iceman said:
I don't understand hearth extension.... i am reading info and it says min hearth 16 inches is this 16 inches from the furthest part of the stove or does my hearth just have to be at least 16 inches? my hearth is exactly 18 iches but if i put a woodstove insert in does it have to be 18 from the stove?
The manual will usually give the exact points to take measurements from, but the basic idea is that the distance should be from the front of the stove where the loading door is. What they are after is to accomplish two things - First is to protect the floor from the radiant heat given off by the insert, and secondly to ensure that any sparks, embers or other material that spills out of the stove, lands where it won't start a fire or cause other damage.
Also important is to mention that there have been recent changes in the NFPA-211 codes that are very key to any stove installation. One of the changes that is relevant to this discussion is that they have changed the spec in NFPA-211 to 18" everywhere instead of 16" in the US and 18" in Canada. Since the manuals only get updated every five years or so, the current manuals for most stoves still show the 16" number. There is some debate about whether or not it is acceptable to use the 16" number, or if the new code over-rides it. Much depends on your local inspector, so I would strongly reccomend consulting with him about what he will require in order to pass your install - this could save you a great deal of hassle.
Gooserider
