newbie

[jdphillips73]

Hello all,

This is my first visit to this forum and I must say that it seems to be a place for me to ask a few questions. I hope I dont offend someone or break any rules. I am planning on installing a wood stove in my 1200 square ft house. My plan is to install it in a corner in the living room. Currently, that spot consists of a laminate wood floor and sheet rock wall. Now I know that will not do for a wood stove installation. So, i'm planning on building a hearth. I am pretty good at construction, even worked in it for about 10 yrs so it shouldnt be a problem. So whats my question, you ask? Ok, here goes....

Are there any products available to do this job besides bricking the entire area? i.e. I was told that some folks put ceramic tile on the floor. Also, I watched someones video on here that was 15 minutes long, which I enjoyed. I noticed that his brick work only extended about 12" to each side of his stove. I have been told that It should be 36". To me that seems like overkill, but I do want to error on the side of safety. Opinions?

 

[BJ64]

I'm a newbie too but I'll help bump your thread.

Here is my wild guess (please read the disclaimer about taking advice from dummies like myself).

I would look at the specs on the stove for minimum clearances and stuff then go from there.

 

[begreen]

With a modern, EPA UL listed stove, the hearth construction is dictated by the manufacturer. It varies a lot from stove to stove. If you want to keep the stove tight in the corner choosing a stove that has close clearances will help a great deal. Another option can be a proper wall shield that can halve clearances in some cases.

 

[SlyFerret]

There are a few other threads in the forums that cover this topic, so you might find some good info by searching for 'hearth construction' or 'building hearth'.

The first thing to do is to consult your stove's manual and see what R-Value you need the hearth to provide.

If you haven't selected a stove, that is probably where to start (or at least create a "short list') so that you can look at requirements for specific units. Each stove model is different, and have different requirements.

I built my hearth pad using metal framing studs (doubled up for strength), topped with three layers of Durock (cement board), and then ceramic tile. I had to take into account the insulation values of airspace, Durock, and ceramic tile in order to make sure that I had enough R-Value.

Some of the other threads you'll find on the site about hearth construction will include pictures too.

-SF

 

[jdphillips73]

with my floor being laminate wood, could i just use regular brick/mortar construction on top of it?

 

[Jags]

with my floor being laminate wood, could i just use regular brick/mortar construction on top of it?

No, you are going to need a substrate (such as durock) to attach the brick/mortar to. Also, you will need to meet or exceed the R value required by your stove. Make sure you check that out.

 

[begreen]

It depends on the stove, what stove are you getting?

 

[SlyFerret]

If it were me, I would very carefully cut the laminate out so that you're building your pad directly on the plywood sub floor.

You'll have to know exactly what you're building though so that you know exactly where to mark your cuts.

-SF