Wood, coal & pellet stove fire clearance & vent clearance questions & answers.

This article series describes fire safety distances required between wood stoves and coal stoves and the nearest combustible surface. We also discuss clearance distances for coal, wood, or pellet stove chimneys or direct sidewall vents.

Fire Clearances FAQs for Flues for Woodstoves & Coal stoves

These questions and answers about wood stove or pellet stove fire safety clearance distances were posted originally

at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES - be sure to review that article.

On 2018-10-13 by (mod) - clearance distance from pellet stove through-wall vent

Rick

Using this example from Afton Bay pellet stove installation instructions, I'd generalize that you need to be 36" from combustibles - that would include pressure treated stairs.

Watch out: you must follow the specific fire clearances and other vent clearance specifications for your specific stove brand and model.

In the articlePELLET STOVE CLEARANCE DISTANCES I have added details on fire clearances for pellet stoves.

Please refresh your browser cache, re-load the page, and take a look.

On 2018-10-13 by Rick

Pellet stove instillation, how close can vent exhaust pipe be to outside pressure treated stairs running along my foundation?

On 2017-12-14 by (mod) - how many elbows and bends can I use in an old woodstove flue?

Sean

I am too afraid of saying OK about something I can't see and that could burn down your house to give a for-sure opinion.

And I don't have any idea what sort of materials you are installing nor their fire rating. And I don't know the type nor rating of the chimney to which you're connecting, nor whether or not it remains in safe, usable condition.

Often an old unused metal flue, sitting for years without heat, corrodes like mad and becomes unsafe.

If it were my project I would not count for one second on the height above the stove to make the flue cool enough that a non-rated chimney, thimble or any other component was safe. Just consider that things do not ever go as planned - somebody is going to make a too-hot fire, or is going to toss a "soot cleaning flare" into the woodstove, creating very high temperatures.

The trouble is, you only get one fire. Then the house is gone.

However, not to be a total curmudegeon I'll add that it's usually the case that if you are using insulated SUPER CHIMNEYS, 629 CHIMNEYS - type you can go either 1" from combustibles or sometimes less.

In most jurisdictions we're required to get a building permit and approval inspections for woodstove installations. That may be inconvenient but I think of it as a free safety inspection by an expert. Take advantage of that as well as taking advantage of a chimney safety inspection by a certified chimney sweep.

On 2017-12-14 by Sean

I'm installing a small wood stove in our house. At some point in the past, a previous owner removed a wood stove, but left the chimney above the roof.

I have a built a sufficient hearth pad and have sufficient clearance to the wall at the stove. In order to line up with the existing chimney, I need to install a bend that brings me very close to an interior wall.

Manufacturer recommends 27" vertical clearance above the stove.

I have 43" with sufficient clearance to the wall with double wall pipe and a heat shield. Ceiling support box is rated to have insulation and lumber right up against it.

Where the support box extends below the ceiling, there is about 1" of clearance to the wall. Is it ok for the double wall pipe to drop out of the support box with 3" of clearance to the wall and immediately bend out to the listed distance with two 45* bends?

This is 50" above the stove. Thank you!

On 2017-11-12 by (mod) - pellet stove vent diameter

Jim,

The answer to your question depends on where you live this city state or Province and of course country.

And some locations in these must be installed by a licensed contractor in others you may be permitted to do it yourself provided you obtain a permit and the appropriate inspection.

Make sure you have those inspections done and that you do have a permit in any case because those steps are important for your safety.

On 2017-11-12 by Jim We had our pellet stove disconnected due to the a flood in the basement.

We had our pellet stove disconnected due to the a flood in the basement

. It was discovered the venting needed to be upgraded to 4 inch (ours was 3') to meet the new code standards.

This is not covered in the insurance claim and will cost us $2500 to have it professionally installed. My question is do you need to have it professionally installed to be covered by the insurance company or can I do it myself?

On 2017-10-31 by Casey

My new wood burning stove has 11 inch legs. I have placed cement board over plywood to build a stone hearth 65 inches x 70 inches. How thick does the stone need to be in Virginia? Do I need an airgap?

On 2017-06-19 by bruni

I want to put a wood stove in my living room corner. How far from the wall to the stove corners?

On 2016-09-03 by (mod) - You can install a free-standing air-circulating heat shield

You can install a free-standing air-circulating heat shield as did my friend Paul in a photo shown

at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES - but I really really hope you'll also ask for an opinion from your local fire inspector as a mistake could be really dangerous.

On 2016-09-03 by Mark

My wife has just purchased a sofa for our living room. It sits only 21" from the side of our free-standing, woodburning stove, a Dutchwest. What can we do to install some type of heat shield to make this safe??

thanks.

On 2016-07-15 by (mod) -

Oh no, Paul can take a bit of criticism. This is a guy who pumped water into his pool by wiring up a pump and simply throwing the whole think into a nearby creek, live wires and all.

But thanks for clarification - I'll add it above.

On 2016-07-15 by NHFireBear

Sorry, at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES I may have mistakenly said "not less than 18 inches as wall clearance or 24 inches as ceiling clearance", which refers to the specific use of half-inch noncombustible insulation board protection without ventilation space, whereas certain OTHER types of engineered protection may reduce wall or ceiling clearances to as little as 12 or 18 inches, respectively, provided they have a ventilated air space.

See, e.g., NFPA 211(2010): Table 12.6.2.1 Reduction of Appliance Clearance with Specified Forms of Protection. Twelve (12) inches is the minimum combustible wall clearance with any sort of protection unless the manufacturer provides otherwise.

Clearance is measured from the surface of the nearest combustible structure, e.g., the wooden studs in the walls or baseboards or window casings or doors (swung in any position), not from the "limited combustible" wallboard or other "protection".

I only referred to PG's "shield" to identify the photo, not to criticize his ingenuity.

Question:

(Sept 19, 2011) Sally said:
Is there a difference between stove pipe liners when using a wood stove or an oil burner ?

do you have to change them out for example if someone had an oil burner and you wanted to install a wood stove ?
is there regulations for using antique wood stoves that differ from using a new wood stove?

Reply:

Yes Sally, different fuels and heating appliances may require different chimney types and dimensions.

See METAL CHIMNEYS & FLUES - topic home, for a guide to all of these.

Question:

(Oct 22, 2011) josh said:
i need to install my wood stove but i don't have enough clrearance to the cieling and walls what is the best type of heat shielding? would cement board work?

Reply:

A non-combustible metal heat shield reflects heat rather well provided it has been properly installed including with a circulating air space behind it, with out using connectors that conduct heat to building framing or other combustibles, and that fire clearances are still respected. Basically a heat shield lets you reduce but not eliminate fire clearance distances.

Please see HEAT SHIELD SPECIFICATIONS for WOOD STOVES & PELLET STOVES

Then see HEAT SHIELD CLEARANCE PERCENTAGE REDUCTIONS

Question:

(Sept 20, 2012) mike said:
i have 9" of stone over a stud wall covered with drywall, do i have to stay away 18"? seriously?

Reply:

Mike,

while you should have reviewed your design with your fire inspector as part of the required building permit requirement for putting in a chimney, wood stove, etc,

and with further weaseling on my part because you don't say if this is a wood stove, fireplace, or what, nevertheless I caution that stone conducts heat, and even at comparatively low temperatures like 200f pyrolysis occurs and so there can be a fire hazard.

Question:

(Sept 30, 2012) keith said:
does cement work as heat sheild

Reply:

• HEAT SHIELD SPECIFICATIONS for WOOD STOVES & PELLET STOVES

Question: not enough clearance between woodstove top and ceiling surface

(Oct 5, 2015) Lorne said:

My wood stove calls for 56" from the top of the stove to the ceiling, there is a cathedral ceiling and from the center of the stove to the ceiling i have 49.5". Moving the stove is not an option because i have limited space.

What are my options? Is there a loop hole if i instal a concrete board on the ceiling? Or any other loop holes? Any suggestions?

Reply:

Lorne, check with the manufacturer of your woodstove.

Often a properly-designed, approved heat shield, properly mounted to allow both air circulation and to prevent heat transmission to combustible surfaces, combined with an insulated zero clearance chimney or flue can reduce the fire clearance distances otherwise specified.

Question: smoke from my neighbour's wood stove

(Nov 21, 2015) Mike said:

My neighbor has a wood burning stove and my house is getting the effects of the smoke whenever a door is opened.

There are two roof levels on their house and the metal smoke stack is on the low roof. This section is only the height of a garage roof. The house is a two story home with no chimney on the higher roof. What can I do?

Reply:

Mike,

Some cities in the U.S. and perhaps other countries impose regulations on neighbours' chimneys and vents, typically for fire or gas safety reasons. What does your local building department say about your situation?

Question:

(Jan 1, 2016) Tommy117 said:
Thinking about installing a woodburning stove in a house I am buying.

Would be in the basement and heat 2200 total square feet.
The natural gas burner will be moved and replaced with a wall mounted unit and the hot water tank replaced with similar unit.

I would like to install the stove exhaust pipe into the chimney but I have concerns, as I read online that:

(A) single coarse of brick chimney can not be used;

(B) a cleanout/inspection door would need to be cut into the chimney;

(C) a flue liner will need to be installed into the chimney;

(D) I just realized that the gas main coming off the gas meter, will be about three feet away from the stove but tucked along the sillplate.

What distance is safe/legal, for that gas pipe to be from the woodburning stove?

I am looking at another installation area in the basement that would require removal of the window and frame (wood), sending the six inch double wall fluepipe out the opening on two 45 degree elbows and straight up the outside of the house, but I am receiving opposition because it would look like "the Hatfields & McCoys", but would, in my opinion, be away from anything combustible or any source of fire concerns to the building structure. I would rather heat the house with a few cords of wood rather than get into debt with utility company over high natural gas use (expensive here).

My platter is overfilled, and could use and appreciate any thoughts you have, before I get bogged down in building inspector hell.

Reply:

Tommy:

A single wythe brick chimney would be unsafe to use for a woodstove vent; you should get some bids from chimney companies for installing a liner if you're going to use that flue;

you also cannot share a chimney between floors or between fuels or heaters.

You can indeed install an outdoor insulated chimney;

A bid or two from chimney people along with sketches and manufacturer's installation guides, clearances, standards, will arm you to go to the building department to ask what the experts consider safe.

...

Continue reading at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• FIREPLACES & HEARTHS - home
• WOOD STOVE OPERATION & SAFETY
• WOOD STOVE INSPECTION CHECKLIST [PDF]
• WOOD-OIL COMBINATION HEATERS

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WOOD STOVE PELLET STOVE FIRE CLEARANCE FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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