Who has a wood stove in their garage?

[Lumber-Jack]

In a quest to find some definitive answers to codes and requirements in different areas in regard to installing wood burning stoves in garages I thought I would start a thread and ask some questions of those who actually have them installed in their garages. If you wouldn't mind answering these few questions it would be helpful.

(1) Is the garage that you have the wood stove installed in attached to your house?
(2) Did you have the installation inspected by someone, if so who? (title, not name)
(3) Is your home insurance provider aware of the installation and still covering your home?
(4) Was there any special requirements you had to meet to have the wood stove installed in the garage?
(5) Do you park or store vehicles in the garage?
(6) What area are you located?

I think that is about it, if you have anything you'd like to add that would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Snotrocket]

In Maine where I live a wood stove in the garage is a big no no. It is impossible to insure it if it is.

If the garage is attached they won't insure the house either.

 

[charger4406]

I have my regency installed in the garage/workshop.
1- no it is detached.
2- firechief,he is a neighbor,and insurance agent.
3-yes
4-Oak
5-yes
6-Quebec
I think the OAK is because of having vehicules in the garage
but it is a VERY drafty building to begin with so maybe just to
satisfy town codes.

 

[jharkin]

It took 20 seconds of google time to find that the national fire code (NFPA 211) states

12.2.3 Solid fuel-burning appliances shall not be installed in
any location where gasoline or any other flammable vapors or
gases are present.
12.2.4 Solid fuel-burning appliances shall not be installed in
any garage.


So unless your in a local jurisdiction that has not adopted the national fire codes I'd say its probably a no go. I'd bet 99.9% of Insurance companies would use the above to deny coverage even if the local authority allowed it.

[EDIT - I should have noticed you are in Canada. I dont know if NFPA applies up there.]

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Please guys, I know about the code, but there are those who still have them installed, in the interest of not turning this thread into a debate, lets just let those who DO have wood stoves installed in their garages answer the questions. Thanks

 

[dorkweed]

I know of a couple of auto/truck repair places that burn used oil as a heat source for the garage in a dedicated unit. I can't imagine they operate without insurance on the building, and I don't really see the difference (insurance wise) between and wood stove and a oil heater!!

 

[Highbeam]

So I recently built a 30x60 detached shop with three 12x12 garage doors. I drive in and park stuff there. Lots of fuel cans and stufff.

I live in Pierce County WA, not some podunk redneck place. This county includes many metro areas, rich people, and cities including Tacoma WA. We have adopted the national codes.

I asked my building inspector if he would approve of a woodstove in the shop. He said yes, so long as it was elevated 18" and if in the direct path of a vehicle needed a bollard of some sort. Needed to be an EPA certified stove too. OAK is not required in the shop since it is a slab though they are required in my house. Cool I thought, let's get a shop stove, it will be permitted and legal.

Then I visited my state farm insurance office. A wood stove in the shop, though legal and permitted, would be a "remove or non-renew" for my policy. They will cancel my whole insurance policy due to the woodstove in ANY outbuilding. Wasn't the garage part, it was the outbuilding part.

A coworker in my office was able to get his insurance company to cover it. A smaller mutual insurance company but it had to be permitted and approved by the county.
So yes, I can install one. I like my insurance so I chose not to..... at this time.

 

[Ogilvy]

Similar 18" rule here in NB, hoping to install stove in my garage in next year or so. Pretty sure it just the door opening that has to be 18" up.

 

[formula_pilot]

f

In a quest to find some definitive answers to codes and requirements in different areas in regard to installing wood burning stoves in garages I thought I would start a thread ask some questions of those who actually have them installed in their garages. If you wouldn't mind answering these few questions it would be helpful.

(1) Is the garage that you have the wood stove installed in attached to your house?
(2) Did you have the installation inspected by someone, if so who? (title, not name)
(3) Is your home insurance provider aware of the installation and still covering your home?
(4) Was there any special requirements you had to meet to have the wood stove installed in the garage?
(5) Do you park or store vehicles in the garage?
(6) What area are you located?

I think that is about it, if you have anything you'd like to add that would be appreciated.

Thanks

I am in the process of installing my Old VC Defiant in a barn (workshop). It does store a vehicle, and was built to be a garage, but has barn doors and looks like a Connecticut county barn from the 1800s, so it is technically not a "garage" to the town, but to me it is . I spoke with the local Fire marshall about it, he says I need to have the firebox 18 inches off the floor and meet standard clearances, and he will ok it. My insurance co is ok with it (verbally), as long as the fire mashall inspects and approves the install.. I decided to go ahead- so far I have rebuilt the Old Defiant, built a non-combustable wall and bought the Class A chimney and double wall pipe. Will start cutting holes for the pipe this weekend. I will update with my progress. I am in Connecticut - southern New England in USA.

Bill

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Well it looks like in Canada we have no problem with wood stoves in garages, attached or not, as long as you raise the hearth 18".
But it looks like in the USA you can do it, but you'll have to find some local way to circumvent that national fire code (NFPA 211), and find some insurance agent that is willing to cover you if you do so. Of course finding an insurance company that will cover you if you have a wood heating appliance in your home can be a bit of a task anyway, regardless of whether you have a wood stove in your garage or not. I know there are certain carriers out there that won't touch homes with wood stoves period.

Still, I'm surprised there aren't more people responding to this thread, I remember seeing quite a few pictures of garage installations in this forum over the years, seems to me most of them were in the US too... Maybe they were all illegitimate installations and they are too embarrassed to stand up.

 

[Highbeam]

I am always surprised at how many stoves are installed without permits. Might be done properly but without a permit, the only record of the stove is when the fire inspector finds it in the ashes and calls it "illegal" since no permit was pulled.

 

[Pertzbro]

As an owner of an agency and avid wood burner, bringing this thread back to life.

Please note, having your agent know of a non-permitted, not to code solid wood burning device - especially in a garage and the agent saying he's ok with it, does not equal the actual company providing coverage in the event of a fire. You could in theory sue your agent, but unless you have it in writing from the company - likely no coverage.

Biggest deal here is use common sense. Raise the stove and put flammables in another location or buy a flammable storage cabinet.

 

[bholler]

As an owner of an agency and avid wood burner, bringing this thread back to life.

Please note, having your agent know of a non-permitted, not to code solid wood burning device - especially in a garage and the agent saying he's ok with it, does not equal the actual company providing coverage in the event of a fire. You could in theory sue your agent, but unless you have it in writing from the company - likely no coverage.

Biggest deal here is use common sense. Raise the stove and put flammables in another location or buy a flammable storage cabinet.

Well said. The fact is no matter what you do it is against code in the us. And regardless of what your agent tells you if something happens the insurance company can deny the claim because of it.

That being said i have an old fisher in the garage i use to work on vehicles. It is installed to canadian standards. But i know if something happens its my problem. The garage is over 100 yards from my house shop and garage we park in so there would be no other loss.

 

[electrathon]

I asked our building inspector about this a couple years ago. The answer I got was it is OK to install it in a shop, not OK in a garage. I have a shop, not a garage.

 

[bholler]

I asked our building inspector about this a couple years ago. The answer I got was it is OK to install it in a shop, not OK in a garage. I have a shop, not a garage.

Calling it something else doesnt eliminate the flamable vapors that come with the fuel in the tank of any vehicle you pull in there. Unless your inspector was willing to give you a written vaiver of that clause in the code book it would still be against code. And no inspector will take on that liability.

 

[electrathon]

Calling it something else doesnt eliminate the flamable vapors that come with the fuel in the tank of any vehicle you pull in there. Unless your inspector was willing to give you a written vaiver of that clause in the code book it would still be against code. And no inspector will take on that liability.

I agree he likely would not issue a written waiver, but he would sign it off as a permitted and passed installation. The question came up at the time because a coworker was installing a very old stove in his shop (it was a pole barn). I told him it may not pass because the stove did not meet current standards. It passed with no issues. The inspector passed it, the insurance company accepted the permit paperwork. I was surprised and asked our inspector about it, he gave me the above response.

 

[bholler]

I agree he likely would not issue a written waiver, but he would sign it off as a permitted and passed installation. The question came up at the time because a coworker was installing a very old stove in his shop (it was a pole barn). I told him it may not pass because the stove did not meet current standards. It passed with no issues. The inspector passed it, the insurance company accepted the permit paperwork. I was surprised and asked our inspector about it, he gave me the above response.

Yes but just because he signed off on it doesnt mean it meets code or that he is liable in any way. And just because the insurance company accepted it doesnt mean they will honor a claim.

 

[Ashful]

Unless you run a business out of your home garage or shop, I suspect you can find better ways to heat it. Stoves have numerous problems in this application, even beyond the obvious safety issues.

I have an attached 625 sq.ft. (2-car) garage, and a detached 1500 sq.ft. shop with three bay doors. These are the solutions I found most useful and economical:

The attached garage is used for parking and we have refrigerators and a freezer out there, and is equipped with a direct-vent propane heater. Since we’re driving at least one of the cars parked in there at least 5 days of every week, it just naturally stays above 45F all winter, excepting the week during the Christmas holiday. During that week, and sometimes when the temps dip real low (below 0F, for us), we turn on the propane heater. Otherwise, heat coming off the parked cars just keeps it warm enough out there.

The detached shop has a mini-split system with 2 indoor units, and auto-changeover thermostats on each unit. I keep the thermostats set at 80F cooling and 55F heating, so it’s in that temperature range (and most importantly... dry) out there all year. I bump the cooling down near 70F when I’m out there working in summer (evenings/weekends), and I might bump the heating up to 65F when I’m out there in the winter, but it’s damn near free to run that system most of the year.

I will never again own a work shop without air conditioning, it’s where I go to hide when our outdoor heat index is over 100F during our regular heat waves from mid-June thru mid-August.

 

[Pertzbro]

I have an insured who uses and Englander Furnace - 28-4000 to heat his very large shop. It does not hold vehicles but it is a wood shop that he makes furniture and cabinetry. He uses flammable varnish in his business. He uses a straight up through the roof not bends or elbows and it's triple wall pipe.

Insurance company is ok with it. It's in rural iowa outside of all local juristictions (outside of the county authorities)

 

[Manly]

I am in the process of building a detached 2 car garage in my yard. When the inspector came out to check the slab forms prior to pouring, I asked him if there were any situations where a wood pellet stove installation would be allowed to heat a garage. To my surprise he said “Sure, pellet and wood stoves are installed all the time. Just have to be sure combustion chamber is 18” above the floor”. He likened it to a utility outlet in a garage, 18” above the floor. I was a bit surprised at his response and his inference that this is common in our town. I haven’t checked with the insurance company yet but would think many do approve if they are common and allowed by the town. If all falls into place a small pellet stove is my best solution for heating this garage.

 

[Highbeam]

I am in the process of building a detached 2 car garage in my yard. When the inspector came out to check the slab forms prior to pouring, I asked him if there were any situations where a wood pellet stove installation would be allowed to heat a garage. To my surprise he said “Sure, pellet and wood stoves are installed all the time. Just have to be sure combustion chamber is 18” above the floor”. He likened it to a utility outlet in a garage, 18” above the floor. I was a bit surprised at his response and his inference that this is common in our town. I haven’t checked with the insurance company yet but would think many do approve if they are common and allowed by the town. If all falls into place a small pellet stove is my best solution for heating this garage.

Was burning my legal, permitted, code compliant, inspected, stove in my shop today. My shop has overhead roll up doors and vehicles in it because it’s a shop.

 

[bholler]

Was burning my legal, permitted, code compliant, inspected, stove in my shop today. My shop has overhead roll up doors and vehicles in it because it’s a shop.

Just because it passed an inspection doesnt mean it is compliant. Even if you call it a shop with vehicles in it your install does not comply with 12.2.3. Just because your inspector doesnt know the code doesnt mean it doesnt apply. It also doesnt mean your insurance companies lawyers wont find the violation if you ever make a claim.

 

[Highbeam]

Just because it passed an inspection doesnt mean it is compliant. Even if you call it a shop with vehicles in it your install does not comply with 12.2.3. Just because your inspector doesnt know the code doesnt mean it doesnt apply. It also doesnt mean your insurance companies lawyers wont find the violation if you ever make a claim.

I got a permit, passed an inspection, got my insurance company’s approval and am happy with my stove in the shop.

Some random guy on the internet with a different opinion is not enough to overcome the actual experts with actual authority that authorized my shop stove.

Don’t succumb to fear. In all of the many years that I’ve been on this forum I’ve never heard of a shop stove causing a claim to be denied.

When a regular guy gets permission from all of the important people I don’t know what else can be expected. I suppose you have every right to your opinion but you can surely see why people would think other wise?

 

[bholler]

I got a permit, passed an inspection, got my insurance company’s approval and am happy with my stove in the shop.

Some random guy on the internet with a different opinion is not enough to overcome the actual experts with actual authority that authorized my shop stove.

Don’t succumb to fear. In all of the many years that I’ve been on this forum I’ve never heard of a shop stove causing a claim to be denied.

I have testified in court as an expert witness on one where the claim was denied. But obviously you know allot more than any of us. Just because you havnt heard about it on the internet really has very little bearing on how things happen in the real world.

 

[bholler]

I got a permit, passed an inspection, got my insurance company’s approval and am happy with my stove in the shop.

Some random guy on the internet with a different opinion is not enough to overcome the actual experts with actual authority that authorized my shop stove.

Don’t succumb to fear. In all of the many years that I’ve been on this forum I’ve never heard of a shop stove causing a claim to be denied.

When a regular guy gets permission from all of the important people I don’t know what else can be expected. I suppose you have every right to your opinion but you can surely see why people would think other wise?

Did you read the code? If you have how can you possibly think your install is compliant?