# Wood Stove



## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

I think we've finally figured out where to put our wood stove, so was going to ask about the hearth. We live less than a mile away from a gravel quarry. Not sure if they have fieldstone there or not, haven't really gone over to take a look-see, but if I could get my hands on some of it for cheap or (gasp) free would that make a nice hearth for under the stove? Underneath the floor in this spot is just crawl space, not basement, so reinforcing the floor may be tricky if that's needed. I have a fieldstone retaining wall outside and the colors of the rocks are so pretty and they were litterally from the fields around here so it got me to thinkin......


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

5-6 square feet of fieldstone *+* a 200-300 pound wood stove *=* a need for reinforcement.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

It would be pretty. I'm sure you can find a way to do it.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Well hubby is going to have to do that cause there is NO WAY I'm going to shimmy down under the house in that crawl space. There could be snakes!  As long as we're not talking 6 ft long steel gurders or cement pylons, I'm sure he could figure it out.

If I do get like a wheelbarrel full, would we just make a form, lay them in there and mortar them together? Most of the ones I've seen are fairly round. They generally don't have a lot of flat edges to play around with placement for the legs to stand on. Just wondering out loud. It sure would save us a lot of money to use free materials. Another idea my friend had was to go to the Habitat for Humanity store to get ceramic tiles. I suppose plain old red bricks would be fine too.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Cinder blocks and/or bricks under the floor joists should do the job. You can often find these materials on craigslist either free or cheap. You'll be happy you did it. It's a great feeling knowing that you're not dependent on the grid to keep from freezing. Our wood stoves have kept us from having to leave home more than once.

BTW. You could also use slate under the stove if you have access to it. It's a nice neutral gray so it can be incorporated into almost any surroundings and look like it belongs. We have 1/2" thick slate under 1 of our stoves.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I would put a piece of cement board with ceramic tile, slate, marble on top. It would look nice, be inexpensive, easy to do, and easier to clean.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

We just did a pretty massive hearth this spring. Haven't put the wood stove in yet. Reinforced the floor, built wood 'outline', on the wall we put steel beams for air gap, then dura rock, then mesh to help hold rock on wall, used flagstaff stone on bottom and stone that had been cut for the wall. Tried to dry stack it but didn't turn out that way. Filled in between rock with more grout, it's looks pretty good.....

Main area for stove is about 5x5 and I have a short wall, long area for stacking wood.

When I get time or can figure it out, I'll post pictures. I didn't do the framing, etc but I picked out the rocks and placed every one of them.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

well, I changed my mind. Was looking at some ceramic tile at Home Depot and found some really pretty stuff for $1.64 sq ft. 

This stove is causing me so much grief!!!! It was my idea to get the stove, and even though hubby reluctantly agreed to cut wood for it, he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project. Now I'm stuck with trying to figure out how to install it all by myself and I don't know what I'm doing!!!  He won't let me hire somebody to install it for us. I can't give up on it because it's either get this stove in and have heat in case of no power or spend more money to fill up my fuel oil tank. As we stand right this second, I have no heat for winter. Sorry for ranting.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

lazydaisy67 said:


> he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project. Now I'm stuck with trying to figure out how to install it all by myself and I don't know what I'm doing!!!  He won't let me hire somebody to install it for us.


Never mind ... I will try again in the morning ... :gaah: (my thoughts are not very kind right now.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

lazydaisy67 said:


> well, I changed my mind. Was looking at some ceramic tile at Home Depot and found some really pretty stuff for $1.64 sq ft.
> 
> This stove is causing me so much grief!!!! It was my idea to get the stove, and even though hubby reluctantly agreed to cut wood for it, he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project. Now I'm stuck with trying to figure out how to install it all by myself and I don't know what I'm doing!!!  He won't let me hire somebody to install it for us. I can't give up on it because it's either get this stove in and have heat in case of no power or spend more money to fill up my fuel oil tank. As we stand right this second, I have no heat for winter. Sorry for ranting.


Ugh!! :ignore:

OK, I felt the same way!!! have you showed him the fuel bills lately???? We use a gas heat pack aka central unit that runs off gas... My fuel was 2000.00 last year!!!  we spent about 1500.00 on hearth maybe a little more because I did hire someone to help and I helped him. I must be honest....I think you should put back a few dollars a week, nip it in the bud and pay someone to do this for you!

If you have unlimited amount of wood, this is the way to go. Maybe you can make a deal with someone about the wood, 'I'll give you as much wood as you stack up for me' or something like that.

Hubby being like this is not helping you prepare for the family, that's for sure! Ask him how y'all are going to keep warm if you have no electricity or fuel. What if fuel becomes so expensive and then the wood stoves will be impossible to even come by??

I'd put the fear of God in him! Ha ha, Sorry, but I know, I had to talk up a wood stove for two years and he finally agreed. As soon as it cools off again we are cutting wood. We've got enough downed trees for this year.

When will men learn to listen to us women? Our instincts are what God and mother nature gave us! My instincts have rarely been wrong and I'm glad my husband has finally started listening to them with me.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Another idea, this may be mean so warning...

I'd start the dang thing! 

He wants you to install the stove pipe and all?


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

I guess I'll find out eventually if he will install it or not. If I climb up on the roof with a sharp knife, he will intervene cause we just got a new roof put on last summer, lol. I just figured out yesterday that the chimney had a jog in the attic. I had already purchased 23' of outdoor double walled stove pipe cause he wanted to route the stove through the wall and up the side of the house outside, but then I read about the clearances and how much pipe we'd need and brackets to brace it and blah blah and shared that info with him and I think he got mad that I was contradicting his idea or something. The placement was bad and wouldn't have heated the whole main floor putting it there. In front of the old chimney is a better place to get the heat to all the rooms. Some men just have more pride than others and if you step on it a little, they get prickly.

So anyway, that's not the point. The point is I have to get this thing in. The neighbor guy said he thought I could just put in a chimney liner, so I called the plumbing and heating guy in town and he said he had done that on the other chimney in our house years ago. But it's the vent for the oil burner and he said DO NOT put the stove in that one. So now I'm looking for a liner kit but I'm picky and I want to make sure I'm getting the right stuff that is the safest. I'm just not sure if we will be able to squeeze a liner in there with 1/2" insulation on it or if I need 1/4" insulation. I read the instruction book when we got it and I thought I was trying to put together the space shuttle. I have to say I certainly have learned a LOT about stoves and chimney's since then. It's all good, knowledge is power. Don't worry, he really is a pretty good man and after 18 years of marriage I know exactly how to get him to help me with things. I just start a project, get flustered and shed a tear or two, he heaves a big sigh, kisses me and takes over. I love him. He does NOT like to ask someone if he doesn't know how to do something and he can barely figure out how to turn a computer on let alone research something, so that's my department. Besides I have NO PROBLEM bugging the neighbor guys (or you guys) enough to get them to help us just to get me to shut up :sssh:


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

When I read your first post.... I knew you were in for a ride! I spent a whole month going places, talking to folks and watching YouTube! 

Clearances.... Air gaps in wall... Distance from heater to wall... Etc etc...pull your hair out especially if you don't do it every day! 


My husband wanted to go outside the house as well... I finally got him to go with me to a heater place where another individual explained to him and then I let 'him' :sssh: figure out the best route was indeed through the roof. :congrat:

Your husband is not my husband huh???? Ha ha!


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

lazydaisy67 said:


> well, I changed my mind. Was looking at some ceramic tile at Home Depot and found some really pretty stuff for $1.64 sq ft.
> 
> This stove is causing me so much grief!!!! It was my idea to get the stove, and even though hubby reluctantly agreed to cut wood for it, he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project. Now I'm stuck with trying to figure out how to install it all by myself and I don't know what I'm doing!!!  He won't let me hire somebody to install it for us. I can't give up on it because it's either get this stove in and have heat in case of no power or spend more money to fill up my fuel oil tank. As we stand right this second, I have no heat for winter. Sorry for ranting.


Thats where you act like you're going to install it yourself. Bring in the biggest sledgehammer you can find and biggest saw... Muse to yourself where to start cutting... and he'll stop you and do it


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## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

lazydaisy67 said:


> well, I changed my mind. Was looking at some ceramic tile at Home Depot and found some really pretty stuff for $1.64 sq ft.
> 
> This stove is causing me so much grief!!!! It was my idea to get the stove, and even though hubby reluctantly agreed to cut wood for it, he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project. Now I'm stuck with trying to figure out how to install it all by myself and I don't know what I'm doing!!!  He won't let me hire somebody to install it for us. I can't give up on it because it's either get this stove in and have heat in case of no power or spend more money to fill up my fuel oil tank. As we stand right this second, I have no heat for winter. Sorry for ranting.


OK I know you can do this....if a 50 year old woman can learn how to do handyman stuff YOU CAN. I am still learning but I dont give up ..yes I get frustrated and mad and cry and it takes me 5 times as long BUT it gets done. Yes there are some things I physical can NOT do.

if he wont help and you know there are parts you CANT do then hire someone...sorry but him not _ALLOWING _ you to hire is bunk. 
I dont agree with acting like your going to mess up....cuz that says you cant do it. Be straight forward and say either you help or I get someone who does what I cant ...no games involved.

Sorry rant over 
Waiting on pics of your new stove :flower:


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## SageAdvicefarmgirl (Jun 23, 2011)

hiwall said:


> I would put a piece of cement board with ceramic tile, slate, marble on top. It would look nice, be inexpensive, easy to do, and easier to clean.


Thats what we did for our wood stove: 1/2 inch cement board on top of our flooring (which is, btw, carpet) We place landscape pavers (12 X 12 inch by 2 inch thick) over that and then screwed down a 2 X 4 around the perimeter to keep it all in place. Its in a corner of our house and works fine!


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## SageAdvicefarmgirl (Jun 23, 2011)

DJgang said:


> When I read your first post.... I knew you were in for a ride! I spent a whole month going places, talking to folks and watching YouTube!
> 
> Clearances.... Air gaps in wall... Distance from heater to wall... Etc etc...pull your hair out especially if you don't do it every day!
> 
> ...


The "ole timey" way to run a stovepipe is take out a window pane and put corrugated tin or cement board, with a hole cut the size of your pipe in it, and run your pipe thru at a bit of an angle up, then an elbow once you are a foot or so clear of the wall of the house, and run the pipe up high enough so it will "draw" (smoke goes up and out instead of blowing back in, esp important oin windy days!) You may need to attach guide wires to keep it going straight up. We've used this several times when in a rental house where we couln't cut the ceiling or roof. It does work, but can be messy during rains as the creosote may "wash" down outside of the pipe and eventually onto the window sill. They make a "clean-out" or T that can be used as an elbow so you can regularly clean the pipe at that joint....

Better is to purchase triple wall stove pipe kits (I think Lowe's has them) and run it thru the ceiling (uses a collar to hold back the drywall from touching the pipe) and up thru the roof, (uses flashing and must be SEALED to keep your roof from leaking.) This really should be done by someone who knows roofing because its plain stupid to cut a hole in a perfectly good roof if you aren't certain you can seal it properly.

My advice: Call the professional and see what he might BARTER in exchange for his work. Maybe cooking a few meals or helping him with one of HIS projects.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Got an estimate for 350.00 to install and I have a 12x12 pitch roof... Pretty good deal I'm thinking!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Yeah, that sounds pretty reasonable. When I installed ours I went through the wall and it took some time and planning to to get it done right. I'm assuming that is just for the labor not the chimney parts?


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ok, I know what I need, 6" x 20' flexible chimney liner with 1/2" insulation kit. What I can't find is an adapter/collar thingy to go from the flex liner to the rigid chimney pipe outside. Anybody know anything about that?


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

UncleJoe said:


> Yeah, that sounds pretty reasonable. When I installed ours I went through the wall and it took some time and planning to to get it done right. I'm assuming that is just for the labor not the chimney parts?


Yep labor only. I can't remember material amount. And that's even him picking up the material for me. Got to get him out here soon, I'm ready for my stove! Haha

Lazy daisy, sounds like you may have to go to a heater store. We've got a good one with knowledgable folks and they know exactly what we needed. Hope you have one around, you might even find someone to install through them, that's how we are going about it. My roof is so pitched and pipe will need bracing, etc. something I'd rather let professional take care of....


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ok, I thought I knew what was going on, but I'm thinking I should sell this dang stove on Craigslist and scrap the whole idea!!! :gaah:

The existing "chimney" is inside the house. Was built in 1905 for whatever kind of stove they had back then. Could possibly have been an oil burner, I don't know. There are two chimney's, one is the vent for our oil burning furnace, the one we want to use has been sitting dormant for years. The chimney itself is just brick, no terra cotta liner stuff inside of it. Over the years, the outside stack deteriorated and was eventually taken down to just below (2inches) the roof in the attic. It was NOT because of a chimney fire, I checked with the 80 year old previous owner. The other chimney was taken down to just under the roof last summer when a new roof was put on for the same reason. Ok, NEXT, ha ha. The chimney goes straight up from 1st floor to 2nd floor to attic and then has a jog. I'm not good with angles but if I had to guess I might say 45 degree. This was done, I assume to avoid putting the chimney up through the tallest part of the roof. We have to transition somehow from the flexible liner to a class A right at the roof line. There IS a converter bracket to do so. I found it at a woodstove supply store on-line This is not a terribly difficult process, fairly straightforward from what I can see and I'm confident we can do it ourselves. I know the 6" liner will work because the other chimney has one in it for the oil burner. 

So before I order all of this expensive stuff, I do a check on hearth.com. Want to read everything I can about this process before I order. Found a forum thread where a guy says he had 4 contractors out to bid a job exactly like ours and one of them, not all of them, but one said there is NO up to code way of transitioning from flex liner to class A. So now I feel like I'm back at square one. Sounds to me like if that really isn't going to be up to code we can either have a brick chimney built back up again on the roof, or scrap the idea of using this chimney alltogether and route the stove out the side of the house, which would take LOTS of double walled (expensive) pipe. This project is freaking me out. I can't sleep at night because I can't stop thinking about it. The old timers around here couldn't wait to get rid of their stoves, so they not only don't know why we want to put one in, but can't remember anything about their old ones. The contractors around here are about the same. They generally work with new construction or remodeling jobs that require a tear-out of old chimneys like ours not coming up with a way to use it. I've called 2 and neither one would even come out to bid the job!!!
Ok, sorry. Just needed to rant AGAIN about this stupid project. 
Husband doesn't have a clue what to do. Like I said the research department is my job and if I can't come up with a safe and efficient way to get this job done, he won't install this stove. I'm hyperventilating!!!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

lazydaisy67 said:


> we can either have a brick chimney built back up again on the roof, or scrap the idea of using this chimney all together and route the stove out the side of the house, which would take LOTS of double walled (expensive) pipe.


The stainless ran us between $700-$800 when we did it but I just took a look and saw that the sections are up about $15.00 each. But the alternative was a terra-cotta lined block chimney which approached $2000.


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

flue for your stove.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

Is it possible to get in the attic and carefully remove the part of the chimney that "jogs" ? Then you could run your pipe straight up. Only getting a roofing contractor to install the flashing part that goes through the roof itself? Try to find a local shop that does just stoves, I find the home depot guys to be less than reliable on many occasions, you can speak to them in person and get exactly the hardware you need. If you have concerns about what is code compliant, try speaking to your building inspector/code enforcement dude/fire inspector. I find they are usually willing to help you so you do it safely. My building inspector told me I had to word the questions correctly as he is not allowed to tell me how to build it. I had to ask him if I built it "this" way would he approve it?! Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP!!!


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

on one of the pbs, this old house shows, dh watches they were able to put a liner in an old brick chimney. they rebuilt the box because she wanted a wood fire place. you should be able to run a liner up the old chimney and out the roof but the liner may need to be made special to fit. the main reason to line a chimney is to prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home and from near by combustibles from catching fire.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Don't give up!


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

The jog in the chimney isn't so much the issue. The flexible liner will fit fine, it's that small transition from the top of the brick chimney to the outside that has to transition from the flexible pipe to the rigid chimney pipe. There IS a bracket made specifically for that, but I don't know what type of bracing or support box or framing or whatever needs to me made by us to keep the bracket the required number of inches away from the roof beams. Does that makes sense? I will keep trying. I know we can do this, I just gotta keep looking at things, but it's making me nuts.


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

i just bought a wood heater. the only thing is we live in a double wide. we have a fireplace and we love it. getting firewood is not a problem. what i would like to do is put the heater in a different place and maybe vent it out a window for now. the fireplace is very relaxing in the evening.of course this would be a temporary fix until i get my dream home built.we can get by with the fireplace but the rest of the house is cold. we are definitely going to build probably start on it next year. we have 3 acres of land that will be our homestead. if i could afford it i would love to have 100 acres in the middle nowhere but i just don't see that happening.so what do you think;will it work vented out the window for maybe a couple of years?


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

For anyone installing their own wood fired heater, check into the code for installation, for your own safety and the protection of your home, (not to satisfy the bureaucrats) and take the time to learn how to efficiently use wood heat, since it is one of the things that everone THINKS the know about but are really far off from the facts. the big one being the effect of long term exposure of heat to combustibles, use a search engine or go to an installer/dealer and get the documents (prefferably both) A chimeny is not the place to be cheap.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

lazydaisy67 said:


> I know we can do this, I just gotta keep looking at things, but it's making me nuts.


Just to be clear, when I 'liked' your post, it was for the "I know we can do this" part, not the "it's making me nuts" part. 

Hang in there.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ok, we're not giving up. Frame for the hearth is done, tile is going to be laid this week. Found a really super deal at the Habitat for Humanity store!!! Found a guy at church who is a general contractor and has installed both a wood stove and chimney liner in the past. We will do everything we can on our own and he's going to help us with the liner and stove install. :2thumb: I think this is going to work!! Now, if I can just stress over the amount of wood we have, it will all be good, lol


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

lazydaisy67 said:


> This stove is causing me so much grief!!!! It was my idea to get the stove, and even though hubby reluctantly agreed to cut wood for it, he doesn't know how to install it and kind of washed his hands of the whole project.


DAMN if'n you was local I'd offer some assist. Almost seems like hubby should have his man card revoked. Sorry if that comes across as rude.

See if you can get a permit for it. It will cost you some money but they will tell you exactly what you need to be safe and inspect it to see if it was done properly.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

lazydaisy67 said:


> Ok, we're not giving up. Frame for the hearth is done, tile is going to be laid this week. Found a really super deal at the Habitat for Humanity store!!! Found a guy at church who is a general contractor and has installed both a wood stove and chimney liner in the past. We will do everything we can on our own and he's going to help us with the liner and stove install. :2thumb: I think this is going to work!! Now, if I can just stress over the amount of wood we have, it will all be good, lol


Good on you!!!


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

i used the 12x12 walkway tiles the red ones to put under my wood stove in the house and in the outside kitchen that i got from lowes


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