Stone Behind Wood Stove Project - Question

[Cambium]

I'll be using River Rock but I have a dillema. I dont want to raise the floor up, I'm just going to tile the whole foyer.

My dillema is, should I bring the stones all the way down or keep it a couple inches higher as shown on the right side?

If I do all the way down then I have to recut the spacers shorter but it does give a finished look.

If I can keep it a bit higher then we see the baseboard moulding. It is easier to clean and easier to lift the tiles to replace in future. Less work if I can keep it higher.

What would you guys do? Go all the way down or keep it a bit higher?

 

[Mac88]

1 vote for "higher".

 

[Cambium]

1 vote for "higher".

The other thing I thought about, wouldn't having it to the ground help support the weight of the stone on the durock?

 

[Cambium]

You need to look into the properties of the air gap behind the stone to combustibles, etc. Just installing stone over combustible materials is a no no.

Cement is not combustible. The stones will be set on the durock board.

 

[wagz]

i wouldn't let 'less work' be your guiding factor during a project like this. i'd suggest 'nicest finished project' as your benchmark and do whatever you think will give you that...

 

[Cambium]

How hot will the durarock board get?


Non combustibles that conduct heat to combustibles can create a hazard. If I'm not mistaken air gaps are required by code.

Just trying to get you to look further into the subject.

Ahh, ok. Makes sense. Thanks. So are you saying the strips of wood are bad or the amount of gap I have there?

The stove has a rear heat sheild. The left rear corner would be 6" away from the stone. The right rear corner about 8"

 

[Cambium]

Also, just thinking outloud, the air temp in the room and around the stove doesnt go beyond 80 degrees at most, so to get sheetrock and plywood to burn or heat up I assume it has to get over 120 degrees at least. Otherwise attics and walls would burn all the time in the summer. I used this stove without any stone or protection for years. The walls were "warm" to the touch. Never got hot at all. So with added protection I dont see an issue. But will monitor of course.

Back to my question for everyone... Would you install the stone higher or to the floor?

 

[cnice_37]

I'd cut the baseboard trim and go to the floor.

I'm thinking the river rock will extend a decent amount past where the existing trim is, and might look goofy at the bottom.

Post some pics during the process. I'd love to have a freestanding stove, and one day, my plan is to make my existing fireplace an "alcove" to stick one in there. Haven't done any more than think about that, I'm sure someone in Mass is going to complain about that. But river rock would sure look nice in that picture in my head.

 

[Cambium]

Yeah, I guess I'll keep the thread updated with this project.

I decided to unscrew the plywood spacers I have because its not the right "spacing".. and I'm going to purchase these concrete spacers.

 

[cmsmoke]

If you are putting the stove closer to the wall than the manufacture has listed, you should look into the subject further. If you are just putting it up for looks or thermal mass...Read no further.
The cement spacers are a good start. but I'm not so sure about the durarock and the thickness of the river rock. There is a minmum thickness for a masonary wall that is used as a heat sheild. You will also need to leave a space at the bottom of the wall for the air to circulate in order for the heat sheild to work.
There are alot of sources for the information. I am only touching on a few of the basics and don't claim to be an expert. You can decide how far you need to go with this.
I also burned for years without a problem, but that doesn't make it right in the eyes of the fire marshall and insurance co.. I was closer than the required distances, so I put up sheet metal and used ceramic spacers as per code. I knew my walls didn't come close to getting hot enough to burn, but it is amazing how well a properly installed heat sheild works. There is enough that can inadvertantly go wrong. Why not take care of it while you are in the early stages of the wall construction?
Just my opinion.

 

[ponyexpress976]

Just another thought on safety...if you have a wife/girlfriend, why are you asking us? If she's not happy, you sir, will be miserable.

I say get rid of the trim and go to the floor.

 

[certified106]

I would definitely get rid of the trim and take it to the floor.

 

[Highbeam]

To the floor. You are trying to make a fake stone wall and real stone walls never floated above the trim. If done properly, visitors won't know if the stone wall goes below the floor to the earth. The one thing you will have to be clever about is the vent slots on the top and bottom that allow air into and out of the air gap behind the shield.

The plywood strips were no good but strips of durock are acceptable. The air gap has to be a certain width as well but that is normally done by stacking layers of strips of durock.

Note that your shield with durock and real rock will be really heavy. You want this thing resting on solid flooring as it will not just hang on the wall like a picture.

 

[Henry and Wanda]

Hello,
If you let the wood baseboard on, then you have a combustible near the heat source.




Henry and Wanda

 

[Cambium]

Hello,
If you let the wood baseboard on, then you have a combustible near the heat source.

Thanks for the concern but the baseboard is well within the manufactuer limits to combustibles. With a bottom and rear heat sheild that part of the floor even near the stove never got warm to the touch. I've had nothing for 3 years and monitored but walls were never hot to touch.

If done properly, visitors won't know if the stone wall goes below the floor to the earth. .

Great point! Damn. I may need to lower it now. My concern was how to get the vents on the bottom but I may have thought of a way now.

Will post pics later.

 

[Cambium]

Didnt get a chance today (long day at work), but I'm still debating lowering it to floor. One reason, I might want to build the floor up 4 inches. Dillema Dillema.

Question... If there's gaps behind the wall that means any heating through the stone will have a gap to escape. Why do I need the floor gap??

 

[Mac88]

Didnt get a chance today (long day at work), but I'm still debating lowering it to floor. One reason, I might want to build the floor up 4 inches. Dillema Dillema.

Question... If there's gaps behind the wall that means any heating through the stone will have a gap to escape. Why do I need the floor gap??

You need air in at the bottom (cool) and air out at the top (hot). Doesn't have to be a gap, just some kind of opening to allow for convection. I think ours has 2 slots, around 1" by 4".

 

[certified106]

You need the gap for convection. Nice stove, is it an Englander 13NC?

 

[blacklocst]

Also don't you need 18'' from the loading door to combustibles, if those are 12'' tiles you might want to extend it another coarse.

 

[Cambium]

Yup. Floor is next project.

Stove is a cheap Century bought for $350 on Craigslist brand new but I didn't like reloading every hour so I bought a bigger one. Hence this new project. It did save me $1000 a year.