Flush hearth extension for wood stove

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Distance is 27”. With the short leg kit the top of the rear exit flue would be 26.25” so .75” clearance and at that it would be scrapping the lintel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, you have just enough, same as me, had 1/2 inch to spare. The flush look is better anyway.
 
The way I read the manual you only need ember protection unless it is an alcove install. Is a fireplace an alcove? Assuming it is not then you just need
A hearth pad that meets dimensions.

The F500 comes with a bottom heat shield and the manual does not state any different requirements when using the short legs. What’s the minimum thickness of a hearthpad?

I was not super impressed by the heating abilities of my F400 install where it sits completely in the fireplace (still needs a blockoff plate but I have a blower and make a huge improvement ). If you want to maximize the heating potential I would say move out as far as you can. An easy (and cheaper) install was more important to me so I decided to top vent and tuck the stove all the way in. From the rear of the fire place to front of hearth is 41” and that’s as tight as I could make it. The extra depth of the F500 would have required hearth pad on the floor where F400 didn’t.
 
The way I read the manual you only need ember protection unless it is an alcove install. Is a fireplace an alcove? Assuming it is not then you just need
A hearth pad that meets dimensions.

The F500 comes with a bottom heat shield and the manual does not state any different requirements when using the short legs. What’s the minimum thickness of a hearthpad?

I was not super impressed by the heating abilities of my F400 install where it sits completely in the fireplace (still needs a blockoff plate but I have a blower and make a huge improvement ). If you want to maximize the heating potential I would say move out as far as you can. An easy (and cheaper) install was more important to me so I decided to top vent and tuck the stove all the way in. From the rear of the fire place to front of hearth is 41” and that’s as tight as I could make it. The extra depth of the F500 would have required hearth pad on the floor where F400 didn’t.

I plan on putting the completely outside the fireplace and using a Tee connector on the SS liner to install it. I believe the only stipulation for the ember protection hearth pad is that it is non combustible, but I’m pretty new to this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you’re stuffing a stove back inside a fireplace, and that fireplace is on an exterior wall, a radiant design like a cast Jotul is the absolute worst possible choice. Most of the heat radiated off five of the six sides of that cast iron box will be immediately soaked up by the fireplace structure, and spit outside.

You want a stove that only radiates off the front glass, with convective panels covering up as much of the rest as possible. If you like the cast look with radiant performance, think PE Alderlea, BK Ashford, or an insert. There are other options, but please, not a traditional cast radiant stove, here.
 
If you’re stuffing a stove back inside a fireplace, and that fireplace is on an exterior wall, a radiant design like a cast Jotul is the absolute worst possible choice. Most of the heat radiated off five of the six sides of that cast iron box will be immediately soaked up by the fireplace structure, and spit outside.

You want a stove that only radiates off the front glass, with convective panels covering up as much of the rest as possible. If you like the cast look with radiant performance, think PE Alderlea, BK Ashford, or an insert. There are other options, but please, not a traditional cast radiant stove, here.

How would a cast stove work sitting outside fireplace that goes up through the center of the house with a insulated sheet metal block off plate installed below the damper, seems like it should work pretty well. I want to heat a 1908 sq. ft cape. The main floor is just two large rooms (kitchen/dining area and the living room) and the upstairs is 3 bedrooms. Right now I have the F500 as my first choice for clearance reasons and looks, but I’m open to other stoves. The rear flue height has to be lower than 27”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes but that is with full length legs I am sure the requirement increases with the short leg kit.

I contacted Jotul and for the F500 all that is required under the stove is a non combustible surface regardless of whether the short leg kit is used or not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
I contacted Jotul and for the F500 all that is required under the stove is a non combustible surface regardless of whether the short leg kit is used or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ok good to know I didn't expect that
 
I contacted Jotul and for the F500 all that is required under the stove is a non combustible surface regardless of whether the short leg kit is used or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's great news - this whole thing will be a lot easier now. Glad to hear you plan on placing the stove out in front rather than bury it in the fireplace where the heat will be wasted. Send photos as things progress.
 
I contacted Jotul and for the F500 all that is required under the stove is a non combustible surface regardless of whether the short leg kit is used or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good news, makes life easier for you. I have my stove outside the FP like you plan to do and it throws a ton of heat. The F500 was on my final list since I was also looking for a rear venter.
 
That's great news - this whole thing will be a lot easier now. Glad to hear you plan on placing the stove out in front rather than bury it in the fireplace where the heat will be wasted. Send photos as things progress.

I will do post pics as I go, it will take a few weeks to really get going on this as I would like to get the floor done first


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
One thing I just thought of, maybe others have done it.... to reduce the paint curing smell I'd suggest having some of the first fires in the stove while it sits out in the driveway with a small chunk of chimney attached.
 
How would a cast stove work sitting outside fireplace that goes up through the center of the house with a insulated sheet metal block off plate installed below the damper, seems like it should work pretty well.

Yes, I believe it would work very well, almost a poor-man’s masonry heater. An old member @Nick Mystic has almost exactly this setup, an Oslo shoved way back into a very tight opening in a fully-interior masonry fireplace. He loves it, but I don’t think we’ve seen Nick on the forum, recently.

You can see I’m from the mid-Atlantic region, where houses are traditionally built with fireplaces in each end (gable) wall of the house. The guys up in New England probably tend to assume the opposite, their traditional construction usually had a single masonry structure in the center of the house, to carry all of the fireplaces. I see you’re in OR, where nothing is old or traditional (even by US standards), so it’s interesting to see your builder went the New England route.
 
Yes, I believe it would work very well, almost a poor-man’s masonry heater. An old member @Nick Mystic has almost exactly this setup, an Oslo shoved way back into a very tight opening in a fully-interior masonry fireplace. He loves it, but I don’t think we’ve seen Nick on the forum, recently.

You can see I’m from the mid-Atlantic region, where houses are traditionally built with fireplaces in each end (gable) wall of the house. The guys up in New England probably tend to assume the opposite, their traditional construction usually had a single masonry structure in the center of the house, to carry all of the fireplaces. I see you’re in OR, where nothing is old or traditional (even by US standards), so it’s interesting to see your builder went the New England route.

I’m not in OR, I live in CT, so yea the center chimney is the standard around here


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hah... well that explains it! I thought I had seen OR in your user profile, but I must have clicked on the wrong user (Zack R).

It’s not easy for me to look him up in the app I’m using here, but I believe Nick is one of your neighbors, in Mystic RI.
 
How would a cast stove work sitting outside fireplace
it would work very well, almost a poor-man’s masonry heater.
It works fine with my radiant stove, even though I have an external chimney. Back of the stove is even with the fireplace opening. The optional rear heat shield for my stove keeps the masonry from heating up at all, and provides a bit of convection..I can feel heated air rising from between the stove and the shield.
 
I will be installing Jotul F500 outside my existing masonry fireplace.

It works fine with my radiant stove, even though I have an external chimney. Back of the stove is even with the fireplace opening. The optional rear heat shield for my stove keeps the masonry from heating up at all, and provides a bit of convection..I can feel heated air rising from between the stove and the shield.
Yeah, that could probably work pretty well. But does the F500 have a rear heat shield option?

When I had Jotul Firelights in my fireplaces, I had a heat shield made of heavy gauge steel to attach to the wall behind them (stone) with the usual ceramic wall spacers, but ended up trading out the stoves before I got a chance to hang the shields.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woody Stover
Yeah, that could probably work pretty well. But does the F500 have a rear heat shield option?

When I had Jotul Firelights in my fireplaces, I had a heat shield made of heavy gauge steel to attach to the wall behind them (stone) with the usual ceramic wall spacers, but ended up trading out the stoves before I got a chance to hang the shields.

I think the F500 only has a bottom heat shield.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
I contacted Jotul and for the F500 all that is required under the stove is a non combustible surface regardless of whether the short leg kit is used or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Any non-combustible surface with what for an insulation rating? In most cases there is a specific K or R value that a manufacturer will require.
 
Any non-combustible surface with what for an insulation rating? In most cases there is a specific K or R value that a manufacturer will require.

I was told no R value thermal protection is required, unless installing in an alcove configuration, then an R value of 1.6 was required


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Finally started work on my hearth, removed the wood flooring, now I have to loosen the slate stones and get them out
355b59cfb559659e1920b6ceb3943d8c.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Raoul and Ashful
I’m trying to plan out this tile install and wondering if I can put down 1/2” of micore 300 followed by 1/4” of Durock and then tiles on top. Due to height constraints I can’t really use 1/2” of Durock. Will this be a strong enough combo?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Can't say for sure as I have never tried this. If it were my hearth I would use a thicker sheet to avoid the possibility of flexing. Being slightly raised above the floor can be aesthetically pleasing if the tile is edge framed in quarter round or a bullnose tile.
 
The tile is going to be about a 1/2” above the floor and trimmed out with some oak. I am trying to come up with a solution for my next issue. In the pictures you can see two gaps in the subfloor, one on the left and one on the right. These gaps are there because of steel Simpson strong ties that hold the fire place framing together (see pic from underneath). I don’t really see a way to fill these in with any kind of solid material.

Second question, I removed one of the stones in front of the fireplace to reveal a concrete slab 3/4” below the subfloor. My first thought is to use concrete screws to secure a 3/4” piece of subflooring to it to bring it up to the same level as the subfloor and then cover the whole thing with 1/2” Durock.

Any thoughts are appreciated

4a18b16be257d4ddddfa6eb0a02414f2.jpg4a77495cea971238d1440e51d41a159f.jpg82b835a245532328423baf7126855a18.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The original hearth area should be built up with a 100% non-combustible material, not sub-flooring. Cement board (1/2" + 1/4") or cement floated in are ok. I wouldn't worry about filling in those two gaps.