# Ceramic tile and stove clearances



## cgbills (Feb 3, 2011)

We are planning on making a tile base for our stove and running the tile up the wall behind the stove. The tile on the wall will run all the way up to the 14ft vaulted ceiling. The tile on the floor will be attached to the plywood floor and the tile on the wall will be attached to sheetrock. Does running the tile on the wall behind allow for a closer clearance? If the manufacturer recommends 12in, does the tile on sheet rock allow maybe a 10 or 8 inch clearance? Also will any ceramic tile do, or should a specific tile be used? Thanks for the help


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## begreen (Feb 3, 2011)

No, it will not reduce clearances at all. You might read up on the ideal tile base. Normally it is a less porous material than paper backed drywall. On the hearth, it will depend on the stove requirements. What stove is this. Again, normally the tile is not put directly on plywood, but on a cement backerboard for a better bond. Adhesives are not recommended due to the heat of the stove. The tile should be set in thinset.


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## Wood Duck (Feb 3, 2011)

I think the tile on the floor should be on cement board. Tile requires a very rigid support or you'll get cracking. Also, the mortar used to adhere the tile to the floor and wall requires the right sort of material to stick well. You'll want to screw cement board to the floor and wall, with probably a double layer on the floor with seams not lined up between the two layers. A stove is heavy and will make the floor flex if it isn't rigid enough.

I think that not all cement board is rated for fire resistance. Even if your stove doesn't require the extra R value provided by the cement board, I'd still get the type that doesn't contain flammable ingredients. Depending on the stove, you may need a floor built to insulate flammable materials below - you may need a certain R value in the floor. This varies among stoves, but sometimes tile and the thickness of cement board required for rigidity aren't enough by themselves.


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## tiber (Feb 3, 2011)

This has been discussed to death on the board, but ultimately read the manual of the stove you're planning on buying. Some of them do require hearths with a particular R value, so you'll have to insulate the floor somehow. Others of them don't care. The same goes for the wall. Your stove manual will have a clearance chart for the walls and surrounding furniture.


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## begreen (Feb 3, 2011)

What stove is this for?


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## DonNC (Feb 3, 2011)

I used hardee bakerboard from Lowes on my hardwood floor, and put ceramic tile on that. The day after I set the tile, I put the mortar in the joints, and 2 days later I put my 425 LB stove on it. I had to slide the stove around a bit to get it lined up perfect. I had no scratched or broken tiles. The requirements for the floor are not much. I was simply required to have a surface that would not ignite if embers fall out of the stove when I open the door. A piece of sheet metal would have done the job.

For the wall I made another "tile pad" that fit the required dimensions (20" taller than the stove, and wider by 8" to the sides) right there on the floor next to the first one. I waited a day for the mortar to set and then stood it up behind the stove and spaced it with ceramic spacers 1" off the wall and 1" air gap down bottom. This allowed me to cut the rear stove clearance by half.  (from 16 to 8) Ive been taking temp readings since firing up the stove and the most ive seen behind there is 119F.

I also did not screw my tile pad to the floor because this summer I will be moving the stove out of the living room to redo the entire room including the tile.


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## djblech (Feb 3, 2011)

If less clearance is the goal you could install metal hat channel to the wall and cement backer board and tile on that. Leave space at the top and bottom so air can circulate behind the tile and backerboard. 
Doug


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## cgbills (Feb 3, 2011)

Also note that the stove will be sitting almost directly over the floor joists. I would like to bring down the clearance but not sure if risking it with tiles is the right answer. I have been looking at the Timberwolf 2200, but maybe I should look at some lower clearance models. I just do not really want to go to far north of the $1K price point


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## cgbills (Feb 4, 2011)

The wife and I looked at tile and decided to go with a stone mosaic. I am thinking we will have to reinforce the floor. I don't know if stone has any effect on clearances.


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## begreen (Feb 4, 2011)

The hearth will be fine if you put a layer of cement backboard down. The Timberwolf 2200 just has ember protection requirements for the hearth. A simple tile or stone hearth is ok. If you want a reduction in side clearances look at the Napoleon 1450 or 1400 series of stoves. They can be found in your price range. 

http://www.woodstoves.net/napoleon/1450.htm
http://www.dynamitebuys.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1878


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## cgbills (Feb 4, 2011)

After looking at the Napoleon vs the Timberwolf, I think the Napoleon 1450 is a better choice. One of the big reasons is the bigger fire box. Also by the time you buy the leg kit for the TW, it costs the same as the Napoleon. The only thing is the Napoleon does not have an ash box. Does anyone see an ash box as a must have? Also does anyone see a need to go over 2.25 cubic feet for a 1600sqf house? If I go much bigger would it be too much for the house?


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## Pagey (Feb 4, 2011)

Please bear in mind that any attempt to reduce clearances by using a "protected surface" requires the use of 1" (usually ceramic) spacers to keep the "protected surface" 1" away from the combustible wall.  So, for example, if you wanted a tile "wall" behind your stove, you'd have to place those tiles on a properly mounted surface that had a 1" air gap around all sides to allow for air flow/insulation.  See the following link for a visual example:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/stove_wall_clear

If you place a noncombustible material (brick, stone, tile) directly onto a combustible wall (sheetrock, etc.), that material will simply absorb heat and pass it on directly to the combustible surface.  The 1" air space is required, as it acts as an insulator.

And finally, the manufacturer of the stove you choose MUST specify in the manual that additional reductions in clearances are allowed.  Some will let you reduce clearances further, others will not.


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## Obadiah (Feb 11, 2011)

We just posted a YouTube video series on reducing clearances to combustibles that addresses just about every scenario anyone could potentially face when installing a heating appliance. We address many ways to reduce clearances with wall preparation, heat shields and hearth protection. As a firefighter, this is a really important subject for me, so I took the time to put this together so folks can actually see what their options are, so they can make sure they have a safe installation. 
We install a Kitchen Queen Cookstove that requires a 36" rear clearance, in a almost zero clearance installation using a combination of techniques that employ the "K factor" of reduction of clearances, 1" properly ventilated air space equals a 33% reduction in clearances. See here, https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/k_values_what_does_it_all_mean
To view this YouTube series please click on the following link or copy and past it into your address bar.  
http://www.youtube.com/user/WoodyChain


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## begreen (Feb 11, 2011)

The video is a lesson on installing a cricket. I would recommend using a tripod, it helps stabilize the shot.


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## Obadiah (Feb 15, 2011)

Sorry about the lousy filming and the confusion on the link. I did go out and purchase a tri pod here the other day. I'm learning about You Tube as I go, there is a learning curve and I admit I have no idea what I'm doing. 
There are approx 25 You Tubes that we have posted on everything from installing roof crickets to protect your chimney from sliding snow, restoring a Cookstove. The most important of them all is properly reducing clearances to combustibles, using the "K Factor" to safely install your heating appliance. http://www.youtube.com/user/WoodyChain#p/u/15/Bs3jbJWVSWU
I decided to begin there after we received a fire dispatch at 3am a few weeks ago. It was -35 below zero, the local EMT's home was on fire. You would think that he would understand the need for proper clearances, but he had no idea. Fortunately his home was saved, no one died or was injured, outside of some frostbite and very tired firefighters the next day. 

For some reason YouTube only features the last video posted. With all the snow hitting the rest of the country back east and down south, I figured it was also a good topic for current events, so that was the last video posted.
If you click "uploads" on the top of the page you will be able to see all of our lousy camera work. I don't understand why You Tube does not pull up everything when you click the "all" next to "uploads", but it doesn't. Hopefully you can get past our shaky camera and this stuff will help folks to understand how important it is to do things safely. We did our best to explain it in a way most folks could understand. We tried to provide multiple ways to reduce clearances and we tried our best to demonstrate it.
We put together the most extreme install I could come up with, made it safe, and are in the process of testing it, over the past 30 days. There are a couple of the final segments yet to post on the finished installation, I am currently testing the install to make sure it really will be safe, the installation is in a cabin I built for my daughter, so I'm putting more than my reputation on the line here. I'm sure some will think I'm nuts for doing this, but if we can take the worst case and demonstrate how to overcome it safely, maybe we can save someone's home, or maybe even a whole family, from the horrific tragedy that ensues when a home catches fire. 
That is something that is very dear to every firefighter's heart. I lost two little nieces to a house fire many years ago, that's why I became a firefighter, and why we made these videos.
These videos are dedicated to their memories, as well as the horrific deaths they suffered, so innocently, so needlessly, may we somehow prevent it from ever happening again. May no other family suffer the pain and heartache that comes from such a tragedy. It will change your life forever.
If you have any questions regarding the details of this video, please call me, toll free at 800 968 8604, I will be happy to assist you in your quest for a safe installation, no charge.

Woody Chain


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