MA Inspector informed me, under no circumstances, will wood or pellet stove be permitted

[andrew777]

I have been planning a wood stove install in my small 16x20 wood workshop now for 2 years. Bought a Morso 2b, installed an over-engineered hearth, built sheetrock around hearth, moved the whole shop around to get space and have countless hours in this - trying to make my dream of having a woodstove a reality.

I ran into an issue with getting the triple-wall installed on the roof which is a 12/12 pitch. I simply couldn't do it myself (climed up there and said no way). So the installers said, "we can do it but we need to pull a permit". With the way the stove was positioned, I needed 7' of pipe and support brackets.

Town inspector (Amesbury, MA) came by and took one look and said, "any solid fuel stove in a wood workshop is not allowed" Clearances and design were all perfect - his main issue to me was that in MA you can't have a stove of any kind where sawdust will accumulate. And its not the sawdust in the air from cutting - he said the new code is designed around "if something falls in your workshop and kicks up sawdust, the whole thing will explode with the right spark"

I was basically told, "tough luck, tear it all down and sell the stove".

Do I have any recourse here or is this entire project dead in the water? I thought about installing a pellet stove instead since it could be connected to an outisde wall, but I'm reading that its $500/day penalty for operating once you know it won't be permitted. The barn is not attached to the house and I realize without a permit any fire damage wouldn't be covered by insurance. I'm kind of ok with going to jail over this as I think it would make a great story (kidding).

Only real option I have is to move to NH or Maine?

 

[bholler]

I have been planning a wood stove install in my small 16x20 wood workshop now for 2 years. Bought a Morso 2b, installed an over-engineered hearth, built sheetrock around hearth, moved the whole shop around to get space and have countless hours in this - trying to make my dream of having a woodstove a reality.

I ran into an issue with getting the triple-wall installed on the roof which is a 12/12 pitch. I simply couldn't do it myself (climed up there and said no way). So the installers said, "we can do it but we need to pull a permit". With the way the stove was positioned, I needed 7' of pipe and support brackets.

Town inspector (Amesbury, MA) came by and took one look and said, "any solid fuel stove in a wood workshop is not allowed" Clearances and design were all perfect - his main issue to me was that in MA you can't have a stove of any kind where sawdust will accumulate. And its not the sawdust in the air from cutting - he said the new code is designed around "if something falls in your workshop and kicks up sawdust, the whole thing will explode with the right spark"

I was basically told, "tough luck, tear it all down and sell the stove".

Do I have any recourse here or is this entire project dead in the water? I thought about installing a pellet stove instead since it could be connected to an outisde wall, but I'm reading that its $500/day penalty for operating once you know it won't be permitted. The barn is not attached to the house and I realize without a permit any fire damage wouldn't be covered by insurance. I'm kind of ok with going to jail over this as I think it would make a great story (kidding).

Only real option I have is to move to NH or Maine?

It's against code in many areas yes. And no you have no recourse the code is the code unless you are going to petition and fight to change the code your out of luck

 

[Supersurvey]

Could it be installed in an add on room attached to the shop?

 

[zak77]

Well, you got a couple options here. Obviously it cant be done according to code, ie permitted, so you can install it yourself and run the risks. I highly doubt if you were to install it the Building inspector is going to fine you for it, i'm sure they have much better things to be doing. And like you said if it were to cause a fire and burn down, you wouldnt get anything from your insurance to repair/replace the structure. I think you can install a pellet stove in an outbuilding without issue but a quick call to the Building office would clarify that. Or just install one and run it. They can also burn your structure down, i know of one that took out an entire house. Another option is to put in a ceiling mounted gas heater like a Mr Heater Bigg Maxx. I can check with my buddy who's a building inspector about the pellet stv being legal in outbuildings in Mass.

 

[GrumpyDad]

I have been planning a wood stove install in my small 16x20 wood workshop now for 2 years. Bought a Morso 2b, installed an over-engineered hearth, built sheetrock around hearth, moved the whole shop around to get space and have countless hours in this - trying to make my dream of having a woodstove a reality.

I ran into an issue with getting the triple-wall installed on the roof which is a 12/12 pitch. I simply couldn't do it myself (climed up there and said no way). So the installers said, "we can do it but we need to pull a permit". With the way the stove was positioned, I needed 7' of pipe and support brackets.

Town inspector (Amesbury, MA) came by and took one look and said, "any solid fuel stove in a wood workshop is not allowed" Clearances and design were all perfect - his main issue to me was that in MA you can't have a stove of any kind where sawdust will accumulate. And its not the sawdust in the air from cutting - he said the new code is designed around "if something falls in your workshop and kicks up sawdust, the whole thing will explode with the right spark"

I was basically told, "tough luck, tear it all down and sell the stove".

Do I have any recourse here or is this entire project dead in the water? I thought about installing a pellet stove instead since it could be connected to an outisde wall, but I'm reading that its $500/day penalty for operating once you know it won't be permitted. The barn is not attached to the house and I realize without a permit any fire damage wouldn't be covered by insurance. I'm kind of ok with going to jail over this as I think it would make a great story (kidding).

Only real option I have is to move to NH or Maine?

Call back and say, what if I make it a mancave without the tools and wood working? Then put the tools in storage, go rent some furniture, have the guy come back out to inspect, show him the place and the proposed stove location, get permitted and then do whatever you want then. Dont allow the windows to see what's inside

 

[begreen]

If the shop had a full dust collection system so that there is no accumulated sawdust, would it pass? My friend is a serious woodworker and that is how his wood-heated shop is set up.

 

[GrumpyDad]

If the shop had a full dust collection system so that there is no accumulated sawdust, would it pass? My friend is a serious woodworker and that is how his wood-heated shop is set up.

oh my I sure hope he has something setup. That's not safe to sit and breath. I just assumed so! Yes that code actually exists for a reason. Someone in a closed shop ripping through wood quickly, like when building cabinet boxes, would really accumulate quite the dust cloud. Not to mention, cover everything in brown snow. Maybe that's why it was denied?

 

[bholler]

I have a full dust collection system in my shop. And a dust air filter. But I did have the hose going from the cyclone to the filter blow off once and the entire shop was a thick cloud of dust. If I was running a wood stove it certainly could have been bad.

 

[begreen]

I have a full dust collection system in my shop. And a dust air filter. But I did have the hose going from the cyclone to the filter blow off once and the entire shop was a thick cloud of dust. If I was running a wood stove it certainly could have been bad.

That's bad in any circumstance. Hopefully it was in summer and not winter with a gas stove.

 

[bholler]

That's bad in any circumstance. Hopefully it was in summer and not winter with a gas stove.

True the gas stove could have ignited it as well potentially. The one I picked is sealed with outside air as well but still certainly a risk.

 

[gthomas785]

It's tricky, any fire in a woodshop is potentially an explosion hazard. But practically everyone who has a wood shop is also guilty of having an ignition source in there at some point, for instance I have an (also illegal) kerosene heater that I use to take the chill off the shop in the winter. Sparks from brushed saw motors can also cause dust explosions as well as static discharge from improperly grounded nonmetallic dust collection ducts. It's not so much the stove as the woodworking that is dangerous.

If you're careful and have the right layout (i.e. enough square footage) a wood stove in a shop is not that unsafe and is something my dad, uncle, and grandfather had for decades without any incident. Tough about the inspector though. Did he cite a code article specifically about wood shops because I was not aware of that. You do have to maintain clearances though, and sawdust is a combustible so technically even the tiniest speck of dust on your hearth would cause it to be in violation.

If you want to appease the inspector while still heating with wood, I suppose you could build a furnace room off of your shop and install a wood fired furnace and duct the heat from there into the shop. You'd still have to stay on top of filter changes and wouldn't be able to use your current stove, sadly.

 

[gthomas785]

Another comment on inspectors. He probably is hoping you will give up on the install because that's the easiest outcome for him. However if you study the code, call him back and demonstrate that (a) you do care about making a safe and compliant installation and (b) you're not going away, he'll be more likely to talk with you about potential options. Be courteous, don't act angry or threatening, and be just barely annoying enough that he will want to help you find a solution.

Edit: I should clarify it's not the inspectors job to tell you how to install it. So be prepared to ask "what if" format questions and he can give you a yes or no answer as to whether it would be acceptable. If he says no, ask politely which code section forbids it.

 

[Ashful]

I have a wood shop, and I can't imagine wanting to heat it with a wood stove, unless I worked out there at least 5 days a week. Mine gets used mostly weekends, and the occasional evening, I'd not want to be trudging out there everyday to load a third stove!

 

[gthomas785]

For occasional use you'd want something that lights easily and heats up fast. I would not be attempting to keep a fire going full time either.

 

[bholler]

For occasional use you'd want something that lights easily and heats up fast. I would not be attempting to keep a fire going full time either.

Then you get condensation on the cast tops and rust

 

[gthomas785]

Then you get condensation on the cast tops and rust

I've never had that happen. Are you saying you have to keep a stove going 24/7 in order to keep it from rusting? That's what it sounds like you're saying.

 

[begreen]

I've seen it happen in my shop. Now I keep a small electric heater going there to keep it above 45º. It's a small shop and well insulated, donot a big deal.

 

[Highbeam]

Building inspectors like to make stuff up. They are, or should be, used to getting asked for the specific code reference to support their decision. Ask for it. “Show me”.

If it’s legit and it actually says no solid fuel burner in an outbuilding. Then you’re looking at a gas stove. If it says no solid fuel in a wood workshop then look for the definition of a wood workshop and see if it applies.

It is worth getting a permit. Liability, insurance, etc.

 

[Ashful]

Then you get condensation on the cast tops and rust

Exactly. Seen that, too many times.

If you're going to heat your shop in the winter, letting it go cold between heating cycles will ruin your tools and machinery, at least in our climate. You're going to want something going in there 24/7, even if at a very low level.

I've had shops with a remote boiler and cast iron radiators on one wall, which works great, but offers no summer cooling. I've had shops with forced air electric resistive heaters, which always scare the hell out of me with sawdust-laden air. I have a lot of vintage machinery and no dust collection on most of it.

Minisplits have been my compromise, keeping the shop in the 50's all winter, and with summer cooling to boot! I shut them down when I'm making the air real dusty, to lessen the need to clean them afterwards. Otherwise, they're on 24/7/365 with auto changeover from heating to coolig.

 

[Rob_Red]

Just my $.02

It totally sucks that you have come this far and made the investment just to get shut down

However...

As I'm sure you know, condensation will rust up nice tools very quickly and temperature swings are not good for wood or refinishing wood. To combat this even temperature control is key. A wood stove does not provide this kind of heat, The hot cold cycles may even make the problem worse. You would be better suited with a mini split, or some sort of radiant heat running on low all the time.

I live not to far from you and the biggest concern I have for my shop is humidity control throughout the year. I had a brand new LieNielson hand plane turn orange in a weekend before I could even use it 😰

 

[zak77]

I recall my grandfather using a woodstove in his wood working shops his entire life and worked out there a lot. Never an accident or explosion. I've used his shop many times also with the wood stove going and working on projects. I dont think it's as dangerous as it's made out to be although i know how sawdust will ignite very rapidly, just throw a handful into a fire and you'll see.

As for rusting tools/equipment, it depends on where to live. I live in Mass and i have a propane fired ceiling hung heater for my garage. I only turn it on when i'm doing some work out there but otherwise it's just the same temp as outside. Only when we get crazy warm/moist air after some cool weather will i get condensation on table saw and welding table but that's maybe 6 times a year. Otherwise my tools dont get rusty for the standard temp swings so i dont know if people in my area would need to keep the shop at a constant temp to fight rust. I've heard from people on other areas that their garages(metal) will rain on everything if the right weather rolls in.

 

[begreen]

The difference may be in how well insulated the shop is.

 

[Ashful]

The difference may be in how well insulated the shop is.

... and whether or not you open the door. Both of my last two shops have been super-insulated, spray foam at R30 or better, and can stay damn cold inside in the spring, when the first warm weather hits. Without HVAC, the first time I open the door on a Saturday morning, the incoming air will flash-condense on every cold cast iron surface. Instant rust.

Again, this might be unique to the mid-Atlantic area, but I suspect not.

 

[PASmoker]

Why I avoid getting permits at all costs, Have a 25x45 garage that I heat (when I work in there) with a barrel stove.
I know its not exactly the safest option with 4 cars and a few woodworking tools but have a ton of scrap wood to burn and it heats it up pretty quickly.
Putting in a fresh air intake this year so its not pulling all the air from the garage.
Have it vented out the back wall and up over the roof outside.
Other then some smoke that comes out when feeding it,so far so good..

 

[bholler]

Why I avoid getting permits at all costs, Have a 25x45 garage that I heat (when I work in there) with a barrel stove.
I know its not exactly the safest option with 4 cars and a few woodworking tools but have a ton of scrap wood to burn and it heats it up pretty quickly.
Putting in a fresh air intake this year so its not pulling all the air from the garage.
Have it vented out the back wall and up over the roof outside.
Other then some smoke that comes out when feeding it,so far so good..

The problem is if anything happens your insurance company will most likely not pay. If your ok with that risk fine but it's definitely a calculated risk you should weigh