Wooden surround. Distance to combustible.

[janepsmythe]

Can any of you please help me with some advice. I am a pensioner with little money and need a cheap solution if possible.

I have a Victorian house with a smallish 18" wide fireplace.
It has a tiled and wood surround.
I have bought a small stove which says 450mm to combustible surfaces from the side of the stove.
The wooden fire surround is more like 250mm from the side of the stove.

three questions:
1. one HETAS installer said as long as it was more than 200mm I was ok? Is this true? The plate on the stove says 450mm
2. can I have a concrete strip mounted onto the tiles - between the stove and the wood fire surround, so that I do not need 450mm? (It would be a vertical strip about 980mm high and 100mm front to back and 13mm thick). This would 'shield' the stove from the wood.
3. the distance from top of stove to wood fire surround is 450 mm is that ok?

Many thanks for any help

 

[begreen]

Welcome Jane. What is the make and model of the stove? Ultimately this is up to the local inspecting authority who usually relies on the stove manufacturer's tested clearances. 200mm is quite close. You might be able to reduce the clearance by attaching a metal strip to the interior edge of the fireplace that projects out at least an inch (25mm) beyond the surface of the side trim wood. Metal is easier to work with and much less visible. It can be painted with a high temp paint or it could be copper if that look is ok. Ask your inspector if this is possible.

 

[janepsmythe]

Thanks for your help.

The arrangement is: cast iron thin surround to the fireplace. Tiles (on top of bricks) to both sides (about 9" wide) then wood surround on sides and top.

The stove will not be inside the fireplace (only 12" deep anyway) it comes into the room a little with a 90 bend to the flue.

The only way to shield the wood would be near to the wood. I believe I have to have a half inch gap between the wood and any shielding. And metal would look fairly awful. O was thinking of using half inch cement fire board. Cut to size and painted with fireproof paint.

Would that be adequate for the regulations?

Incidentally I previously had a morso squirral for the last 30 years without any protection to the wood and it never scorched at all. But it needed replacing.

Thanks for any advice.

Jane

 

[janepsmythe]

Photo
The rule is 12" for scale.

Thanks again

 

[begreen]

A metal strip should be able to be attached to the cast iron if necessary.

I looked the Morso Squirrel's clearances up and found it has a side clearance requirement of about 500mm. What stove will be replacing it with?

 

[janepsmythe]

Aarow. 4kw. The plate on the Aarow says 450mm.
Because the stove stands outside the recess I would need a big piece of metal. Hence I wondered about concrete board near to the wood.

 

[janepsmythe]

This gives a view of the depth of the fireplace. The stove would stand clear of the recess. The back of the stove would be level with the metal frame of the fireplace.

Thanks again. Very kind of you to be so helpful.

 

[begreen]

The Aarow 4kw is unshielded. I think a thin steel strip, painted white and attached to the wood trim would be more discrete. Ask your hetas installer what he thinks.

 

[janepsmythe]

Thank you begreen very kind.

But my question is not about the look of the thing. I am more concerned with obeying building regs. Would a metal strip attached to the wood be ok for building regs?

Thanks again

 

[begreen]

In the US, no. It would require at least a 1" air space. This could be done with an "L" piece of sheet metal slipped under the trim. But we don't know the regulations or options for your country. Your concern is founded, I would have the same concern.

 

[janepsmythe]

Thank you again begreen. The regs are very confusing.

The regs are free here as a PDF:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/partj/approved

Are you saying that a metal strip down the side of the cast iron frame is my best option?

Thanks again Jane (ex engineer)

 

[begreen]

Either way will work. As you have correctly noted a shield attached to the cast iron will be larger (deeper). If the shield is to be attached to the wood it needs to be on non-combustible 25mm (1") spacers here in the states. They make ceramic spacers just for this purpose, but some folks just cut down small diameter copper pipe into 1" lengths to do the job.

 

[janepsmythe]

Thank you again 'begreen'.

I wonder if I might simply attach the metal or concrete to the tiles? That could be an inch or two away from the wood surround. What do you think?

Best regards

 

[begreen]

Yes, but it is more complex to drill through tiles and more destructive. Wood is a lot easier to fill and hide holes in.

 

[janepsmythe]

True!

Many many thanks begreen, from a fairly cold England (-3C).

Jane