

Thanks! I'll give it a look!

 

[harbinger50]

My neighbour encased his stove using sheet steel. Works great. Insurance company is horrified.

ha ha, horrified but still gave the okay or not?

 

[coaly]

Wait, so why couldn't you do the same sort of shielding on the back and/or sides of the stove? Basically just building a shield shell around it without making all these changes to the house. Just asking.

You can, and that is what manufacturers did and still do for reducing clearances. It's all about being "Listed" or tested to UL testing criteria. The wall shield was tested by labs to UL standards, so it is accepted by insurance and code officials. What you add to a stove is not tested, so even if it is safe to install modified, insurance companies or inspectors will not allow it. ICC Code that most states have adopted requires all appliances to be UL Listed for a new installation. Up until your state or local jurisdiction adopted codes that no longer allow unlisted stoves, you could legally install an older stove to the 36 inch clearance specs or reduce clearance with the approved shielding given in NFPA 211 that was written for unlisted stoves. NFPA 211 is not a code, it is a standard that codes adopt, then states or local municipalities adopt codes of choice. You won't do anything unsafe following NFPA guidelines, but local codes can add more restrictions (like requiring all appliances to be UL Listed - when NFPA has a section for reducing clearances on unlisted stoves) So following NFPA guidelines doesn't make it legal, only safe.

 

[harbinger50]

You can, and that is what manufacturers did and still do for reducing clearances. It's all about being "Listed" or tested to UL testing criteria. The wall shield was tested by labs to UL standards, so it is accepted by insurance and code officials. What you add to a stove is not tested, so even if it is safe to install modified, insurance companies or inspectors will not allow it. ICC Code that most states have adopted requires all appliances to be UL Listed for a new installation. Up until your state or local jurisdiction adopted codes that no longer allow unlisted stoves, you could legally install an older stove to the 36 inch clearance specs or reduce clearance with the approved shielding given in NFPA 211 that was written for unlisted stoves. NFPA 211 is not a code, it is a standard that codes adopt, then states or local municipalities adopt codes of choice. You won't do anything unsafe following NFPA guidelines, but local codes can add more restrictions (like requiring all appliances to be UL Listed - when NFPA has a section for reducing clearances on unlisted stoves) So following NFPA guidelines doesn't make it legal, only safe.

Oh. I get ya. Thanks for that explanation. Guess I'll be going with the cement board and spacers on the wall then. Picked up the 16ga sheet metal last night for the bottom shield. One step at a time...