# Ceiling height calamity...



## Mr. Kelly (Nov 18, 2009)

Hi all,

It figures... pick out a stove awhile ago that I planned on purchasing today.  I read most of the manual online quite awhile ago, to determine all of my clearances.  Now, after I have the hearth mostly built for it, I reread the clearance requirements just to make sure, and NOW I notice, in fine print I might add, that the ceiling height minimum is 7'.  I would have never imagined that my very old house has a ceiling height of 4" short of that, at about 6'8''.  I just didn't even think of measuring that.  One would think that all ceilings are at least 7" tall.  But, you know what they say about assuming anything.  

Geeze.  That's a bomb.  I know, I know, that was dumb.

So, the manual says that if the ceiling height is less than 7', the unit must be installed according to alcove clearances, which mandate a ceiling of at least 3.5" thick with a one inch ventilation space.  I cannot imagine how I'll do this, considering it's a friggin' dining room. 

Any suggestions?  Will I have to attach a frame of some sorts to the ceiling of the room and put some sort of material up there?  What in heck can I use that's 3.5" thick that won't be too heavy to keep up there?  

Anybody on here that's encountered an alcove install, or very short ceiling heights!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Thanks for reading... as usual.


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## tiber (Nov 18, 2009)

Personally I wouldn't sweat the extra four inches. My grandparents who are full time woodburners (in a nonEPA stove no less) also have the 6ft-and-some-change height ceilings. 

If you're really concerned about it, you can get fire-resistant drywall and hang that instead of your plain old ceiling.

You didn't mention what kind of stove you bought - could you swap out the base (pedistal for legs, or visa versa) and get a few more inches clearance that way?


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## Corey (Nov 18, 2009)

Where there is a whip, there is a way!  Hard to say exactly what that is, and I'm not sure what "mandate a ceiling of at least 3.5” thick with a one inch ventilation space" means.  Surely your ceiling now is more than 3.5" thick?  and a 1 inch ventilation space...between what?

But surely some method to blend in a heat shield or fireproof layer with your existing decor.  Many times a piece of metal with a small air space can serve as a heat shield.  Could you use decorative stamped tin panels, a sleek sheet of stainless?


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## thewoodlands (Nov 18, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> It figures... pick out a stove awhile ago that I planned on purchasing today.  I read most of the manual online quite awhile ago, to determine all of my clearances.  Now, after I have the hearth mostly built for it, I reread the clearance requirements just to make sure, and NOW I notice, in fine print I might add, that the ceiling height minimum is 7'.  I would have never imagined that my very old house has a ceiling height of 4" short of that, at about 6'8''.  I just didn't even think of measuring that.  One would think that all ceilings are at least 7" tall.  But, you know what they say about assuming anything.
> 
> ...


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 18, 2009)

There are really two factors to consider here... one is safety, and the other is code/inspection.

For safety, I need to be really careful of bending what clearances have been recommended.  A) we have a _really _old house with lots of very dry wood... just right for combustion.  B) My wife is very nervous of any stove in the house, let alone one that will defy recommendations. 

So, I will likely need to come up with some kind of solution.   I will need to contact my local inspector, maybe even visit the fire station here, to see what they all have to say about it.

From an editorial perspective, I think for the manufacturer to compare a lower than clearance ceiling to an alcove install seems a bit of overkill.  I do see how I will need SOME sort of extra protection on the ceiling around the stove, but I can't imagine I would truly need a 3.5 inch thick surface of non-combustable material, plus the one inch air space.  That seems a bit extreme.  Perhaps, I'll have someone reasonable tell me I can stack a couple of layers of something and attach that the the ceiling around where the stove will sit, and that should do it.  

FirefigherJake... any thoughts???

How practical is it to consider laying tile on a ceiling.  Ever seen that done?

Gooday!


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## thewoodlands (Nov 18, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> There are really two factors to consider here... one is safety, and the other is code/inspection.
> 
> For safety, I need to be really careful of bending what clearances have been recommended.  A) we have a _really _old house with lots of very dry wood... just right for combustion.  B) My wife is very nervous of any stove in the house, let alone one that will defy recommendations.
> 
> ...


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## begreen (Nov 18, 2009)

Kelly, what stove is this?


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 18, 2009)

My original plan was the Lopi Republic 1750 2.2 cu/ft., but was wavering about the Endeavor, same size box.  Any thoughts?

The clearances that I've been considering are _with _double wall pipe.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 18, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> My original plan was the Lopi Republic 1750 2.2 cu/ft., but was wavering about the Endeavor, same size box.  Any thoughts?
> 
> The clearances that I've been considering are _with _double wall pipe.



Hmmm . . . seems a bit extreme -- I'm surprised to hear this since you're using double wall pipe. Perhaps a call into the dealer . . . ask them to check with the manufacturer for verification in your own case . . . otherwise it sounds like you would have to go with a shorter leg kit, shorter hearth or ceiling protection -- all of which seem to be a little on the extreme side in this particular case.


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## thewoodlands (Nov 18, 2009)

In defense of Travis Industries or Lopi on page 8 in the PDF file it is not in small print.


http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/100-01179.pdf


Zap


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## begreen (Nov 18, 2009)

Good you caught that beforehand. A few years ago, old Elky got into this dilemma. It was solved with a simple heat shield attached to the ceiling over the stove that had a 1" air gap (and it passed inspection). Here's the thread:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/7437/

YMMV, best to talk it over with the inspector.


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## MountainStoveGuy (Nov 18, 2009)

there are other stoves out there with lower ceiling clearances like the Hearthstone Shelburn. I would not bend these rules, move your stove selection to something that will maintain clearances.


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## Pagey (Nov 18, 2009)

The Endeavor manual states on page 8: If the stove is placed in a location where the ceiling height is less than 7' (2134mm), it must follow the
requirements in the section "Alcove Installation Requirements".

Then, under the Alcove Installation Requirements it reads: "Whenever the stove is placed in a location where the ceiling height is less than 7' (2134mm) tall, it is
considered an alcove installation.  Because of the reduced height, the special installation requirements
listed below must be met.
• Chimney connector and chimney must be one of the following types:
AMERI-TEC model DCC with model HS chimney
DURAVENT model DVL with DURATEC or DURA-PLUS chimney
GSW Super Chimney Twenty-One connected directly to appliance
I.C.C. Excel (2100-2 Can.) (103-HT USA) chimney with HP connector
METALFAB model DW connector with TG chimney
OLIVER MACLEOD PROVENT model PV connector with model 3103 chimney
SECURITY model DP connector with SECURITY model ASHT or S2100 chimney
SELKIRK METALBESTOS model DS connector with model SSII chimney
Standard Masonry Chimney with any one of the above listed connectors
NOTE: Reduced clearance connectors may not connect to the flue collar – an appliance adapter may be required.

• Alcoves are classified as combustible or non-combustible.  Non-combustible alcoves must have walls
and a ceiling that are 3 1/2" (89mm) thick of a non-combustible material (brick, stone, or concrete -
see Figure 7).  This non-combustible material must be spaced and ventilated at least 1" (25mm) off of
all combustible materials (walls, ceiling, etc.) to allow air to move around the non-combustible walls
and ceiling.  All other alcoves are considered combustible.  The clearances below must be met:"

So, I'm not really sure it changes anything for you.


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## Pagey (Nov 18, 2009)

Basically, it looks like if you have ceilings that are less than 7', you have to follow the Alcove Installation guidelines.  If your "alcove" is COMBUSTIBLE, then you have to follow the clearances listed for the combustible alcove installation which, to me, look exactly like the "reduced clearances" for a standard installation.  

I think if your ceilings are less than 7', you just have to use double wall stove pipe and one of the approved chimneys and connectors listed there.


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 18, 2009)

Thanks for your input, everyone...

The way I read it, it says that minimum clearance to combustable ceiling for alcove is 84".  My ceiling is 80" AND my hearth is about 4" off the ground.   So, if I'm below the minimum for combustable, I suspect this mandates going to a non-combustable installation, thus the need for 3 1/2" + spacers.

It doesn't actually mention hearth heights, which is rather odd. 

Am I reading this right?  I'm going to talk to the dealer now to see what they say.  Maybe they'll put in a call.  Thanks, also, for the email address to customer service.  Hopefully, one of these will produce a remedy!  Wish me luck!

Wishful of warm...


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## Pagey (Nov 18, 2009)

Well, in the diagram, they use measurement J as being from the floor to the top of the alcove, not some part of the stove to the top of the alcove.  But, you're right, it does look like they want a minimum of 7' from floor to ceiling.  Which is odd, because it says if your ceilings are less than 7', go to the alcove section.  But when you get to the alcove section, it makes it sound like you need a minimum of 7'.   Odd.


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## velvetfoot (Nov 18, 2009)

How about a different stove?
http://quadrafire.com/Products/Wood_Burning/Wood_Model.asp?f=3100MILL


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## devinsdad (Nov 18, 2009)

Just read my stove tag since the inspector is coming tomorrow 8-/ .When I purchased my stove I was actually there to purchase a 1750 or endeavor. But the Kuma was cheaper and I liked the look better . The clearances were close and I was installing in an alcove with a shorter ceiling. The stove is 30" tall and you need 52" to ceiling so 82"  from the top of the hearth. The owners manual never stated a min ceiling clearance :ahhh:


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm so thoroughly impressed that you guys are taking time out of your day to help research this dilemma.   Thank you.

I went to the dealer today.  First, he seemed to not be too impressed with the Lopi Endeavor, and seemed to want to steer me toward the Jotul Oslo.  More on that in a bit.

This fellow, who says he's been in the business for years, says that the EPA standards are becoming insanely rigid, and many clearance requirements are about to change again, to be more rigid.  He said that he's never seen an inspector ever measure ceiling height, and he was befuddled that the height requirement for Lopi was 84", considering that the Jotul Oslo requirement (with heatshield on the wall behind) was less than 70".   I suspect other units may follow this trend.  For some reason, Lopi seems very low with their height clearance.

He was grumbling that he's never heard of a stove fire that was caused by drywall catching on fire, in all the years he's been selling stoves. 

So, they had heat shields there that I could put on the ceiling, if necessary, for about 100 bucks.  The Lopi info doesn't even say how much surface area I'd need to cover on the ceiling, although it presumably would be the surface area of the minimum clearance measurements of an alcove, as stated in the manual.

As far as many of you recommending to just simply buy another stove... well, there's several things that come to mind...  First, I haven't been impressed enough with anything else I've seen in any local dealership (and I've been to many), and I am impressed with what I've seen, so far, with Lopi stoves, including their construction and their price structure.  They have "stripped down" versions of their steel boxes that seem quite practical, and fairly well built.  I know I'll take some heat from Jotul fans, but I wasn't hugely impressed with the construction of the Oslo (at least the one in the showroom), particularly the way the door latches to the box.  That's a whole other thread, though!

Next step, talk to the local building inspector, and hear what he has to say about low ceiling clearances.

Meanwhile, said stove installation project is taking a nap.  Nighty, night. 

Cheers


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## devinsdad (Nov 19, 2009)

WWWWWHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEWW just went out to the truck to get a tape measure came in at 84 and a half. Just hope he doesn't give me grief about a lack of an oak


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 19, 2009)

devinsdad said:
			
		

> WWWWWHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEWW just went out to the truck to get a tape measure came in at 84 and a half. Just hope he doesn't give me grief about a lack of an oak



Lucky YOU!  My luck ran out on the other side of the tape measure.

Let me know how your inspection goes, and see if you can get a feel for the weight he places on the height of your space.  I'll be interested to see what he says!

Good luck!


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## devinsdad (Nov 19, 2009)

I'll let you know tomorrow afternoon.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 19, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> I'm so thoroughly impressed that you guys are taking time out of your day to help research this dilemma.   Thank you.
> 
> _*It's all about paying it forward . . . all of us here have learned and continue to learn because of this site . . . we're just hoping to help others in the same way . . . and in some cases hoping we can prevent folks from making similar mistakes or to get ahead of the game.*_
> 
> ...


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## polaris (Nov 19, 2009)

Pagey said:
			
		

> Basically, it looks like if you have ceilings that are less than 7', you have to follow the Alcove Installation guidelines.  If your "alcove" is COMBUSTIBLE, then you have to follow the clearances listed for the combustible alcove installation which, to me, look exactly like the "reduced clearances" for a standard installation.
> 
> I think if your ceilings are less than 7', you just have to use double wall stove pipe and one of the approved chimneys and connectors listed there.


 As pagey stated I'd just use the double walled pipe and never give it another thought. I do not see this type of install as dangerous in the least. But if it worries you just buy a Jotul or something with more realistic clearance requirements.
    Joe


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## Pagey (Nov 19, 2009)

Well, I did go back and state that the "combustible alcove" requirements call for a minimum of 7' of clearance from floor to ceiling (measurement J in the Endeavor manual).  I also noted this sounded counter-intuitive, as the preceding pages make it sound as though you can get by with less than 7'.

In the end, I think a call to Lopi is warranted.


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 22, 2009)

Ok, all you stove junkies, and helpers extraordinaire...   Here is the update to my "calamity".

If you recall, Lopi stoves, as well as Pacific Energy and Napoleon (as well as others, I'm sure), mandate a7' ceiling clearance.  Our old house has 6'10", or so.  Uggghhh.

I had been wanting a Lopi Endeavor or Republic 1750, and had the hearth for these measurements already framed in, until I saw the ceiling restriction in the owner's manual.  It called for "alcove" clearances, which is 3.5 inches of suspended non-combustible material on all surrounding walls and ceilings, plus the one-inch air space.  That was a killer. 

My whole project came to a grinding halt.  I was a little discouraged, to tell you the truth, with the likelihood of much more work, and some that seemed to not jive with the space.  I was a little depressed about it.  But... I usually can figure out a way to dig myself out of holes like these, so this is where we're at with it right now...

Zapny on here was kind enough to find me an email to a customer service rep at Lopi.  I emailed him, and I'll let you interpret his response, as my wife and I see that it could be interpreted a couple of ways...   here's the rep's response:

--------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Kelly,

Thank you for your interest and inquiry into our product. What you need to do to make this a safe install is following: Use a non-combustible shield (such as the one you mentioned the dealer offered) with a min. width of 36”x 48” deep. You will need the 1” air space that will act as a cooling chamber between the shield and the combustible material in the ceiling. As far as the min. 3.5 “ thick non-combustible material, it doesn’t have to be brick. You can use metal studs and essentially make a drop ceiling that will give you the 1” clearance while utilizing the metal framing with cement board that you may apply tile, granite, slate or other types of non-combustible material. You have options and can indeed make this application work. I hope this helps and talk with Zap further on the option I mentioned, thanks!


Christian Hale [C.Hale@travis-inc.com]


---------------------------------------------------------

So... stove people... did you read this as I did, which was that I could use _either _the ceiling mounted heat shield *or *the 3.5 in. non-combustible material?   My wife thinks that he's still holding firm to the need to go with thicker material?  What's your take?

I'll email him back again, to clarify, but it took a handful of days to hear back from him, and you guys are much quicker!

Plus, I'll be talking with the local fire chief on Monday, so I suspect he'll have his take on it also.


Hope you guys are having a nice Sunday!


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## begreen (Nov 22, 2009)

That's sort of a 'maybe' response. It would be better to get a specific suggestion. I would think that any non combustible shielding would be ok as long as it had the air space. Given the low head room, I'd consider using a sheet of stiff sheet metal. It works well for mantle shields. You might be able to find decorative tin to make it look a bit better.

Ask the Lopi rep and your inspector a specific question like - Can I use a heat shield made of a 22 gauge, 38" x 50" piece of metal on 1" ceramic spacers mounted directly over the stove? That should get you closer to a yes or no response.


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## madison (Nov 22, 2009)

If I recall, when I designed our hearth, the PE (t6) ceiling clearance was 54", which like yourself I never considered measuring until after the hearth was done, lucky as it was fine, but closer than what I thought when all was completed....


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 22, 2009)

madison said:
			
		

> If I recall, when I designed our hearth, the PE (t6) ceiling clearance was 54", which like yourself I never considered measuring until after the hearth was done, lucky as it was fine, but closer than what I thought when all was completed....




It's a good thing you did it when you did.  It's now 84", and by what the dealer said, EPA is going to "toughen up" clearance regs.  Maybe we should just be making houses out of steel.


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## madison (Nov 22, 2009)

Thanks, I think that the minimum ceiling height was there all along and I never worried since we have 8 ft ceilings.

BUT I interpret the clearances as, you need floor to ceiling height of 7 feet, NOT top of hearth to ceiling of 7 feet. But you need to meet the top of unit to ceiling clearances with the raised hearth.
Page 9, http://www.pacificenergy.net/PDF/manuals/T4-5-6-261107-28(W).pdf   NOTE the link is to a pdf file which does not seem to work correctly.

Bottom line, for everyone researching stove purchases, read and reread the stove manual clearances. 

PE Alderlea Top of unit to ceiling clearances.
T4 - 56 3/4” (1441 mm)
T5 - 55 1/4” (1403 mm)
T6 - 56 1/2” (1409 mm)


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 22, 2009)

That's good info for future stove purchasers, Madison.

I made the mistake of using the company's online clearance information, which was not as thorough as the manual clearance info.  So let that be a "BEWARE" to anyone researching clearances... go right to the main source... the OWNER'S MANUAL!!


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## madison (Nov 22, 2009)

Indeed, and if you read some the issues in some other threads, ie Tickbittys, where manuals do not come with used stoves, or failure to research the purchase.  Ouch!  I for one would not want to move, much less purchase, a woodstove more than once if I could avoid it.


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## jadm (Nov 22, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> .  Maybe we should just be making houses out of steel.



I have a sister who lives in Wisconsin.  Her house is made out of cement  No stove though.  I'm the only one in the family with one.


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## seaken (Nov 23, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> It figures... pick out a stove awhile ago that I planned on purchasing today.  I read most of the manual online quite awhile ago, to determine all of my clearances.  Now, after I have the hearth mostly built for it, I reread the clearance requirements just to make sure, and NOW I notice, in fine print I might add, that the ceiling height minimum is 7'.  I would have never imagined that my very old house has a ceiling height of 4" short of that, at about 6'8''.  I just didn't even think of measuring that.  One would think that all ceilings are at least 7" tall.  But, you know what they say about assuming anything.
> 
> ...



Mr. Kelly,

Don't feel bad. I've been installing Lopi stoves for twenty years and I got caught with this exact same dilemma. The 7 foot ceiling height is a recent addition to the manuals. Before my install crew pointed it out to me I did not usually take note of the ceiling height. I now am very careful to measure ceiling height to avoid further difficulties. I had sold the Republic 1750 and the installation for a customer and my installers decided the stove would not fit because the ceiling was less than 7 feet from the floor. Needless to say the customer was not pleased. I learned my lesson and now carefully consider the ceiling height for every job.

We did come up with a solution for the "Alcove" and the stove was finally installed safely and in use to this day. But not without a lot of frustration similar to what you are going through. The manual is not clear and seems to require a rediculous 3-1/2" ceiling protection. From what you reported on what the Travis rep said they seem to have come to the same conclusion as I did. All they need to do now is re-write the manual. Suffice to say that you can use any "equivalent" protection, that is, any protection that has the same amount of thermal protection that would be present if using a 3-1/2" brick mass with an integrated 1" air space.

See my next post for our conclusion and current policy regarding this issue. Hope this helps.

Sean


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## seaken (Nov 23, 2009)

This is a copy of our write-up after researching this issue. We have adopted this as our policy for dealing with unclear instructions for alcoves. We are comfortable using materials that are "equivalent" to what is stated in the manual.

Sean

-----
Memo: Reducing clearances to a ceiling

While undertaking a recent wood stove installation we observed that the installation instructions dictated that alternate clearance must be used when installed in a room with less than 7 feet of height from the floor. Up until this time we had routinely installed wood stoves without consideration to the ceiling height, instead considering only the standard clearance requirements from the surface of the stove. NFPA 211 specifies 36” of clearance from all surfaces of the appliance, the ceiling included. Using this standard clearance as a guide we would not normally be concerned about any ceiling heights since most ceilings are at least 6 feet high and most stove are far less than 36” in height.

The particular stove we were installing specified that any ceilings under 7 feet were to be considered as if it was an “alcove” and the alcove clearance charts and special requirements were to be observed. The manual specified that the “alcove” “must have walls and a ceiling that are 3-1/2” thick of a non-combustible material (brick, stone, or concrete). This non-combustible material must be spaced and ventilated at least 1” off all combustible materials.” The diagram shows the construction of the 3-1/2” thick brick wall spaced 1” off the combustible wall and is captioned “Non-combustible alcove construction (on walls and ceiling)”.

We find this requirement to use 3-1/2” material strange since NFPA 211 clearly outlines other more effective alternatives for reducing clearances. In fact, NFPA 211 specifically suggests that 3-1/2” bricks are “not expected to be used as ceiling protection”. After careful review of the installation instructions and the NFPA 211 document we feel justified in choosing one of the alternatives outlined in NFPA 211 for reducing ceiling clearances. The most effective solution for a ceiling is to use 1/2” cement board with a 1” ventilated air space. This is listed in NFPA 211 as an equivalent to the 3-1/2” brick with a 1” air space.

Interestingly, we found at least one wood stove that allowed as little as 72” of ceiling height without additional ceiling protection. Most of our stove manuals do not specify a ceiling height at all. Apparently the manufacturer of our stove in question has chosen to accept a default as outlined in the specifications for UL Standard 1482. It seems strange that all our other stoves are also tested to the same UL 1482 standard yet they do not specify a minimum ceiling height. We cannot say for sure why this manufacturer has chosen to present this limit. We are only concerned that they have also chosen to be specific as to what materials can be used for protection. Clearly, the use of 3-1/2” brick for ceiling protection is impractical. We accept the 7 foot minimum ceiling height and we suggest that an acceptable solution to protect both the walls and ceiling is any “equivalent” to the 3-1/2” brick, which would include 1/2” cement board, or even sheet-metal with ceramic wool insulation.

For reference, please consult pages 40 through 43 of the 2006 version of the NFPA 211 document. This document is accepted by most, if not all, local jurisdictions as an acceptable building code.


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## Mr. Kelly (Nov 23, 2009)

Sean, you left a very potent post.  Thank you hugely for sharing your frustration and your story.  It is exactly where I'm at.   

One thing that I'm still unclear about, in particular with Travis stoves...  do they really expect you to use _all _alcove clearances if only the ceiling height doesn't meet clearance?  I still haven't found a clear answer to that.  If I connect all the dots, including some of yours, I suspect I'd only need to put the heat shield on the ceiling, and ignore all the other ridiculous expectation of walls, and other combustibles.  After all, all my other clearances are all within range.

Is this what you do for your installs now?  If it's less than 7' ceiling height, do you just shield the ceiling?

Thank you again for your interest in my plight!

BTW, your website looks great!  Too bad your shop is way off my beaten path up here in MA.  You seem to be able to carry almost all decent stoves there.  Up here, each dealer only has a couple of brands that they focus on.  So, to see a good variety, you have to travel to a _lot _of dealers!


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## seaken (Nov 25, 2009)

Mr. Kelly said:
			
		

> Sean, you left a very potent post.  Thank you hugely for sharing your frustration and your story.  It is exactly where I'm at.
> 
> One thing that I'm still unclear about, in particular with Travis stoves...  do they really expect you to use _all _alcove clearances if only the ceiling height doesn't meet clearance?  I still haven't found a clear answer to that.  If I connect all the dots, including some of yours, I suspect I'd only need to put the heat shield on the ceiling, and ignore all the other ridiculous expectation of walls, and other combustibles.  After all, all my other clearances are all within range.
> 
> ...



You should use both wall and ceiling shields and low-clearance pipe. It's an all or nothing type of thing. Either it's an alcove or it isn't.

Sean


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## kevin72bearvly (Dec 19, 2009)

Hey, Don't know if anyone is still interested since it's been a few weeks since someone posted last, but I have been having the exact problem. I had a LOPI stove for 22 years that ended up being destroyed in a flood that destroyed most of the interior of the house. I have been looking for a new stove and came to realize that all the new stoves require 7 foot clearences. Finally, after hours and hours of searching I have come across a couple units that will work with 6 foot ceiling clearences. 

The first is the Lennox Country collection, Striker S160. This is almost identical to the old Lopi stove I had in size and BTU output wich was a must because my cabin is about a 1000 sf and I use it to heat the house to save on natural gas. This meets all codes and needs only a 6 foot ceiling clearence if you use a double walled pipe through the roof.

The second is a Regency, Hampton cast iron stove model H200. This meets all requirements too but puts out a lot less BTU's. 
For more info. on either of these stoves go to Regency fireplaces or Lennox fireplaces online. Both also have the owners manuals online so you can see the specs for yourself.
Hope this helps anyone who has low ceiling clearence issues.
                                                                                                Kevin


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## WidowMaker (Dec 19, 2009)

zapny said:
			
		

> In defense of Travis Industries or Lopi on page 8 in the PDF file it is not in small print.
> 
> 
> http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/100-01179.pdf
> ...




===

 Just for the he77 of it I got out my owners manual for My Endeavor purchased in 1999. Manual dated May 1996????  The 84" requirement is there and no it's not in small print...but I had never noticed it before an I've read this manual several times...so it's nothing new....just sayin...


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## kevin72bearvly (Dec 19, 2009)

no idea who your referencing that to....


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## Mr. Kelly (Dec 19, 2009)

Hey there...

I finally bought a Pacific Energy Summit (delivered and installed next Thursday), which also, arguably, claims a 7' ceiling height in the owner's manual, although it could be interpreted that the figure in reference (fig.2) is for mobile home installation.  The residential portion of the manual doesn't specifiy.  So, I'm going for it, with 2" shy of 7'.  Nobody at the various dealers or the building inspector has said that they've denied or been denied passing inspection because of a couple of inches of ceiling height.  Plus, the building inspector says he typically goes by Mass. code, which, from my understanding, acknowledges the NFPS suggestions and guidelines.  This document, if I understand correctly, states something like... 36" from the top of the stove to the ceiling.  If this is true, I should be fine.  If not, the dealer said he'd install a steel plate suspended from the ceiling and just charge me for the materials, which I suspect will be about $100.00.  That's great!  So, I feel confident, one way or the other.  We'll see when it's inspected... probably after the holiday, as we'll be away for 10 days... ugghhh...  a virgin stove just sitting there... unused... unstoked.... unfired up.  Seems like a travesty!

Happy Holidays!


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