Hearth extension

[Chris Bernhardt]

Woodstove insert into masonry fireplace w/lined flue. Woodstove sits atop of the hearth extension of the fireplace. No hearth extension in front of the door opening of the woodstove.

Because the wood stove is 8" or more above the floor one can use a 3/8" prefab hearth extension right?

But code says no combustible material shall remain against the underside of the hearths and hearth extensions after construction.

Can one simply put down a prefab 3/8" or greater on top of the carpet? Even if the carpet is removed then I still have the particle board underlayment and then the subfloor.

Whats the proper way to solve this problem?

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Chris, Oregon

[StevenT]

I would think that removing a piece of carpet and installing tile in front of the stove would work.

[paul burrell]

Twenty five years ago I installed a Fisher wood stove on carpet in front of my fireplace. I placed the stove on a 5/8" by 4'x4' sheet of asbestos. I bought a 4'x8' sheet of asbestos and cut it with a skill saw (I held my breath while cutting it). I never had a problem with fire and that stove would get so hot with the dampers wide open it would run you out of the room. That stove was great to cook a pot of beef stew or chili and beans on.

I am not recommending anyone do this type installation on it is just what I did.

Paul B.

[StevenT]

Paul,

I love chili.

Care to trade your receipe for chili for my receipe for matzo ball soup?

[kurt]

The reality is cutting away the carpet & setting a couple layers of stone board down on the subfloor works just fine, IF the size is adequate, and it's installed so embers can't squeak through the "joint" @ the fireplace. I went through the early 70's woodstove revolution & any reasonably competent hearth extenion works. The danger was in the large amount of creosote that collects when one is heating exclusively w/wood; lot greater hazard w/chimney fire than a couple embers rolling out onto a hearth extension that wasn't perfect.

How that plugs into current codes & NFPA recommendations is completely outside of me. I could probably figure contradictions to just about anything from either side.

I'd probably quote current NFPA and indicate most woodstove insert installations are homemade and that figuring out "legal" listing use would be beyond the scope of what I could do that day. I'd tell them homemade woodstove inserts can contain any # of installation inadequacies that are a fire hazard. Tell the customer the NFPA recommends a Level II chimney inspection as part of any real estate transaction and that they should do it; that way, the realtor-dicks can haggle about it, and a 3rd party specialist is mandated.

I don't think there's a cut & dried approachy to custom woodstove inserts; each one is different, & they all make me nervous. Thankfully, I don't have to look @ many.

[paul burrell]

Originally posted by StevenT

Paul,

I love chili.

Care to trade your receipe for chili for my receipe for matzo ball soup?

Be glad to my Wife does the chili thing so will have to get her to give it to me. I love matzo ball soup. When I lived in southern California I had a friend and his family cooked it and it was great.

Paul B.

[StevenT]

Good Morning Paul,

Sounds like a plan.