Hello! I am new to this group and I thank you for letting me be a part of it. We are installing a Dutchwest 2462 in our new home. It is new construction and we have a plywood floor and wall behind where stove is going. I wanted to run a few ideas by you all and see if you have any advise for me. We would like to build a hearth out of wood 2x4's, Durock (not with vermiculite) and possibly using soap stone for the top. We will vent for air circulation. Considering options for the wall protection. We have left over Allura Fiber Cement siding from when we sided the exterior. I checked the website and they state that all Allura Fiber Cement products have a Class A rating and are considered non combustible in accordance with ASTM E136. I was thinking of using the siding on top of Durock, with the 1 inch gap for air circulation, and putting the siding on top like shiplap. It would need to be painted, so I was wondering if I used fire retardant paint, would that be ok?