DiY Block Plate on an Avalon Rainier Insert

[Otis B Driftwood]

Greetings Burners, n00b here.

Just wanted to post my cheapskate version of a block plate as referenced by the resourceful lot here at Hearth.com. Just so you responsible parties realize, you influence a spate of lurkers out here who've gained some valuable knowledge while prowling these heralded pages, so this thread is a big Thank You for the inspiration. I've broken more things in my quest for a more pleasant home than I'd care to admit here.

Now. We've had our insert for six years and LOVE it. But it needed ... something. I thought a block plate would help it, since we've no fan and don't intend to buy one. Not just because I'm cheap, but because it kinda defeats the whole idea behind the wood burning stove. Yeah ... I'm one of those.

Here's the deal: There was NO WAY I was gonna trek up on my roof to perform the advantageous task of hiking up the flue liner to gain clearance, as I'm scared to death of its pitch, so I cut to Plan B, which was to cut the plate in half and collar the liner in a poor layman's version of a circle. This I did using flashing. And tin snips. Yes, flashing, not a respectable sheet of steel for this fireplace, oh nooo.


Plate Going in with Roxul®


Stuffed the chimney and flue with Roxul®, the only thing I spent money on save the cements, suspended the plate using carriage bolts hanging from some metal bars left over from our move here, and fastened it in. Probably spent ten times the effort most of you did doing the same thing, but it's done. It don't look perty, but since Mrs Driftwood insisted the shroud be replaced, despite my less-than stellar paint job, the final results don't wear on the eye. Sorry 'bout the photography.


Carriage Bolt Suspension


The only thing I can add to this conversation of my own device is that I'd try not to damage any of the brick face if one can help it. I got the idea to suspend the plate from various members here and I think it's the best approach. However, if you're not chicken of falling off the roof, I'd definitely try to raise that liner pipe out of the way. That was the biggest pain to work around.

While puttying in new furnace cement around the gap of the plate and liner and connecting collar I found rolling a wad of it between the thumb and index finger and pushing it in place the best method. Don't skimp here, get some furnace cement. Oh ... I got big and masked the liner to avoid a mess with the cement – totally unnecessary. The stuff was very easy to work with. The worst part was keeping the Roxul® in place while hanging the plate. That's probably why most folks opt with screwing the plate in, it helps to keep things stable, 'cuz folks, gravity works. Silicone seal, paint, dun.


Cement Mask; Unnecessary


I kinda wish now I had an insulated liner but with those prices and the prospect of yanking the thing out and putting it back in again I think I'll pass on it. Still, I think the whole process will be worth it and less heat will waft up the chimney and more convection coming from the insert.




The End

 

[begreen]

Welcome. The images didn't show up. Can you post them using the Upload File button? Once the file is uploaded, click on the Thumbnail option for the attached files.

 

[Otis B Driftwood]

So, I gather that only I can see the image post "summary" at the bottom of my post preview?

That's why I deleted that list; I could see it at the bottom of the post. Nice board BTW,
just a bit behooved by the image post thingy ... quite different than what I's used to.

 

[Armoured]

So, I gather that only I can see the image post "summary" at the bottom of my post preview?

Don't know what was going on before but can see it now. I'll have to try something like this during the warm season.

Why did you feel it needed the chimney cement? If it's a plate with a hole and roxul stuffed around that, shouldn't that be enough?

In my case the insert is blocked off above (about where the masonry damper was, above the mantle), just that I think that is still a big chunk of space being unnecessarily heated and if I get a fan in around the sides it will put a lot more heat into the house mainly through improved circulation. (My insert is really just a big cast iron box with glass door, and not shielded like I see many are to improve convection back into the living area).

Anyway, it seems to me a little bit of air escaping above won't change the amount of heat escaping much, that is between a bit of space stuffed with rockwool and chimney cemented. Am I off on that?

 

[Otis B Driftwood]

Amoured: No, you're not off there, but the cement will help plug leaks that will interfere in the burning process. So it's a good idea to seal the liner to the plate and the liner to the collar or opening to the top or side of your stove. It'll take the heat, so to speak, and it's cheap. Less than $5, and for Connecticut, where we steal each other blind, even if yer vision is 20:20, that's good. Bear in mind my plate is far from perfect, frankly, I have a gap at the front I couldn't correct, and at that point in the installation, I had to let it go. Couldn't even silicone it. Ah well, what do you expect from a $1.98 chimney cracker?

 

[Armoured]

Amoured: No, you're not off there, but the cement will help plug leaks that will interfere in the burning process. So it's a good idea to seal the liner to the plate and the liner to the collar or opening to the top or side of your stove. It'll take the heat, so to speak, and it's cheap. Less than $5, and for Connecticut, where we steal each other blind, even if yer vision is 20:20, that's good. Bear in mind my plate is far from perfect, frankly, I have a gap at the front I couldn't correct, and at that point in the installation, I had to let it go. Couldn't even silicone it. Ah well, what do you expect from a $1.98 chimney cracker?

Thanks, although I'm still not clear why leaks would interfere with the process; the plate (in my case anyway) will be above and outside the stove. The goal will be to minimize heat transfer to the dead space above the stove/below the current block-off (which is well sealed), but won't need to be perfect to cut the heat loss down. I'll consider carefully when I get around to it though.

If you have a gap at the front, maybe just stuff some rockwool in there good and tight.

 

[Otis B Driftwood]

Oh, I stuffed it far up there all right, good'n'tight, so much so
that Mrs Driftwood can't tell me to park anything where the
sun don't shine for the next five years, at least.