# how to build a wall with 1 inch air space???



## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

Ok I am goin nuts cause I am hearing so many conflicting ways do this!! I was told use metal studs, I was told to screw 24 gauge metal to my exterior wooden studs screw the sheet metal to that then put micore board over the sheet metal then tile over micore ?????????? Please I trust you guys on this forum cause you have wood stoves , I'm ready to build it the right way , but my head is spinnin Thanks


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## weezer4117 (Oct 5, 2011)

Chrism said:
			
		

> Ok I am goin nuts cause I am hearing so many conflicting ways do this!! I was told use metal studs, I was told to screw 24 gauge metal to my exterior wooden studs screw the sheet metal to that then put micore board over the sheet metal then tile over micore ?????????? Please I trust you guys on this forum cause you have wood stoves , I'm ready to build it the right way , but my head is spinnin Thanks



Can you be a little more specefic in terms of what stove? What are the clearences? Masonary chimney or metal? Insert or Freestanding stove (I assume freestanding)? 

These will help us decide what is best for your application.....


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

Isle royale , I talked to the head guy at quadrafire n he said if I build a wall with a 1" air gap my clearences can be 12 inches all around. It will be in an alcove where a zero clearence fireplace once was . If the stove is 12" from backwall the stove will be half in n half out of the alcove. And I will be using exsisting wooden chase with metalbestos model ss2 chimney pipe to go up the chase. Anymore infor you need to help me out let me know thank you


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## jimbom (Oct 5, 2011)

I went down to the auto parts store and got some steel brake line.  I cut that into one inch lengths.  I bought some 2 1/2 inch pan head screws which fit inside the brake line inner diameter.  Then I center punched the 24 gauge sheet metal at each screw location(over studs).  Drilled holes at the punch locations.  Assembled screws through sheet metal and brake line spacers.  Propped sheet metal in desired location with one inch clearance from the floor.  Drove screws starting across the top of the sheet metal and working down.  After a row or two of screws, removed the prop at the bottom of sheet metal.  Completed the screws.  Painted.  Not fancy, but effective.


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

Well that's the thing I have a wife n if its not nice looking she will have my A$$ in a sling lol


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## wvstriper (Oct 5, 2011)

I had a metal supply company cut me a 4ft x 5ft x 1/8 inch piece of plate steel and I painted it stove black. I put the steel behind the stove sitting on 2 small 1 inch thick pieces of flagstone (put one under each corner). I drilled 6 holes (three down each side) and attached it to the wall with one of these kits: 

http://store.woodstove.com/product.php?productid=16546&cat=298&page=2

This gives me an air gap one inch off the floor, and one inch off the wall. It looks good for my setup; I'll see if I can find some pics.


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## pen (Oct 5, 2011)

a couple of old porcelain drawer pulls would do the trick for the spacers.  You are never going to see them.

pen


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## fossil (Oct 5, 2011)

You can do it just about anyway you figure you want to, just so long as all the materials used are non-combustible and you provide the all-important 1" ventilated air space.  There is no single "right way" to build a wall shield.  It can be as simple as a single sheet of 24-gauge sheet metal, or it can be a sheet of cement board with decorative tile laid on, or any number of other versions.  There is no R-value requirement for a wall shield, so no complex combination of highly insulative materials is required.  It simply has to be non-combustible and provide the 1" air space.  Rick


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

In what order from the wood studs into the house does it go? Wood spacer, sheet metal, Micore, tile ?????


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## fossil (Oct 5, 2011)

Please re-read my post above.  I can't understand why anyone would think that there's any reason to use micore in a wall shield.  There isn't a prescribed recipe for a wall shield.  It only has to be non-combustible and provide a ventilated 1" air space between the shield and the combustible wall.  It doesn't have to be complicated...in fact, it can be very simple.  Rick


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

Sorry rick but I'd rather go above and beyond when there's young children in the house


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

Also I'm putting tile up don't think tile would adhere to metal as good as micore?????


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## firefighterjake (Oct 5, 2011)

From what I've read about Micore it isn't really anything that tile can adhere to . . . cement board would be the thing to use in this case.


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## ChelseaFC (Oct 5, 2011)

What I did is.... I cut my cement board to the size that I needed to cover the wall. For my wall I needed to cut 6 boards to size. I then used the pieces left over and used them to build my 1" spacers. No need for me to buy ceramic spacers or metal studs... 

Worked out good I think:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/77584/


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## begreen (Oct 5, 2011)

There are many posts here on the topic. Search on wall shield. As long as the spacers and wall shield are totally non-combustible, any material can be used. If you decide to go with tiled cement board an easy way to make the 1" spacers is to cut up long, 3" wide strips of the 1/2" cement board and double them up. 

Here is a general information article on the topic:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/stove_wall_clear


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## charly (Oct 5, 2011)

wvstriper said:
			
		

> I had a metal supply company cut me a 4ft x 5ft x 1/8 inch piece of plate steel and I painted it stove black. I put the steel behind the stove sitting on 2 small 1 inch thick pieces of flagstone (put one under each corner). I drilled 6 holes (three down each side) and attached it to the wall with one of these kits:
> 
> http://store.woodstove.com/product.php?productid=16546&cat=298&page=2
> 
> This gives me an air gap one inch off the floor, and one inch off the wall. It looks good for my setup; I'll see if I can find some pics.


 I used the same kit for a metal wall shield for my ESSE cook stove. Kit came with wall anchors so I didn't worry about the studs. I used everything in the kit. Had a sheet metal shop put four nice pie creases in the metal and roll the edges, so it didn't just look like a flat piece of steel. It's 42 x 42 inches, painted it with HT stove paint. Was 30 dollars to have the sheet metal made. Done simple.


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## Chrism (Oct 5, 2011)

From what quadrafire said I can't use durock or cement board nfpa said cement board is no good to use that's why I am using Micore


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## fsr4538 (Oct 5, 2011)

When building my hearth, I needed to create an air gap.  I used metal studs for the foundation.  I purchased porcelain electric fence insulators from a tack and feed store.  These have a hole in them to allow for the passage of a screw.  I inserted them between the wall and the metal studs.  I then directly screwed the cement board to the metal studs.  As you can imagine the air gap was about 4 inches between the wall and the cement board.  I then used natural stone as a covering for the cement board.  This process ensured there were no combustibles in the build and the only item that could transmit any heat to the wall was the sheet metal screws that attached the studs to the wall surface.  

I hope this make sense.


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## Chrism (Oct 6, 2011)

ok so if i put sheets of micore on my wooden studs then use 1 inch non combustable air spacers then on the air spacers put one more sheet of micore would i need the sheet metal ??


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## begreen (Oct 6, 2011)

Stop with the micore right now. Whoever suggested that is offbase. You will be fine with just the sheetmetal as long as it is open at the top and bottom to allow air to circulate behind it. Or use cement board. It is fine as long as you use Durock or Wonderboard.

Did you read the information article that I provided a link for? What is still unclear?


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## budman (Oct 6, 2011)

BG,I think he is in love with micore. :cheese:


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## PapaDave (Oct 6, 2011)

Chrism, I plan (at some point) to redo my stove room. There is a brick wall behind the stove right now, and I'm going to tear it down and go to the studs. 
New drywall on the studs, paint with a simple drywall primer, then put up Wonderboard on 1" spacers keeping the Wonderboard 1" away from the drywall.
That will then be tiled and grouted. The 1" air space does the insulating as long as there is also a gap at the bottom and top for airflow. If you want to go overboard, do 1.5" or something.
No need for anything on the studs or drywall. 
If you prefer, do the sheetmetal thing. There are pics here of guys who've done this. I've seen 'em.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 6, 2011)

Again . . . from everything I have read about Micore . . . it is not appropriate for putting tile on it directly . . . I suppose if you just wanted to have a sheet of it standing there vs. tiled cement board which should be fine . . . but I think that would look mighty ugly.


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## Chrism (Oct 6, 2011)

Thats the thing i want to tile it but nfpa doesnt recommend Wonderboard or Durock anymore, thats what im trying to tell everyone here they allow Micore, tile i dont think will hold to sheet metal and i dont think now from reading that it will hold to micore either very spongey from what i gather so im stuck with just sheet metal which i dont think my wife will be happy with !!


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## BlankBlankBlank (Oct 29, 2011)

Chrism, many of the guys on this board are professional installers or salespersons in the stove industry.  Tons of others have been doing this for years and know a lot about how to make safe and attractive heat shields and hearths.  You do not need Micore board for the heat shield.  It is an inappropriate material for that purpose.  You need metal studs or porcelain spacers.  You need Durock or sheet metal.  Micore is very soft material.  It is cut with a utility knife.  It cannot support tile, etc.

I'm working on a hearth and heat shield.  I'm using 3 5/8" steel studs covered with Durock.  Air space at bottom and air space at top to promote natural convection behind the heat shield.  The Durock will be covered metal lath, scratch coat and then river rock.

My hearth on the other hand will be Durock, Micore board, and Durock.  Tile will go over the final layer of Durock.  In my case, insulation is not needed for my stove, but I'm choosing to add insulation in the event that we change stoves later.  Actually the first layer of Durock is not required.  I could do Micore for the bottom layer and Durock over it, with tile over it.


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## HotCoals (Oct 29, 2011)

Don't know if this will help but the brick in my avatar is a inch or so out from the wall..and a row of brick near the top and bottom is spaced so there is air movement from top to bottom.


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## Chrism (Oct 29, 2011)

Wow looks great !!


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## iceisasolid (Oct 29, 2011)

I used 1 " conduit screwed to the wall in vertical fashion.  I spaced 3 of them equally and then screwed my corugated steel over it.  Your can see my wall in the avatar.  For my other wall protector, I used the same 1 " conduit, then screwed cement board to it.  Then I tiled directly on the vertical cement board.  Both came out nice.  Good luck.


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## oldspark (Oct 29, 2011)

One guy used a product similar to this and it looked great, did not look into it but these panels are thin so not sure how he used them, maybe some one else remembers his posts and pictures.  http://www.armstrong.com/resclgam/na/ceilings/en/us/metallaire-metal-ceiling.asp


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