safe stove installation plan for an old house

 
Jaydub
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Post by Jaydub » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 9:29 am

I have a Quaker baseheater in my shop, and am considering supplementing the heat in our home with another hand fired stove. We have a gas boiler as our only heat source at this point.

Our home was built in the 1860s, so the studs are VERY dry and friable. The stove would be located in our LR in an inside wall corner. I can vent the stove with either single wall or insulated, double wall SS pipe for the first floor, then actually through a closet on the second floor which works out very nice, then through the attic. Obviously I would use the insulated pipe everywhere except possibly in the LR. So that part works out well. Judging from the stove in my shop, our draft is real good.

My main concern has to do with the fire hazard. I've been a carpenter my whole life and seen how dry old studs are. We have a mixture of poplar and oak framing, but it would all go up in a flash if the right conditions were there. I'm hoping to come up with an installation plan that will prevent "baking" these studs and drying them out any more, and setting ourselves up for a fire.

So, my thought is to create a draft - by building a small platform to set the stove on that is mainly hollow - maybe just 2-3" tall, and has an inlet vent in the front. This would be framed to allow air flow toward the wider wall, and connected to a 1" airspace travelling vertically up both walls in this corner. Then it would have an outlet vent at the top of the wall that forms our hallway, but the vent would open on the hallway side, not the LR side. So cool air would enter at the floor - under and in front of the stove, then be connected to the wall airspace at the bottom, then naturally rise vertically, then exit at the top of the wall that borders the hall. From there it would naturally rise up the stairs which are right there.

I would first remove the plaster and lath from floor to ceiling in this area - about 4' to the right side of the "L" corner which borders the hallway, and 3' to the left. Beyond this there are doorways on each side of the "L" so I'm not concerned with heat transfer beyond this "L" area.

I'm fairly confident with the overall design in terms of air flow at this point - though open to any ideas. My main question has to do with the best material and way to protect the studs. To keep cost down I could install sheet metal to the studs once they're stripped with screws a small stack of washers about 3/8" thick - then install the 1" ceramic spacers against the sheet metal - then install cement board - then install our brick or stone or whatever as the final surface. Might make up this "sandwich" as a unit first, then screw the whole deal to the studs. I have to keep cost down but obviously protecting the wood is paramount. I had though about using cement board on the studs rather than sheet metal, but not sure the expense is necessary. In addition to moving air upstairs and protecting my framing, this 1" airspace allows me by code to install the stove within 1' of the walls, rather than the 3' they're normally looking for. It'll be an antique stove of some kind so not UL listed. But I plan to take photos of everything and cover my tail with homeowners insurance.

So I'm open to thoughts and suggestions. Thanks ahead of time!


 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 1:01 pm

Sounds like a solid plan. Removing the plaster and lath and rebuilding the wall may be overkill though, unless I’m missing something? Why not just install cement board spaced out over your original wall? I like the idea of a vented base!! I’m in the process of building a hearth for my base burner. A bit pricey, but we wanted to do it right. It was tough squeezing the stove in and meeting code, just made it though!! Maybe it’ll help you out! Best of luck with the build, please share pictures.

Hearth build

 
Jaydub
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Post by Jaydub » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 2:36 pm

It might be overkill, you're right. Thanks for the input, and this is the great benefit of a forum!

Part of my thinking for removing the plaster and lath was to gain the extra depth, though it only nets out to about 5/8" if my plaster is 1" thick and I space the sheet metal 3/8" off the studs.

What I didn't mention is that the LR walls are covered with a nice looking paneling which I think is glued. But once I remove it, the plaster will either come off in chunks with the glue, or be shattered from some nails that are in that area, or both. There's a good chance the plaster will all fall to the floor.

Only now did I price out the sheet metal, and it's more than cement board - should have done that to begin with. So if the plaster all crumbles, it will make better sense to go back to my original plan from a few years ago, which was to install 1/4" cement board directly on the studs and tape the seams - which I believe will insulate better than the sheet metal anyway, and build the 1" air gap on top of that with probably 1/2" cement board as the base for our wall covering. If the plaster happens to be in real good shape, I'll reconsider at that point.

I also didn't mention that I'm going to get a permit and have the installation inspected, just to cover my tail legally and mainly for the purpose of the homeowner's insurance.....in the event of a fire. These old homes are tinder boxes, and there was a fire quite some years ago as we can see some slightly charred remains in the attic. Somehow they caught it in time!

And I'm thinking that insurance companies have a reputation for getting out of paying if they possibly can. Just about everything I've built over the years has exceeded code by far, but in this case it will be good to have the legal documentation.

Having said that, it is the 1" air space that allows me to install a non-UL listed antique stove within 1' of the wall, otherwise they require 3' and that just doesn't work here.

 
Jaydub
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Post by Jaydub » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 2:42 pm

Just looked at your pictures - great plan and the stone looks real nice! Where did you get the heat shield?

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 3:19 pm

You should be able to hang paper sheets between the wall and heat shield with no fire hazard if built correctly, not that you'd want to. I wouldnt worry about the studs if your shielding is good and legally spaced. I dont know your codes/laws/rules so wont give advice on spacing.

This 61 page post, if you have an hour to kill, will help give you some ideas. Post by TD - Pictures of Your Stove

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 3:51 pm

Jaydub wrote:
Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 2:42 pm
Just looked at your pictures - great plan and the stone looks real nice! Where did you get the heat shield?
I made it. Read through my thread and it explains everything!

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 7:58 pm

J, I have a 200 yr. old farm house w/ wood stove in the back part & HITZER 50-93 in what we refer to as the stove room--right between the kitchen & living room---in my opinion, your first paragraph pretty well covers everything from location to safety!! We need pix of the progress!! :) No need to touch lath & plaster with triple wall!!!!! Yes, single wall up to ceiling!! Don't sell yourself short on your hearth. :) Just gettin ready to put some stove black on the old HITZER!! :)

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Post by KLook » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 9:00 pm

Plaster is rated higher then drywall for fire ratings. A 1 inch space with a non combustible wall on both sides will be sufficient. Particularly if it is vented. Don't look for it to produce much heat to the stairs thru the vent. But it won't hurt.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Fri. Oct. 15, 2021 9:05 pm

I too think that your plan is a little over kill, but better than under kill....
My parents had a woodstove. The wall behind the stove use to get extremely hot. I made them up a aluminum heat shield. It had hollow vertical channels, 1" off the floor, and attached to the wall at top. The wall behind the stove stayed cool after that. Cool air would flow in the bottom, and come out the top as warm air.

 
Jaydub
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Post by Jaydub » Tue. Oct. 19, 2021 9:53 am

Thanks to all for your contributions.

This might not happen this year but I am keeping an eye on a couple 'Florence Hot Blast' stoves and another couple of parlor stoves, we'll see. What is the overall opinion of these - are they really air tight? someone said they burn wood better than coal? and how is the rear draft tube used?

 
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Post by archangel_cpj » Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 5:16 pm

I live in a log home used a triple wall SS stove pipe kit and a back shield of cement board 2 in off wall clad in corregated tin. Had my stove top piping hot stove cooking away and cool to touch behind board

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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 6:39 pm

archangel_cpj wrote:
Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 5:16 pm
I live in a log home used a triple wall SS stove pipe kit and a back shield of cement board 2 in off wall clad in corregated tin. Had my stove top piping hot stove cooking away and cool to touch behind board
I think Ive seen you beautiful cabin before, but did you pay your dog to sit where its sitting? He or she makes that photo perfect!

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 7:35 pm

That looks like a puppy growin into her feet???

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Sat. Oct. 23, 2021 5:01 am

That it does.. Warm's Da' Soul!! Beautiful Pic!!

 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Sat. Oct. 23, 2021 6:45 am

Nice, AC!

You getting ready to make stew for the whole town ? :D

Paul


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