# Ceramic Fiber Board (inside/top stove)



## Billy_Bob (Dec 6, 2008)

I have two side by side "Ceramic Fiber Boards" on the inside top of my woodstove and one of these boards has broken.

These are about 1/2 inch thick, white, and very lightweight.

And they cost a young fortune to buy from the woodstove manufacturer!

Question: Is "Micore Mineral Fiber Board" the same thing as "Ceramic Fiber Board"?

I can buy the Micore in a 4 x 8 ft. sheet for about the same cost as two boards to fit in my woodstove.


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## kd460 (Dec 6, 2008)

I have the same question. Mine is not broke, but have wanted to get a spare set. I agree with the sticker shock.

I don't think the micore is good for what we need. It is listed as fire resistant. I grabbed a piece of what I thought was micore at work during a remod and took it home (small piece). A propane torch cooked it, so probably a no go.

Your looking for something like ceramic fiber board. Her is a link to a company that lists a large selection, but, not sure if they sell retail to general public.

http://www.foundryservice.com/fss_catalog.html

Also look under kiln and refractory supplies. If you find something, post it here! I still want to pick up a spare set. KD


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## Locoweed (Dec 6, 2008)

A couple of pieces of 1/4" plate cut so they will nicely fit, painted with a couple of coats of high temperature paint will last you for a few years.


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## elmoleaf (Dec 6, 2008)

Buy some castable refractory or make your own as follows:
Get perlite from the garden center. Mix with furnace cement that's been watered down to a slurry. Use about 50/50 mix.
Set up some forms 1/2" high on top of a piece of glass or plexi or similar non-stick surface. Fill with the perlite/cement mixture and let dry for a few days. Remove from forms...you now have a replacement piece.


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## Billy_Bob (Dec 7, 2008)

Locoweed said:


> A couple of pieces of 1/4" plate cut so they will nicely fit, painted with a couple of coats of high temperature paint will last you for a few years.



Actually the rest of the woodstove is made of metal...

So why not use metal for these pieces as well?

What does using the fiber board do?

Is this an EPA "help the woodstove emit cleaner air" thing?

Or some function of making the woodstove work better?


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## kd460 (Dec 7, 2008)

From my understanding (not saying I am right), it does help with emissions, but also helps with efficiency. If the baffles are removed, then the stove/insert is just like an older style stove. On my insert, it forces the flow of gasses to hit the top of the unit and flow to the front of the unit around the baffles (past the secondary burn tubes) and then back over the baffles to the flu pipe which is 2/3rds of the way towards the back of the insert.

Probably would consume more wood and put out less heat. I am also guessing that it helps with the secondary burn in assisting the unit to initiate secondary burn by trapping some of the burnable gasses near the secondary air tubes and or forcing the gasses to flow past them for the secondary burn to be accomplished.

Secondary burn is a "pollution control" thing, but you also get the benefit of more heat out of it as well. 

Steel plate is an interesting thought, I just wonder if the weight on top of those stainless secondary tubes (this is how mine is set up-the board rests right on the tubes) would make the tube warp or droop when the tubes get hot. I know I get my tubes glowing red sometimes. Also wonder about warping of the steel plate? 

I would assume that if the steel plate was OK, why wouldn't the stove manufacturers just use steel plate? With the amount of steel they use, it would probably be cheaper for them to just use the steel and not have to bother with the hassle of stocking/purchasing (from an outside source) the fragile refractory board. I don't really know the answer to that question. KD


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## KsWoodsMan (Dec 7, 2008)

elmoleaf said:


> Buy some castable refractory or make your own as follows:
> Get perlite from the garden center. Mix with furnace cement that's been watered down to a slurry. Use about 50/50 mix.
> Set up some forms 1/2" high on top of a piece of glass or plexi or similar non-stick surface. Fill with the perlite/cement mixture and let dry for a few days. Remove from forms...you now have a replacement piece.



Nice idea ! I wonder if the first firing has to be the hottest as is the case with ceramics ?


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## Locoweed (Dec 7, 2008)

Steel plate is an interesting thought, I just wonder if the weight on top of those stainless secondary tubes (this is how mine is set up-the board rests right on the tubes) would make the tube warp or droop when the tubes get hot. I know I get my tubes glowing red sometimes. Also wonder about warping of the steel plate? 

It will get pitted and eat up eventually, but in my stove it hasn't caused the tubes to sag. The coats of high temp paint will help it last longer and if you want to, take the plates out every couple of years and clean and repaint them.


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## Marc (Dec 8, 2008)

Locoweed said:


> Steel plate is an interesting thought, I just wonder if the weight on top of those stainless secondary tubes (this is how mine is set up-the board rests right on the tubes) would make the tube warp or droop when the tubes get hot. I know I get my tubes glowing red sometimes. Also wonder about warping of the steel plate?
> 
> It will get pitted and eat up eventually, but in my stove it hasn't caused the tubes to sag. The coats of high temp paint will help it last longer and if you want to, take the plates out every couple of years and clean and repaint them.



One of the ideas behind using the ceramic fiberboard, I believe, is because it insulates better than steel or cast. The local temperatures immediately around the secondary burn tubes and baffle are supposed to be hot enough to acheive near complete combustion... which means ~1100 deg F.

The opposite side of the baffle should stay cooler. Steel and grey iron condunct better than the ceramic type baffle provided, so the steel baffle may loose heat to the cooler side faster resulting in lower temperatures around the burn tubes and hence creating a less efficient and more polluting burn.

All of that's just conjecture of course, but it seems fairly logical.


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## KsWoodsMan (Dec 8, 2008)

:agree2:

Keeping the initial burn chamber temps high allows for a cleaner burn sooner in the cycle and longer. 

I would try to go back with something as close to original as possible.


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## Kansas (Dec 8, 2008)

I just went thru this myself on my new insert and as expensive as the ceramic is that is how the stove was designed, I went back with OEM parts. 

I broke mine not knowing what it was or how brittle it was trying to remove it so I could get the flue installed properly.

I think the insulating factor has about as much to do with how the stove works as the function of a baffle to redirect heat around the tubes but thats how I reason it out.

Kansas


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## Zoe on er (Aug 16, 2012)

Can anyone confirm that the 50/50 mixture works. I've built a wood burner so I'm not sure on where to get it at the cheapest.


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## huntindog1 (Aug 16, 2012)

Go on ebay and search "ceramic fiber board"

They are good for 2300 degrees.

ceramic fiber board | eBay

35.4" x 23.6" x 1/2" piece $26.88 :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ceramic-fiber-board-2300-F-900-mm-x-600-mm-x-12-5-mm-1-2-/120968891783?pt=BI_Security_Fire_Protection&hash=item1c2a4ecd87#ht_500wt_1156

Then get you some ceramic 1" insulation to lay on top of the ceramic fiber board for extra insulation. This is how my stove is setup from the factory. Some stoves come only with the boards with no insulation on top. Helps the secondary burn by keeping the heat in around the secondary burn tubes. Thats why they dont use steel plate is to keep the heat in the fire chamber to get secondary burn going.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiberfrax-Unifrax-Ceramic-Fiber-insulation-1-x-4-/270974319788?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1753fcac#ht_500wt_1180


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## iceman7668 (Aug 16, 2012)

I work at the Company that makes this fiber in the E-Bay link. The roll listed is our HP product. It is rated at 2300 degrees. Our AZS fiber is good for 2600. Look on E-bay for Duraboard. This is a hard board product. We make it in differant thickness's and some of it is rated at 3000 degrees. Way cheaper off flea bay than through our distibutors.


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## Ripsaw (Mar 19, 2019)

Billy_Bob said:


> I have two side by side "Ceramic Fiber Boards" on the inside top of my woodstove and one of these boards has broken.
> 
> These are about 1/2 inch thick, white, and very lightweight.
> 
> ...


I know this is an old question, but I see that people are still struggling with the cost of these fiber boards and yes, they are expensive and break easily. Here's how I solved the problem. I went to Home Depot and bought HardiBacker 500 Cement Board. It's .042" thick. I cut the HardiBacker and replaced all four boards in my Country Canyon stove. Instead of cutting four individual boards, I cut a large one for the middle and two smaller ones on each side. I burned about 6 or so cords of seasoned red oak with these boards installed with zero problems. They are still in the same shape as when I put them in. No warping, no crumbling, and I think they even performed better than those expensive fiber boards. The cost was less than a dollar apiece or thereabouts. I am not an expert wood stove guy. I am not telling you to do this. I am just telling you what I did and how it worked for me. If you can use this information in some way, then fine.


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## 777funk (Jan 21, 2021)

Ripsaw said:


> I know this is an old question, but I see that people are still struggling with the cost of these fiber boards and yes, they are expensive and break easily. Here's how I solved the problem. I went to Home Depot and bought HardiBacker 500 Cement Board. It's .042" thick. I cut the HardiBacker and replaced all four boards in my Country Canyon stove. Instead of cutting four individual boards, I cut a large one for the middle and two smaller ones on each side. I burned about 6 or so cords of seasoned red oak with these boards installed with zero problems. They are still in the same shape as when I put them in. No warping, no crumbling, and I think they even performed better than those expensive fiber boards. The cost was less than a dollar apiece or thereabouts. I am not an expert wood stove guy. I am not telling you to do this. I am just telling you what I did and how it worked for me. If you can use this information in some way, then fine.


I'm glad it worked for you. I tried this myself (before I ran across your post)... I just assumed these were HardiBacker and bought a sheet (0.42x36x60"). It looked similar to the original ceramic plates after I cut the pieces. However, with a few hot fires... it baked brittle and ended up cracking. It didn't work for me needless to say. I bought it from a local yard and I don't have another sheet in front of me to check for sure, but I'm pretty sure it was Hardi brand. It was sold as such anyways.


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## aokpops (Jan 23, 2021)

Mine lasted five years . I would think the price would go down as the need for them goes up . I bought the OME for my Tundra the price didn't seem much higher . I was thinking about putting a steal plate in I seen the tubes cherry red that was the end of that ideal . My thinking was yes it was pricy . But it figures to about 20 bucks a year to replace the c cast even cutting your own wood a pickup load will cost you 20 bucks . So far I cut 3 or 4 less truck loads of wood and less chimney maintenance . There is always the give an take with anything .


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## 777funk (Feb 8, 2021)

Ripsaw said:


> I know this is an old question, but I see that people are still struggling with the cost of these fiber boards and yes, they are expensive and break easily. Here's how I solved the problem. I went to Home Depot and bought HardiBacker 500 Cement Board. It's .042" thick. I cut the HardiBacker and replaced all four boards in my Country Canyon stove. Instead of cutting four individual boards, I cut a large one for the middle and two smaller ones on each side. I burned about 6 or so cords of seasoned red oak with these boards installed with zero problems. They are still in the same shape as when I put them in. No warping, no crumbling, and I think they even performed better than those expensive fiber boards. The cost was less than a dollar apiece or thereabouts. I am not an expert wood stove guy. I am not telling you to do this. I am just telling you what I did and how it worked for me. If you can use this information in some way, then fine.



Well... I need to update my last post... I put 2 HardiBacker baffles in place of the original ceramic fiberboards. I have now confirmed they truly are James Hardy brand btw. AND here's where the update comes...

As mentioned, one broke in one firing. I figured the board on the other side would follow shortly after the first... BUT I've had that other one in there 3-4 weeks now with a fire going almost 24/7 (cleaned the woodstove out once) and it's still in one piece. So... maybe that first one breaking almost instantly was a fluke. I put one of the old ceramic fiberboard baffles back in the other side in place of the broken Hardiboard. I'm not sure there's much difference in afterburn from the insulation values being different. So maybe the Hardiboard is an option. It's gotta be better than not having anything in there. I would guess looking at the burn tubes, that maybe it's not quite as good as the ceramic fiber board, but it does work. I'm seeing good afterburn happening in the woodstove.


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