Wood burning stove to close to wall?

[dl8860]

Our semi-newly purchased house has a stove in the garden office, which I think is installed far too close to the wall.




In this picture below, the top protruding bit is 35mm from the wall, and the main body is 65mm from the wall.


This graphic (source: Wood Burner Distance from Combustible Materials Explained (stoveworlduk.co.uk)) suggests 65mm clearance is ok only in the case of a heat shield and another inch behind!


We've been using this burner through the winter to keep us warm in the external office, as the electric underfloor heating costs an arm and a leg to run, even more so as of today! But today is the first time I've really though about this.

My dad's solution (rarely by the book but most of the time does the job) is to bang a sheet of this onto the walls behind it
STS Construction Board 1200 x 800 x 12mm | Wickes.co.uk

Is that too much of a bodge? The board is fire-rated, but I guess it doesn't exactly make it fire safe, and if anything I'm just bringing the wall closer to the burner.

Is my only solution to bring the stove further out into the room? There's 180mm clearance at the front of the hearth currently, I imagine eating into that probably isn't advised. Would either need to introduce a kinked flue, or rear mount?

Now wondering who was competent enough to install this thing, but reckless or stupid enough to not worry about any clearances? Or am I missing something?

 

[Terminal_Boy]

That stove needs to move at least 4-5 inches further out of that corner.

Look for heat reflecting panels to line the walls. These can both reflect heat into the room and have a space behind to insure minimum heat transfer into the wall. Some come with a sheet of insulating material inside. I have one behind behind my living room wood burner to keep the heat away from the stone wall.

It’s worth noting that the sides radiate way more heat than the rear of a stove does, but yours is still too close to the walls.

 

[melmac]

Do you know the make and model of the Stove? Check their site for the guidelines.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

There's no way that's been installed by someone who knows what they're doing.
Skirting board and plug socket need to be moved certainly, I don't think plaster board can be used either but it's been a long time since I last went through the regs.
I'd be checking how the flue leaves the building as there's a good chance that'll be bodged too.

 

[SimonR]

From the installation manual - https://www.thegallerycollection.co...irefox-Classic-8-Eco-Manual-Rev_B-Nov2018.pdf

Clearances
If the stoves are to be installed adjacent to materials that can catch fire like wood then the following clearances must be adhered to: Clearance to rear = 600mm Clearance to sides = 600mm
The stove can be recessed into a suitably sized fireplace built from noncombustible materials, but a permanent free air gap of at least 100mm should be left around the sides and top to obtain maximum heat output and for access to the rear of the stove. MINIMUM 600MM STRAIGHT BEFORE 45 DEG BEND. 8

It is possible to fit the stove with less clearance around it – down to 50mm, but the non-combustible material around it must be at least 150mm thick. This is normally achieved when installing into a standard brick-built chimney breast with double thickness walls to the rear and sides of the builder’s opening. Take care that the wall finish is suitable to withstand temperatures of up to 200o C.

Hearths
Allow an apron of at least 225mm at the front of the stove and 150mm on either side. Care should be taken to level the stove and secure the hearth. If existing floors do not have adequate load bearing capacity then suitable modifications must be adopted.

Id be concerned about the distance to the skirting and more worryingly that plug socket and the insulation on the wiring degrading.

 

[melmac]

Ouch, that means it's going to be a big job for the OP to move the stove. It was very badly installed in the first place.

 

[Macky]

Minus the socket and connected appliances getting too hot, what is the risk associated with the burner being too close to the walls? Will damage the plaster and or bricks/blocks?

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Minus the socket and connected appliances getting too hot, what is the risk associated with the burner being too close to the walls? Will damage the plaster and or bricks/blocks?

Wood burner has to be at least 600mm from combustible materials, wooden skirting boards, electrical socket and plaster board (assuming plaster board walls) are combustible.

 

[Derek W]

1. When you bought the house did the 'home office' have any plans / letters saying it was permitted development associated with it (having electric underfloor heating in there would suggest it should unless that was installed for 'frost protection')?
2. If yes to the above was the stove shown on it (I'm leaning to no on both fronts)
3. Yes its far too close.
4. The bodge you're suggesting is still a bodge and a pointless one at that as well as 'non combustible' material needs to be a min of 75 mm thick to allow the stove to be closer.

 

[dl8860]

The office was permitted development, but he applied for permission anyway and we received the plans. The burner was shown on those, but no dimensions or clearances were shown on them.

Have contacted a local installer to come and take a look. We've never used the electrical socket in that corner.

 

[touch]

We've never used the electrical socket in that corner.

Looks fine to me. You might be shocked surprised!

 

[DXP55]

I have seen a 3x2 paving slab propped up behind a stove before now.

I have found that unless your stove is a good 6" or more away then even heat proof panelling used to crack - I was lucky because work used to throw away SS sheets that were just right size to go behind my stoves and mounted a inch away from the wall and 2" from floor made a hell of a difference.
The easy way out there is extend the hearth and move stove forward and put a couple of bends in flue -as well as heat shields on wall.

 

[Mysterae_]

Don't forget to get a stove fan (or two) if you haven't already, they do a great job of sending the heat around the room.

 

[zarnage]

It would need to be either moved away from the wall, which looks impractical as it needs 60cm away, or shield the wall.

The manual starts to give other distances, but I think it's taking the assumption you are installing in into a recess/typical fireplace. Personally in a open freestanding situation I would take it to be 100mm distance given, from the wall and than you can clad the wall with something suitable like tiles, bricks, heat board. But this would still require the stove to be moved out an additional 40mm.

The other way is the shield the wall but with an air gap, the stoveworld link is referencing the below, which if you used the wickes boards would need a 34mm air gap behind them

 

[dl8860]

Thanks chaps. Installer couldn't managed to come round last Friday, hoping he can do sometime this week.

I think the best solution will be to bring the stove into the room a bit, and then shield the wall. If it comes out too much further into the room then it's going to be a pain, and I don't think shielding should be too prohibitive. The annoying bit might be having to extend the hearth.

 

[dl8860]

Bumping this as I still haven't manage to get it sorted and will need to get burning soon...

I think I need some sort of reflective heat shield, with an air gap behind.

This sort of thing looks good, but seems like silly money for 2 sheets of aluminium!

Heat Shield (Corner)

*Please be aware during busy times there may be a wait while we manufacture your heat shield* Two sheets of 2mm thick brushed aluminium heat shield for corner installations. An aluminium heat shield to fix to the wall behind your stove, protecting your wall material and reducing the distance...

anevaystoves.com

Does anyone have anything to recommend? Installer is very difficult to get hold of and didn't have a huge amount of ideas last time I spoke with him, I think I just need him for the 'moving the stove away from the wall' part, and I'll source a heat shield myself.

 

[JonRGV250]

Personally I’d just pay the £190, fit it and forget about it.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

I think even with that your not going to be strictly legal
The wooden skirting is going to be an issue

It depends really are you after making it legal or dramatically reducing the risk (consider house insurance!)

If reducing the risk either buy that or make similar.
Others make them as well its not a particularly unique item.

If your trying to make it legal your going to need the stove manual for distances to flammable items. But as I mention above your going to need to lose the skirting for sure
(those metal shields have an airgap at the bottom when installed so the air rises up drawing the heat, you would need to place in front of or above the wooden skirting, above wouldn't be improving your non compliance issue)

 

[dl8860]

I think even with that your not going to be strictly legal
The wooden skirting is going to be an issue

It depends really are you after making it legal or dramatically reducing the risk (consider house insurance!)

If reducing the risk either buy that or make similar.
Others make them as well its not a particularly unique item.

If your trying to make it legal your going to need the stove manual for distances to flammable items. But as I mention above your going to need to lose the skirting for sure
(those metal shields have an airgap at the bottom when installed so the air rises up drawing the heat, you would need to place in front of or above the wooden skirting, above wouldn't be improving your non compliance issue)

Thanks for the response.

Should have mentioned I am planning to remove the skirting. The plug socket has also been disconnected by electrician.

Should have also said I'm still planning to have the stove moved away from the wall. The floor is marble tile, so non-combustible, so I have 180mm to play with bringing it forward, which by my calcs gives me 170mm clearance. And by all accounts this looks sufficient if I can make the backing non-combustible.

 

[mattyg]

We had one of those in a previous house... Kick out quite a bit of heat for the size.
But to fix your issue can you just not fit an elbow on the flue and move the stove out to the edge of the hearth