Insulating above stove, between metal and brick?

[RyanStorm]

I have a wood stove, with a huge brick surround across entire wall. The stove pipe goes up under the lip of the bricks, and it goes up and through a piece of metal.

That piece of metal as seen in the picture is not held down at all. The left side, there is about 2 inches spacing and can physically feel a draft coming through. My family room has a huge draft and no one can sleep down there in winter.

I read around these forums and others, and saw people using "Roxul" to insulate, as seen in link below. However, I was wondering if I could just stuff strips up into there without redoing the metal piece? The closet the stove pipe will be to the Roxul is about 10-11 inches minimum. I just wanted to make sure its safe to do it this way?

Question: How do I insulate between the brick and that metal?

Dude who used Roxul, but installed a new piece of metal:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-diy-block-off-plate-installation.61183/

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Before sealing anything up the first thing I'd want to do is to know what is happening with the stove pipe past that sheet of metal to make sure it is safe and legal.

Stove pipe is not allowed up a chimney. Nor is it allowed past the room barrier. Is this in a fireplace install?

 

[RyanStorm]

Welcome. Before sealing anything up the first thing I'd want to do is to know what is happening with the stove pipe past that sheet of metal to make sure it is safe and legal.

Stove pipe is not allowed up a chimney. Nor is it allowed past the room barrier. Is this in a fireplace install?

Yeah its a wood stove, it has a 8" stove pipe coming off the top of the stove. If you go outside, I have a chimney that has siding and stuff, but next to it, I have a metal pipe that goes up separately.

That pipe goes above the metal plate and takes a 90 degree turn maybe 2 feet up, cause on the outside, that metal pipe going up the outside wall, at the bottom, my Dad would put a piece of insulation for the years we didn't use it. That bottom part is maybe 1 foot off ground outside, and our bottom floor is maybe 3 feet underground, so that 90 degree is no more than 1-2 feet after that metal plate.


Above the metal plate and 90 degree, is just emptiness. We have a general fireplace on top floor, that has its own chimney that isn't used, and probably hasn't been used in a decade.

 

[RyanStorm]

Most people I ask have told me to just buy a new one. This draft situation is make or break, cause I need to insulate it, and if I can't run the stove while its there, then I will just have to shine it up real nice and leave it as decoration for now.

I was quoted $2000 minimum at the Regency dealer shop in Salt Lake for their smallest Regency Wood Stove.

 

[begreen]

Was this installation ever inspected? Or has it been looked at by a certified sweep? Having a hot single wall pipe in a closed brick wall cavity makes me nervous, especially if there's wood touching that brick at any point. If this cavity goes up to the attic without a firestop it is definitely a fire hazard.

Is the exit point for the pipe from the building to the metal chimney below the room ceiling or above it?

 

[begreen]

Might be better to start with a clean piece of paper to look at what your best options are. It may be that installing an insert in the upstairs fireplace will do a better and safer job of heating the house if that is the goal.

 

[RyanStorm]

Was this installation ever inspected? Or has it been looked at by a certified sweep? Having a hot single wall pipe in a closed brick wall cavity makes me nervous, especially if there's wood touching that brick at any point and even more so if the lid on this cavity is a combustible material.

I will get you some more pictures, especially from outside. In my head I kept thinking that the alcove that the wood stove is in, is directly under the chimney, but now that I think about it, assuming that pip goes directly towards wall, that puts the wood stove offset like 2-3 feet to the right.

I'll get my camera around the metal to see whats up there.


I have found a guy who does my part of town, inspection and cleaning. I haven't done anything outside cleaning the stove up yet til I have him come over.

 

[mellow]

Sounds like it is making a chimney effect going into that empty space, sucking cooler room air up there with that hot single wall pipe, must be escaping somewhere up top to form a loop.

 

[RyanStorm]

I found where cold air is coming in. Where the pipe comes out side, there is this metal plate going around the tube to seal it, but its just sitting there, and my finger can pull it back.

Below, this is where I now want to seal it, so I need to find a caulk or foam that I can use to seal it from outside. This should stop the draft.


So the alcove is in the part of house that as extended, and the pipe is 90 degrees to the side. The metal piece I wanted to insulate is below where the 90 degrees is.

 

[RyanStorm]

I've also took a picture from bottom of stove pipe:

I'm gonna burn the sweeping log and look and see how much is left, then push our brush up there to clean it, overall it looks clean, but has patches that should be cleaned.

 

[RyanStorm]

I found a sealant to use on the outside that is meant for fireplaces and chimneys. Hopefully this stops the draft.