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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Wood Stove - Safe next to wall of windows?
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VC_YamahaRider
Member
# Posted: 13 Aug 2015 07:53
Reply 


I am trying to determine where to put the wood stove in our cabin. The best place for it is right in front of a wall of windows. My question is whether or not it is safe to do that? My concern is that in the cold winter, here in Ohio, there could be an issue with the windows cracking because of the hot heat from the stove and the cold glass. I don't have any pictures of he inside yet but you can see what I am talking about in regards to a wall of windows in this picture.

Any thoughts?
South_Wall.jpg
South_Wall.jpg


toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 13 Aug 2015 08:59
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Can you permanently attach a metal shield around the back of the stove? To me code, it must be permanently attached, not just setting, ie welded, bolted etc. Leave an air gap and attach it with a standoff. That would do it.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 13 Aug 2015 17:37
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Windows cracking, window wood framing catching fire from heat, no heat storage, blocks view, etc. Best is chimney near the peak on the average downwind side of the roof and wall space for brick or masonry backing for heat storage and structural fire prevention. The chimney needs to be double piped insulated to keep the draft upwards during low burn. So minimize exterior pipe exposure, but need to exceed the ridge line by (?) your building code. Can't get heat storage at windows. So put it at the back of that picture, left or right of the roof ridge. If cabin built tight, consider external air with PVC valve in wall, behind stove. Google for pics. If not concrete floor, need some masonry there also. If window and stove view is needed, you could put it in the corner, but you will have long exterior exposed pipe that will need supports to roof.

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 13 Aug 2015 19:55
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Also think about any risk to the window framing (melting, burning, etc.) if the stove is placed between two windows.

VC_YamahaRider
Member
# Posted: 14 Aug 2015 10:14
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Yeah, those are some good points. I didn't think of the downwind side of the roof. I definitely want to keep it near the peak because I would have less triple wall pipe which is expensive. I also like the PVC valve in the wall for external air. It is a concrete floor but we have built a wood floor on top of that so I assume I still need to put something under the stove. I was thinking granite because I have a piece of granite counter top that is just sitting around not being used.

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 14 Aug 2015 12:30 - Edited by: jaransont3
Reply 


We have our wood stove centered on a wall of windows.



The windows are wood framed and single pane. We do have a double wall copper heat shield behind the stove that is very effective. In northern MN we regularly see -15F and colder when we are there for Christmas. There is frost on the windows behind the heat shield!

We have not had any issues with the windows cracking or any other problems.

Our stove pipe goes straight up and through the ridge of the roof. I had to do a little tricky bit of flashing, but he have not had any leaks.



DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 14 Aug 2015 18:48 - Edited by: DaveBell
Reply 


Outside air. Its small, adjustable, maybe useful even not directly connected.
Pike__Wood_stove.jp.jpg
Pike__Wood_stove.jp.jpg


Gary O
Member
# Posted: 14 Aug 2015 23:00
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Quoting: DaveBell
jaransont3 The dry tinder close to your stove is a brilliant idea.

Uh, Dave, yer too late.
I used up all the snide sarcasm a year or so ago.
Nobody opens their cabin door to that crap here.
Playful jabs, yeah, but yer only a day into it.
Sharing knowledge, experience. That's what we do here.
Observe MtnDon, bldginsp, rockies, some other knowledgeable members.
They state what they know, but rather kindly, then leave it up to the member.
As for you, ya left a little mess on the porch.

As for jaransont3's place, I think it's freaking gorgeous, and am considering something like that too. Love the artwork behind the stove.

cheers

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 14 Aug 2015 23:45 - Edited by: MtnDon
Reply 


The "tinder" could be a metal sculpture. If so, that is very nice.


I am also a fan of exterior air inlets. We have a direct coupling to out stove air inlet box.

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 13:05
Reply 


No offense taken....I have a much thicker skin than that.

Not sure if Dave was referring to the heat shield, but it is a copper sculpture, not actual cattails. Here is a better picture of it before I added the legs to raise it up a little bit.



The bucket next to the stove is our ash pan for when we clean it out.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 18:41
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I wouldn't place a stove in front of a large bank of windows, and it isn't because of the close proximity to wood frames or the danger of breaking glass. As with any heat source, the heat is drawn to the coldest surface. Most of your heat will be pulled towards the cold glass panes and radiate to the outdoors. You may still feels some heat in the room from the fire, but you're spending a lot of time and money to heat the outside through a thin sheet of glass.

If possible, place the stove in an area that is protected and insulated on the back (preferably on at least one side too) and lined with a material that absorbs and holds the heat produced so that it can radiate back into the room later on. If you want even more heat retention, consider a soapstone stove so that the stove itself retains heat even after the fire has gone out.

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 21:39 - Edited by: KinAlberta
Reply 


I thought I'd post this here because it highlights a risk.... Click to take a closer look...

Quoting: KinAlberta
# Posted: 14 Jul 2014 10:18 - Edited by: KinAlberta
Reply Quote

Take a look at this picture and the wood on the wall behind the stove...


Source:
http://www.palmergulch.com/assets/images/slider/cabins/5/cabin5-3.jpg




http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_105_5.html

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 22:57
Reply 


I agree with you rockies. Our set-up is not the most efficient means of heating our small cabin. Probably far from it.

However nothing beats sitting on the couch with our feet up by the fire and being able to look out over the wilderness outside and see the fire and our heat shield at the same time. It is really the best.

If we lived at the cabin full-time and conserving wood and such were more important, I might have made a different decision on the stove placement. AS it is we spend a week there in each of the four seasons. We can afford to not worry about efficiency when we only have 10-14 days of heating need.

VC_YamahaRider
Member
# Posted: 17 Aug 2015 09:15
Reply 


Thanks for all the comments and pictures.

I feel like I am still leaning towards in front of the windows but adding a heat shield. But if in front of the windows, then I can't really add an outside air vent. I would like to put it in a corner right next to the windows but the cost of the triple wall pipe will break the bank.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 17 Aug 2015 18:46
Reply 


VC, looking at your first pic, I think you can get most of everything that everyone has mentioned in this thread. What if you did a corner install, PVC vent in wall, two sides of back brick for heat retention in a V, run the insulated pipe up for 6' plus and then 45 degree along the inside ceiling to near peak for a 45 degree upward exit in the roof? You would have a good draw, view of windows and fire, outside adjustable air, heat retention, and fire prevention. We want to see the pics.

VC_YamahaRider
Member
# Posted: 17 Aug 2015 19:03
Reply 


I didn't think about doing a 45 degree and running the pipe along the ceiling. I do have a couple of questions DaveBell about what you said above.

You mentioned running insulated pipe of for 6' plus. Can't all the inside pipe be the single wall black pipe?

What do you mean by 2 sides of back brick in a V? Are you talking put a heat shield on the 2 walls in the corner?

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 17 Aug 2015 20:07
Reply 


You mentioned running insulated pipe of for 6' plus. Can't all the inside pipe be the single wall black pipe?

From what I have seen in typical installations and read on Wood Stove forums, using insulated pipe in the first run is a best practice. The rationale is continued draw at 4:00 am low burn and carbon monoxide poisoning avoidance. Call me Mr. Chicken, but a Carbon Monoxide detector may be cheap insurance.

If you need to go single pipe off the top of the stove, you assume the risk. Some applications have so much space (a house) that the risk is negligible. Small cabins do not have that margin.

Each application and design requires it own risk assessment, preferably by local experts.

What do you mean by 2 sides of back brick in a V?

A corner installation offers a unique opportunity of having heat retaining brick or masonry on two walls.

Three feet to the left, three feet to the right, or better.
0542.jpg
0542.jpg


Gary O
Member
# Posted: 22 Aug 2015 05:16
Reply 


Quoting: DaveBell
Three feet to the left, three feet to the right, or better.

Dave
Nice set up.
What is that material behind and under the stove?
(I'm shopping)

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 02:38
Reply 


Concrete Backer Board. Used in shower walls. Not fiber board. Metal sheet with standoffs works for fire prevention but offers no heat retention. It can be finished plain with a skim coat of mortar or added tile. If you tile the walls, do only one course a day if 12x12's. Floor tiles seem to be thicker than wall tiles. No need for spacers or grout.

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 03:38
Reply 


Thought it to be.
Been researching the best, most economical.
Hardiebacker and its cousins have been the most touted.
Thing is, most places I've frequented only have it in ¼ inch 3x5 panels.
That'd be four boards thick to get to the one inch recommended gap.
However, I did find the ½ inch cousin, and in 4x8 sheets.
H-E-A-V-Y.
I'll let y'all know how this turns out, as it also seems a tad brittle.
Gonna saw the sizes I need right off the back end of my pickup.
Speaking of sawing, Hardiebacker eats saw blades for snacks.

Yes, tile.
Found some gorgeous 18 x 18 tile we both fell in love with.
I don't know a thing about tile.
But after laying it down for the floor, I know I won't be putting it on the wall.
Considering heat resistant paint right on the cement board.
Rattle can.
Comes in black, or black.
Might end up being the ugliest wall ever, or a unique creation that (if I trim it out like I have it in my mind) may just give the room a little 'pop'.

Quoting: DaveBell
If you tile the walls, do only one course a day if 12x12's. Floor tiles seem to be thicker than wall tiles. No need for spacers or grout.

Best info I have yet to read.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 04:04
Reply 


What about a burgundy/dark red floor tile bottom and back to set off that black stove?

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 04:08
Reply 


well that's weird

That's the color of tile we have.....

NorthRick
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 12:00
Reply 


"Considering heat resistant paint right on the cement board.
Rattle can.
Comes in black, or black."

Look closer in the spray paint section of a big box store. I've got cans of high heat paint in black, white, and "aged copper." Seen silver too.

Or, go in an auto parts store and find the engine paints. I've got those in blue and red.

Gary O
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2015 15:36
Reply 


Saw the red
Too....red


'Aged copper'....interesting

AlexMay
Member
# Posted: 5 May 2018 23:51 - Edited by: AlexMay
Reply 


Hello everyone! Been reading this forum but just join today.

My husband and i bought a wood heater last year. We don’t have a big house and so we did have hard time finding a spot to place our wood stove. Lond story short, we placed it quite near to our glass door. It is probably a little over 24 inches to the glass door.

Since it is winter in Australia now, we again have arguements about it.

Thank u

I need advice to what we should do to protect our glass door from the roaring heat of the wood heater. At this time we have THICK HEAVY FIBRO wrap with STAINLESS STEEL as heat shield. I think it will do the job but my husband think otherwise.
Wood heater
Wood heater
Wood heater close to window
Wood heater close to window
Fibro wrap with stainless steel
Fibro wrap with stainless steel


beefbro
Member
# Posted: 4 Nov 2018 19:34
Reply 


jaransont3
First of all I love your shield behind your stove, Question I have is how close to the stove is the shield and how close to the glass? Our family just finished a 2600ft cabin and we are now trying to decide where to put a wood stove and I love how you did yours, We have 6 5'x8' windows on the front of our cabin and I think something like what you have would be wonderful. Was up to the cabin this weekend and had a propane heater in front of the windows sitting in a recliner and could see a stove in front of the glass. Thank you.

slatecreek
Member
# Posted: 4 Nov 2018 21:36
Reply 


So for those that have used the concrete backer board, do you just screw it right to the studs, no gap?

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2018 08:46
Reply 


Quoting: beefbro
Question I have is how close to the stove is the shield and how close to the glass?

Thanks. Glad you like it. The hetshield and stove are definitely one of the focal points or our cabin.
Unfortunately, the cabin is 800+ miles away right now so I can't get an exact measurement, but...the stove is 10-12 inches from the wall and the copper cattail heatshield is about in the middle of that space. The shield is two layers of copper sheet (0.030" thick each) that are separated by a 1" air gap created by the steel square tube frame that the sheets are attached to. I cut the cattail pattern on a waterjet machine.

I will see if I can find a better picture of it that shows the spacing.

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2018 12:40
Reply 


Quoting: slatecreek

So for those that have used the concrete backer board, do you just screw it right to the studs, no gap?


More information here:


Alternatives to ceramic spacers for heat shield - Small Cabin Forum
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/2_3469_0.html

jaransont3
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2018 09:58
Reply 


Quoting: jaransont3
I will see if I can find a better picture of it that shows the spacing.

It looks like it might be a little closer than I remember...

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