False chimney breast over Lopi Liberty

[Davedownunder]

Greetings everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm from New Hampshire but live in Australia. I am a carpenter by trade.

I'm about to install a beautiful old 1994 Lopi Liberty in my single storey brick veneer house.

It's a beast of a stove. I've got 8 foot ceilings and sheetrock walls. I really like the look of a false chimney breast (pic attached) and wondered if this is advisable for my situation. I'm using a double walled insulated chimney pipe that the manufacture claims can be run within 1 inch of roof framing timbers (I won't cut it that close though).

I guess my biggest concern was about heat build up within the chimney breast. Would simple vents along the top be enough? The plan is the use metal stud spacers and tile backer against the back wall, and to frame up the wall.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I gave the manual for clearances, but also wonder how high I should keep it off of the top of the stove.

 

[begreen]

As you have noted, the Liberty's output is substantial. Unless the false fireplace's construction is 100% non-combustible I wouldn't do this. This product appears to have some combustibles in construction. Can you provide a link to this product's website? It's hard to read the phone screenshots.

 

[Davedownunder]

As you have noted, the Liberty's output is substantial. Unless the false fireplace's construction is 100% non-combustible I wouldn't do this. This product appears to have some combustibles in construction. Can you provide a link to this product's website? It's hard to read the phone screenshots.

Thank you for your thoughts.

I had planned on using a 12mm (half inch) James Hardie compressed sheet, that is deemed non-combustible. Maybe this link will work :

Hardie™ Panel Compressed Cement Sheet | James Hardie

Hardie™ Panel Compressed Sheet - Compressed Fibre Cement structural floor substrate. Know how Compressed Cement Sheet by James Hardie is Durable and Long Lasting

www.jameshardie.com.au

I really want to be safe here, so it would all be steel studs (with non-combustible spacers between them and the back wall) and steel studs throughout. I thought about even bricking up the back wall to the height of the stove top.

***To Clarify: the pic of thr chimney breast is just for an example. I think they're selling a kit, but my plan would be to build my own.

Too risky? I'm open to accepting that verdict.

 

[begreen]

Something could be built, using only non-combustible materials, but you may be on your own with the insurance company and local inspector due to a lack of tested data.

 

[Davedownunder]

I think I'm going to do it.

If anything I'll go overkill. I think I'll build a firebox to surround the stove with cinder or Hebel blocks lined with bricks, and then steel studs and cement board.

I'll put 2 vents on the top sides of the breast wall to allow the heat to escape.

Seems like there's enough people who have done it. Pics attached.

 

[begreen]

Some of those installations appear to be from the UK. Draw up plans and make sure that your insurance company and inspecting authority are ok with them.

 

[Davedownunder]

Many thanks Begreen. I'll take your advice.

In the meantime, I decided to install it as a freestanding stove on a hearth pad as stage one, but in such a way that I can add on later.

 

[begreen]

You are on the right track but getting approval from those parties could be challenging. I have seen this done before but they took the chimney support down to the top of the non-combustible enclosure for the stove. Boxing in stovepipe, even if double-wall is likely to raise eyebrows. This may be what was done in the first (left) image, but not in the second one. This is something to think about before committing to the freestanding stove install.