# Question About Boxing In Doubled Walled Stove Pipe



## mdaniel (Apr 6, 2012)

I have been thinking of putting in a woodstove and have a question about the chimney set-up. We are thinking about putting in a free standing woodstove on a bare interior wall. We have cathedral ceilings and my wife does not want to see 13' of interior stove pipe.

My question: Can you box in that double walled stove pipe, say 2' from the stove top all the way to the top of the ceiling? I see that ICC Excel states that the double wall requires 6" to combustibles. If I were to frame, then use Durarock or similar, would that 6" still be required? I am trying to think of some way to box in the pipe without it looking too silly. I am concerned that if I box it in that the minimum requiremant to combustibles for the stove pipe would require a large box jetting out too deep into my living room. Please give me some advice. Thanks!


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## ScotO (Apr 6, 2012)

If it were me, I would opt with an indoor chase from the floor to the ceiling, and use class A insulated pipe the whole way up.  Clearance to combustibles with class A pipe is 2 inches, but it must be INSULATED CLASS A fluepipe.


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## mdaniel (Apr 6, 2012)

This is an example that I took off of the internet. This is exactly what we want to do as far as looks are concerned. The depth of the chimney is the concern. We will build from the floor up with a base of blue rock or something (some stone base) all the way to the ceiling. Is it only the Class A that has 2", not the actual interior double wall (black pipe)?


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## begreen (Apr 6, 2012)

No, you can not enclose connector pipe. You would have to switch to class A chimney in order to chase it. And for the base of the chase you need to honor the stove's clearance to combustibles which is usually around 84". Personally I think that would look goofy. This is a time when I think she needs to compromise. But post a picture of the location so that we may come up with some ideas.

PS: how much is she willing to pay to hide her objection?


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## ScotO (Apr 6, 2012)

Yeah, that pic you showed us is an example of a woodstove piped into a masonry fireplace, if I'm not mistaken.  Like BeGreen said, your gonna need quite a bit of clearance above your stove if you build a chase around it from wood.  And class A pipe is the ONLY flue that has a 2" clearance to combustibles.  If you are deadset on building a chase to hide the fluepipe, you would have to use class A all the way from a tee at the rear of the stove to the cap outside.  Get your wallet out.


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## mdaniel (Apr 6, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Yeah, that pic you showed us is an example of a woodstove piped into a masonry fireplace, if I'm not mistaken. Like BeGreen said, your gonna need quite a bit of clearance above your stove if you build a chase around it from wood. And class A pipe is the ONLY flue that has a 2" clearance to combustibles. If you are deadset on building a chase to hide the fluepipe, you would have to use class A all the way from a tee at the rear of the stove to the cap outside. Get your wallet out.


 
Yes, I agree that we would not have the clearance over the top of the stove. My idea was to line the wall with Durarock with faux stone all the way up to the ceiling and build a nice pad for the stove out of some sort of blue rock or something similar. Of course my wife said no to that one.The pipe would still show in this case, but it would be a straight shot up through the roof with no other issues. The only way she can get what she wants is for us to buy an insert and comlpetely frame in that wall for a chimney, then line the outside with the faux rock to make it look real Like the picture above). She really wants that stone hearth look as a neighbor of ours is building a house and he has the woodstove insert all framed in with a nice stone surround.

I don't know as I am out of ideas and can't spend $$$ for just looks. Any other ideas?


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## begreen (Apr 6, 2012)

OK, that is a rear exit stove.If that is the plan you could build a false fireplace alcove out of non-combustibles, and chase class A pipe with a minimum of 2" clearances up to the roof. The pipe and support structure will not be over the stove and it can be made with non-combustibles. As Scotty noted, it's cost ya, but it could look nice. As noted, that is not an insert, it is a freestanding rear-exit stove. If she wants an insert look you should install a zero-clearance fireplace with stone surround. kaching.

Estimate for a clean install with exposed pipe to be about $1500. As shown maybe ~$3-5000 depending on how fancy you want to get. A nice EPA ZC with stone veneer, $6-8K?


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## fossil (Apr 6, 2012)

I've never understood the aversion.  Form follows function.


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## mdaniel (Apr 6, 2012)

fossil said:


> I've never understood the aversion. Form follows function.
> 
> View attachment 64878


Yes, that pic is similar to what I wanted to do, but with stone instead of brick. But my wife did not want to see that much pipe through the ceiling. My estimate is about 9' from the top of the stove to the ceiling (depending on hearth height and exact stove purchase). I like the look of that personally, but to each their own. My wife was thinking about doing that, but somehow wanted part or most of the exposed pipe to somehow be boxed in and surrounded by stone. I won't and can't spend $8-10k when I can do it straight through the roof for half the cost.


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## dorkweed (Apr 6, 2012)

Is it your house..........or hers????  Kidding of course!


Do it the "proper" way, and then wait a year and see if she still doesn't like it...................based on the benefits of the huge savings you ain't paying to the "MAN" to heat your home!!   I'd offer that before I'd do a "piece-meal" type job in the middle of my house!


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## begreen (Apr 6, 2012)

Put a sharp looking stove in with a proper cathedral ceiling support box and dress it out nicely. Tell her that this will have to do for a year or two because the alternative is too expensive. Once it starts making winters a whole lot more comfortable I think she'll warm up to the setup. What stove does she like?


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## madison (Apr 7, 2012)

I agree with fossil, it can look cool exposed. My wife actually suggested leaving ours exposed. Pics in signature link (if logged in) -- it gets painted further down the thread


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## mdaniel (Apr 7, 2012)

madison said:


> I agree with fossil, it can look cool exposed. My wife actually suggested leaving ours exposed. Pics in signature link (if logged in) -- it gets painted further down the thread


 
Great pics! That is the look that we like, except ours will go straight up for about 9' above stove top and ours is on a flat wall (not corner). The stove is another issue! I had planned on getting a BKK, but she said that looked like it was from 1985 and does not like the look of it. We want a CAT stove for the ability to burn low and cleanly. I think as of today we would go with either a BK Chinook 30 or Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Both stoves are similar in size, but think the BK will do better at a lower setting? Whatever stove we end up getting needs to be able to cleanly burn on a lower setting and have decent burn times, so when we get home form work the fire is not out. My house is pretty tight, so our biggest challenge will be heating the house without blasting us out with 90 degree heat. The room the stove is in is an open room consisting of LR, DR and kitchen (about 900 sq ft), all with cathedral ceilings. Total house is 2,200 sq ft ranch style home.

As time passes, this "simple" task of putting in a woodstove is beginning to get more and more expensive! I tell her that the purpose of the woodstove is to save on costly oil and to actually be warm in the house (normally set thermostat at 67). Thanks for all of your input!


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## begreen (Apr 7, 2012)

Put in the Progress, straight-up with a cathedral ceiling vent. To get that Progess installed up and running you will be out about $5K. Later on when your wallet has recovered, put a stone veneer on the wall if still desired.


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## jimbom (Apr 7, 2012)

Connector pipe can be painted a variety of attractive colors.  Perhaps photo shop your location and demonstrate the possibilities.  Perhaps rear vent to an adjacent room and go vertical in that space.  Specs for passing the flue through an interior wall will be in the stove installation guide which is often on line.

Color is one thing we alternative energy people could do better.  Why aren't our thermal solar panels different colors.  Black paint and most other non metallic paint colors adsorb and emit about the same.

Connector pipe the same.  Any pigment will work. 

Stainless chimney definitely greatly reduces radiant loss so I would not mess with that.


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## firefighterjake (Apr 9, 2012)

I know you mentioned putting this on an inside wall . . . if your wife really objects to that much exposed pipe you could possibly install the woodstove on an outside wall and go out and up to really minimize the amount of pipe inside . . . only now you would have Class A pipe running on the outside of your house which she may not like.


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