What constitutes an alcove?

[TK-421]

I know this has been asked many times before but the 6 or so threads never really got an official answer.

Some of you know I'm deciding on the Jotul f600 or the Lopi liberty and I'm preparing my house in advance of the purchase.

We're placing the stove against a flat wall no corners and running double wall insulated galvilume duratech pipe straight up through the roof. Its in our great room with 13' valted ceilings. My wife would like me to box in the chimney and bring it as close as legal to the stove top with a margin for error. This way she gets her mantel. Think of it as a big hood.

I've read and reread the manual and not sure what clearances I need. It's not really an alcove because the entire box will be exposed. The sides will simply have a small wall to cover the gap between the rear wall of the house and rear wall of the fire box.
Think upside-down "L". The alcove would be no deeper than the rear clearance of 8".

Ill be leaving enough clearance for the side door to function since the side door will not be in the alcove.

Is this an alcove even though the entire firebox sides are visible?

The other thought is heat traveling up the chimney chase. Do I make a celing out of durock on the chase to prevent heat from filling the chase? I was planning on making a wood chase out of 2x4's since the duratech only requires a 2" clearance. I would then make a durock ceiling on the bottom of the chase.

Here's a pic. This is when we switched stoves so I have a bag over the chimney to keep soot etc from hitting the furniture.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Some of you know I'm deciding on the Jotul f600 or the Lopi liberty.

I'm preparing my house in advance of the purchase.


We're placing the stove against a flat wall no corners and running double wall insulated galvilume duratech pipe straight up through the roof. Its in our great room with 13' valted ceilings. My wife would like me to box in the chimney and bring it as close as legal to the stove top with a margin for error. This way she gets her mantel. Think of it as a big hood.

I've read and reread the manual and not sure what clearances I need. It's not really an alcove because the entire box will be exposed. The sides will simply have a small wall to cover the gap between the rear wall of the house and rear wall of the fire box.
Think upside-down "L".

Ill be leaving enough clearance for the side door to function.

Is this an alcove even though the entire firebox sides are visible?

The other thought is heat traveling up the chimney chase. Do I make a celing out of durock on the chase to prevent heat from filling the chase? I was planning on making a wood chase out of 2x4's since the duratech only requires a 2" clearance.

I don't have my jotul manual with me for the alcove question. But I do want to ask what's up with your stove purchase? Nothing yet?

 

[TK-421]

Still torn but the Jotul is the likely winner. With the heat shield I can keep it closer profile to the unprotected wall.

Quick question for you since you have one. Is it possible to put the same handle on the front that the side has. My wife is the big user while I'm working and doesnt like the wrench deal. I asked the dealer and he was clueless. I took a good look at it today and it appears both doors have the same hole. I'd think you could simply buy the side door handle kit. Thoughts?



Figures 9&10; page thirteen.

(broken link removed to http://jotul.com/FileArchive/Technical) Documentation/Wood Stoves/Jøtul F 600 Firelight CB/Manual_F_600_USA_P08_280211.pdf



I'm amazed with the heat shield and double wall insulated the unprotected distance on the rear is only 8".

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Still torn but the Jotul is the likely winner. With the heat shield I can keep it closer profile to the unprotected wall.

Quick question for you since you have one. Is it possible to put the same handle on the front that the side has. My wife is the big user while I'm working and doesnt like the wrench deal. I asked the dealer and he was clueless. I took a good look at it today and it appears both doors have the same hole. I'd think you could simply buy the side door handle kit. Thoughts?

I can't speak for the f600, I'm not quite sure what handles that Jotul uses. My Oslo has 2 fixed wooden handles on both Firebox doors.

 

[TK-421]

The 600 has a hex hole in the bottom center of the doors. You have this small 90 degree Allen wrench that you have to put into the hole then turn it. It looks frustrating. Who wants to find the key then try to get it in the hole.

I'm sure they did it to keep the handle out of the viewing area. Seems like it would be less of an annoyance blocking a small portion of the glass.