# Wood cookstove installation ideas?



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

I've got a great older cookstove that I'll be installing into what will become the kitchen for our cabin.










If you remember, our cabin is concrete block building that the previous owner started to build before selling the property to us. Here's a pic of it after we got the roof on.









Now comes the installation of the stove where we want to keep everything to code. I want to put foam insulation on the inside walls, between 2X4's anchored to the concrete walls. The foam will be covered with sheetrock and plastered just like a regular home wall. For our living room heating stove, keeping the stove and pipe 18" away from the wall (the sheetrock one) is not an issue.

But, since the cookstove is so big, we don't want the stove that far out into the room. I'm now considering how to install the cookstove and still be safe and in conformance with code.

One way I think would work is simply not to insulate the wall in back of the stove and leave it as bare concrete. If it's not a flammable surface, the stove could be almost touching? Two disadvantages of that is that the area would be colder if the stove wasn't running, and also the aesthetics wouldn't be good.

Alternatively, could I use cement board instead of sheetrock to finish a wall directly in back of the stove? Would cement board be considered a non-flammable surface if there is stryofoam insulation directly behind it? Is a plastered cement board surface that's painted still non-flammable? I'd be using double-walled stove pipe to bring clearances to 6". Any advice would be appreciated.
Michael


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## Drew Cutter (Dec 30, 2008)

You will need protection on the floor and back of the stove . It can cement board , if you want to save money and don't care about looks. Now the dimension of cement board you have on the floor has to extent so many inches beyond the stove. Not sure anymore how many inches.


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

I would insulate the wall the same as the rest of the house. You don't want a cold spot draining heat. Alternative is to insulate the outside of the block walls, and then stucco on the inside so you have all that thermal mass to moderate the temperature. You also get a slightly larger living space.

For clearances, take a look at these sites:
http://hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/wood_stove_clearances_installing_it_safely

http://www.hearth.com/content/images/uploads/nfpachart1.jpg

Another option is to fill the cores of the wall with insulation,and build a 3.5" brick/block wall in front of the present wall. 

If it was me, I would finish out the wall, and use one of the 24gauge metal and insulation units to get the clearances down to 12 inches. That distance appears to be the minimum for unlisted heaters/stoves.

Yet another option is to frame the space behind the stove with metal studs, and infill with high temp/non-combustable insulation. Backer board instead of drywall, and it shouldn't look too much different than the rest of the walls.

Michael


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Mark off the area you want behind the stove....Knock holes in the block....fill with spray in foam. Cut some strips of cement board about 2" wide, and run vertically, holding in place temporarily with construction adhesive. Then cement board solid over the strips, using toggle bolts. This will give you an air space.....then tile over the cement board for a finished, fireproof surface.


Those are nice stoves, by the way. Buddy of mine has one in his kitchen.


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