Removing ZC fireplace - making a CUBBY with a stove?

[Zareth]

I am not exactly sure how to explain this so bare with me.
The inspiration came from this video if it helps.

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If you look at that video you will see they line the masonry fireplace with some kind of board - looks like drywall but im assuming its a fire rated or heat rated board.
They then put that beautiful little charnwood stove in there and it looks like a stove in a small cubby with the chimney out the top.

MY situation is slightly different - I have a ZC fireplace - im assuming that if i were to pull this out of the chase I would just have some timber framing and exterior plywood or something like that.
What I want to do and I am not sure if it is up to code or even remotely safe, would be to essentially frame that area in.
Essentially create a wall soffit but with fireproof materials or heat resistant.
I am assuming since many of these stoves go close to walls that this should be okay if the right materials are used and I use the correct chimney adaptors etc.
Please someone chime in and tell me what kind of Materials or clearances I would need to safely install a stove in a manufactured soffit where my fireplace currently is!

EDIT: A tiny bit more research indicates the board they use in the video is Compressed Vermiculite?
Is it safe to attach that to regular framing lumber and if so how? Will the lumber holding the board be protected from the heat? Would I use it for the ceiling of the cubby also and then cut through it for the chimney?

 

[kennyp2339]

Possibly not safe for what you want to do. Most of these stoves that are in a "cubby" are in existing stone fireplaces with stone / cement chimney's.
What you going to have to do is look up alcove install's. With wooden framing you will have to build an alcove big enough to meet the stove requirements, consideration to clearances will need to be taken from the sides, rear, and top to ceiling of stoves. Many members have removed wood studs and replaces them with steal, insulated the wall cavities with roxal or other fire rated insulation with a decent r-value and used cement board in place of drywall. They have covered the cement board with a stone venire that doesn't have glue products in it. Of course a stove rated hearth was also built.
Also you will want to make sure you existing chimney pipe is class "a" all fuel type, some chimney pipe that's installed for zero clearance units is not rated for wood stoves.
You project can be done, especially if your handy, ask questions here, include pic's if you can.

 

[tylorklein]

I'm in the middle of doing this right now with a blazeking princess. The space for the zero clearance was big enough that im framing and sheeting with standard products with room to spare. I have a thread with some pictures "alcove building" is in the title. I'm far from an expert but might be able to answer if you have specific questions on a similar project.

 

[Zareth]

Appreciate the info guys.
My fireplace is fairly small, I imagine I should be able to achieve about a foot of clearance..

 

[tylorklein]

For the princess the minimum alcove width is 47" as a reference point.

 

[begreen]

Cool video. Note that mantel assembly is non-combustible limestone.

This is described as an alcove installation. To do one in this space you will need to do some good planning first. First thing is to measure the ID of the chase. Not every stove will work in an alcove. In general you will need to pay close attention to the clearance requirements, hearth requirements and ceiling height. Look for convective stoves with good side and rear shielding. Stoves with squarish fireboxes will probably fit better than those with shallow fireboxes because they are deeper instead of wider. Also note that most likely the chimney will need to be replaced too.

 

[Zareth]

Cool video. Note that mantel assembly is non-combustible limestone.

This is described as an alcove installation. To do one in this space you will need to do some good planning first. First thing is to measure the ID of the chase. Not every stove will work in an alcove. In general you will need to pay close attention to the clearance requirements, hearth requirements and ceiling height. Look for convective stoves with good side and rear shielding. Stoves with squarish fireboxes will probably fit better than those with shallow fireboxes because they are deeper instead of wider. Also note that most likely the chimney will need to be replaced too.

Awesome - yeah I definitely want to spend as much money as makes sense on the chimney.
The interesting thing is, as im sure you may be able to tell, my alcove would techincally be outside the house - I looked at tylorkleins and it is in the house or atleast within the walls of the building.
I wouldn't want to open it up all the way to the ceiling like he did, I would just want it to be open maybe to the bottom of the hearth, if I need to redo the hearth or change its dimensions I would but I'd like it to LOOK like a stove in a fireplace with the hearth still intact and low like in the video..

So my chase is surely already constructed of just lumber all the way to the top of the chimney - it is to code I imagine, but we are assuming a fireplace chimney doesn't get as hot as a stove chimney.
So should I pull out my fireplace and replace ALL of the framing all the way to the top with metal stud?
What would I use for the walls and to insulate the siding on the outside?
Then say I lay the compressed vermiculite or cement board to create the cubby, I am still super confused on the horizontal portion where ever that may end up - where the flu meets chimney.
I'd like it to be sealed at around 6 ft off the ground at the highest but with the wall infront slightly lower to hide it.

 

[Zareth]

Sorry about double post - I am assuming this is what my fireplace will look like when I tear it out.

That is nearly the exact same style fireplace I have.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-wood-burning-fireplace-project.114875/page-2
This is i guess the closest thing I have found to what I want except he is still using a ZC High efficiency stove..
I may want to go that route in the end except those are SOO much more expensive than just a stove..

 

[begreen]

There are some serious clearance issues when trying to fake a fireplace style alcove with a low ceiling over a hot stove. Many stove manuals do not allow this regardless of ceiling construction. Stove options will be much better with a higher ceiling. Instead you might want to consider replacing the current old ZC fireplace with a modern EPA ZC fireplace. Some like the Flame Monaco, Valcourt Lafayette and the Pacific Energy FP30 are similarly priced as some stoves.

 

[Zareth]

There are some serious clearance issues when trying to fake a fireplace style alcove with a low ceiling over a hot stove. Many stove manuals do not allow this regardless of ceiling construction. Stove options will be much better with a higher ceiling. Instead you might want to consider replacing the current old ZC fireplace with a modern EPA ZC fireplace. Some like the Flame Monaco, Valcourt Lafayette and the Pacific Energy FP30 are similarly priced as some stoves.

I see.. Well those ZC fireplaces are all atleast double the roughly 1000 dollar stoves I was looking at but of course if it wont work it wont work.
I could make the ceiling quite a lot higher I just would want a wall that came down to hide a fair amount of the flu, but I guess it would still look great with a higher wall and ceiling for the alcove exposing some more of the stovepipe or flu or whatever it is called (forgive me)
That probably gives you more heat from the stovepipe too, right?
Stressfull, I wouldn't want to spend more than 5k on this ABSOLUTE max..
I can save about 1k a month towards the project and maybe have it complete in spring time and maybe finally use it next winter..