RANT. Hearth shoppe guy is a butthead

[DavidV]

I am planning to build my blockof plate this weekend when it gets warm again---70's--. I have had people reccoment rockwool to me for an insulation to stick up above the plate. Call several stove shops and am told that's not what I need. One is trying to sell me on a vermiculite installation above the blockoff plate another said to pull the liner out and but a wrap insulation on it. I explained that it was likely to be there till the end of time since it was an ovalized 8 inch that we pulled into a 6 inch wide clay liner. When he realized that I had done it his tone changed to a very condecending one and he just didn't seem to want to help me any more. As though a homeowner is going to be incapable of doing this but the fat toothless illiterate freak with all the prison tattoos they send out to evaluate the place for a quote is gonna have it all worked out. What the heck to these people think was done before their cottage industry sprang up to save us? We fix our homes. We do what we have to do. Hiring someone to do all your work is a luxury that most Americans could not afford except in the last 20 years. And after all my anger and indignation fades away.....I still dont' have an insulation to use for the block off plate. IS this a material like fiberglass batting(although not glass based) or is it board like and I cut it. I am irritated.

 

[BrotherBart]

It comes in batts and boards. Impossible to find. I ended up going to an auction for an airline that went bankrupt and buying a bundle of batts from the left over building maintenance supplies.

Not one building supply place in the area had it or could tell me where to find the stuff.

Funny that guys on eBay seem to have it.

 

[elkimmeg]

David when have you receive poor advice here? fiber glass will melt next to the liner rock wool K wool is what you need or a piece of liner insulation

 

[wg_bent]

Board like and you cut it. Another option is getting hold of a peice of the interior of a Oil burner furnace. Left over Wet Pack.

Same thing, just need to let it dry.

I used it to reline my oil burner. 70 bucks to reline the furnace vs 800 to have a pro do it.

Duhhhh. The guy who came out to clean it next said I did a great job of the reline. said it would last 10 or more years.

 

[HarryBack]

Dave- make your own block-off plate out of 24 GA or heavier steel.....then, If you must insulate it, go ahead and put mineral wool above it...the stuff we sell is 2" thick, and 4'x2'....cuts quite readily with a utility knife, quite easy to do.....blockoff plate really needs to be fabricated on site due to damper opening differences, etc. The best way I can describe rock wool is a dense fiberglass, and will sit fine above the blockoff plate.
I choose not to comment on your comments on the "fat, toothless, illiterate freak", or the "cottage industry" comment as well. Have a good day.

 

[Homefire]

Board like and you cut it.

Comes in batts as well. funky stuff to be sure.
Wear a mask and cover your eyes.

 

[webbie]

I don't think you have to insulate the plate, but if you want to gain that tiny amount, use kaowool, rockwood or ceramic wool - usually P&H supplies have something like this for use in certain high-temp apps.

Mcmaster-carr had a number of types and sizes of all these insulations.....

 

[DavidV]

I appreciate the comments and helpful advice. No, I'm not looking to make fiberglass my choice beause of the solid advice I recieved here. I was just trying to find the rockwool. Do I need it??? probly not. I want to have the blockoff plate for protection against chimney fire coming back down into the house and more than anything to stop air in the house from riding up the chimney around the outside of the liner and pulling heat out of my living space.
As for the toothless freak.... I am nearing the end of a kitchen remodel. I've had carpenters, floor repair people, cabinet makers, electritians and plumbers in and out of my house for over 7 months. In the spring we had the HVAC system replaced and relocated. The variety of service professionals I have had come thru here would blow your mind. The chimney swep I've used for years left my chimney dirty and unsafe. Quite frankly I have lost faith in the job that most people do for you no matter what price you are paying. There are still craftsmen out there who do a fantastic job but you have to search so hard to find them it's really discouraging.

Again, thanks for all the help.

David

 

[hardwood715]

the fat toothless illiterate freak with all the prison tattoos they send out to evaluate the place for a quote is gonna have it all worked out.

Hope he wasn't evaluating---or for lack of better words casing the joint for his favorite pastime B&E.

 

[Corie]

David,

If you want to use Kaowool, the offer stands that you can have the piece I bought for free. You cover shipping, which would be next to nothing. It's a 12x24" sheet. If that's big enough its yours.

I bought it to insulate the baffle in my stove, but when I switched things over to thermoceramic baffle, it wasn't needed.

 

[PAJerry]

Find a foundry supply outfit in your area and they should have it. The 1" thick kaowool is fairly easy to work with and should do the job. Not real expensive either.