Hearthstone Equinox from old VC Resolute Eowww

[DougA]

It's been an epic journey that has lasted almost a year. My 30 yr old VC had to be replaced as it needed a complete rebuild and I looked at a TON of options and visited 6 or more dealers plus spoke to 3 different mfgs. I took a real good look at a Summit but it just was not my thing. I was about to plunk $$ on the Woodstock IS until I found out it wasn't certified for Canada. A BK King was in the top 2 choices but the cost was out of reach.

I spent a long time researching masonry heaters after someone here posted some incredible photos. I fell in love but the price was just too much and the hurdle of getting it certified if I built it myself was too much of a risk. In Ont., if you don't have it certified with a WETT inspector, you don't have home insurance. Many calls and arguments with WETT forced me to drop that option.

Finally I discovered an almost new Hearthstone Equinox at an incredible price. We spent quite a few hours driving to see it, then pick it up. It was a monster to get on the trailer!

The install meant relocating from where the VC was to take better advantage of the heat in the stove pipe which in turn meant building a stone wall. I was NOT going to run 8" black stove pipe all the way up a white wall that's 16+ ft.high. I know everyone does it but I think it's just plain UGLY. So, a few months of searching for the perfect stone veneer at a super cheap price, then wet sawing it and installing it on scaffolding. Tons of fun!

We wanted a nice soapstone hearth but after many calls, found out that would set me back as much as the stove cost. Not an option. Then a member here (Thislilfishy) posted about building a soapstone hearth and he had some left over. - thanks for the help Ian . We drove up to see Ian that night and thought either his tractor was going to roll over or my trailer would collapse from the weight. We made it home and spent a long time cutting the soapstone and re- polishing it.

We spent 4 weeks waiting for all the 8" Ultra Black to finally come in. A lot of stuff is back ordered this winter! After a whole lot of swearing and risking life and limb, the ceiling adapter was installed and the stove pipe finally put in place on the weekend.

Last piece was to get the stove off the cart it's been sitting on for months. The Equinox weighs a TON. A 4 ton car jack and 4 people managed to slide it on the hearth and viola - it was almost done.

Oh ya, I forgot the day I spent installing the OAK. I know the argument but I decided that fresh air was imperative for our house. Drilling a 4" hole through cement stucco is not fun if you're too cheap to rent the drill and diamond blade ($55).

So, we did a few modest fires and there was almost no paint smell, even though I did touch up paint on all the pipe that got scuffed during install. We may get some yet as I haven't pushed the stove over 450.

Bottom line is this - even with a modest fire of 400 running, this stove puts out a TON OF HEAT! It's 11:00 pm and I opened the window again. It's almost 75 in here! My wife's comment was that we're burning no more wood than we would have with the old VC but getting a LOT more heat. I was already thinking the same thing. I expected to be burning much more, given the 4 cu ft firebox but that seems to be the truth. Time will tell.

I will post some more photos and some info on performance as soon as I get a chance. Have to finish the woodshed before winter!

Doug

 

[Thislilfishy]

Superb soapstone work! Given more time I would have liked to have tighter joints like yours, but we were under the gun. Very nicely done, what did you decide to seal the stone with?

We've found in the warmer days our stove roasts us out, but when we got down to -10 and lower the stove got us to just above comfortable and the upstairs slightly cool. Utilizing the furnace to keep things from getting too cold in the wee hours. There's no way I am getting out of bed to stoke the stove up!

Our first heating bill is already about $300 less then last years bill this time period...even with a 20% increase in propane cost this year. Also includes two weeks of propane use prior to the stove install. Things are looking good!

Ian

 

[WriteNoob]

A beautiful stove, and an install that lives up to its aesthetic. Sounds like you're happy with it, and that it's doing the job, which are the two most important factors. Congratulations.

 

[DougA]

We ended up using mineral oil. I bought 3 different enhancers/sealers and did a test on a few pieces of the stone wall. They all were very pricey and they all muted the sparkle of the quartz in the stone. Only the mineral oil allowed the sparkle to show through. It was $5. to do the whole project plus some left over for next time someone can't poo.

Used mineral oil on the soapstone too. Brushed it on and left it for 12 hrs., then wiped it off. It will probably need to be recoated every year but for the price and the looks, it can't be beat. Thanks for the idea. I researched soapstone carvings and that seemed to be the best option.

I was going to cut a 45 deg bevel on the outside edge but ran out of time. Hard to operate the wet saw in the garage when the 'wet' becomes ice. A 45 deg cut on the soapstone is not easy but a few tests worked out. I ended up taking the belt sander to the edge and just rounding it off. After that, went to 320, 400 then 600 wet sandpaper inside the house. Lot of work but the edges of the soapstone are very sharp and I could see one of the grandkids hitting their head.

 

[firefighterjake]

Love that soapstone hearth!! . . . looks a bit small to my eye in terms of size . . . but I am guessing that is the photograph and actual size requirements were met.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

That's a big 'ol rock right there.. looks fantastic.

 

[Thislilfishy]

I'm assuming that stove needs ember protection only, but looks like a tile floor in front of it as well covering all requirements.

Yeah the oil looks great, I'll likely do mine next year. I still need to sort out the trim, but have a plan for the spring when we don't need to the stove for heat. Also I want to be able to open the windows, as you know it's super dusty work. I used an orbital sander, but a belt sander would definitely be far superior for ease of use. I didn't want a polished look so only sanded to 200grit. We decided on the natural look to match the 'rustic' nature of our house. Our daughter has been good about staying well clear of the stove, she knows the 'thou shall not pass' line by heart, and shows her friends when they come over. However you definitely need to take the edge off, the wet saw leaves a razor edge for certain!

Ian

 

[DougA]

. . looks a bit small to my eye in terms of size

Good eye - it is very small. I wanted it that way so that I could stand on the main floor and load wood. The main floor is ceramic tile on 5" concrete slab, so it is code anyway. The hearth is 6" concrete block on their sides plus 1 1/2" soapstone top. I did ask the question on the forum plus checked with an inspector. Both said my plan was OK as both surfaces qualify for a hearth, just different heights.

 

[DougA]

Ian, you want to sand the soapstone with wet sandpaper and there will be no dust, just mucky slurry.
Try a spare piece before you do anything. Most pieces of the soapstone you have are already polished and 200 will scratch it badly. Even after 600, it was not as polished as when I got it. I used both an orbital and a long sanding pad for drywall. I thought the manual pad was actually better for 600. You can easily change the look by applying more or less mineral oil. Eventually, it will go back to the original look anyway.

 

[Thislilfishy]

I wasn't sure if it is polished or if it had some sort of sealant on it. I noticed the one polished dark green piece on my pad had an ember fall onto it, I didn't think much of it and left it there. The next day I noticed the sealant had burned off leaving the unfinished stone exposed....so I assumed it was a sealant which would be difficult to sand off. Ah well, definitely spring work, it's a little to hot working in front of the stove now!

Ian

 

[nvanhar]

Very nice looking stove and wall - we love our Equinox. It has taken me awhile to figure out that I really only need to make one good hot fire in the morning, and one hot fire at night. The coals from those fires and the heat released from the stone in-between times is enough to keep the house comfortable. Hope you enjoy yours as much as we do!

 

[Jags]

I don't care what anybody says...that is one big sexy stove. It would be a heavy contender if I were to ever replace the IR. Very nice stonework, bye the way.

 

[DougA]

Thanks for all the comments. Trying to install a reused garage door on my wood shed - way too cold for my fingers but gotta get 'er done. My theory is: raise the door in good weather, lower it in bad. The sides are all skids so the air gets through anyway.

 

[firefighterjake]

Good eye - it is very small. I wanted it that way so that I could stand on the main floor and load wood. The main floor is ceramic tile on 5" concrete slab, so it is code anyway. The hearth is 6" concrete block on their sides plus 1 1/2" soapstone top. I did ask the question on the forum plus checked with an inspector. Both said my plan was OK as both surfaces qualify for a hearth, just different heights.

Thislilfishy had an even better eye . . . he noticed the tile.

For the record . . . it still looks just as good as it did this morning when I looked at the pic.

 

[Simonkenton]

Beautiful!

 

[froggybottom]

Really beautiful. Nice job on the hearth, stunning.