Help plan for future fire place

[green.bubbly]

My wife will at some time in the future, want a small wood burning stove in the house I am building. Something like a pot belly stove or similar free standing type unit. Something like this perhaps...

In preparation for this, I would like to run any exhaust ducting that will be needed before I close up my walls. I am thinking I would like for it to run out the back of the fireplace and out through the sidewall.

Any guidance would be appreciated such as what type of ducting and what height it should pass through the wall. Or must it go straight up through the roof? I seem to recall gas units venting out of a side wall but I am not sure if a wood burning must have a vent that is above the roof line.

 

[gonefirefighting]

two reasons I would suggest going straight up....

your heat exchange will be much greater with as much stove pipe in the living space as possible.

the more turns and bends you have on a stove pipe will decrease the air flow and draft of your woodburning stove. plus it makes a much safer flu option, cheaper to flash and waaay easier to clean annually.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You will have to decide on a stove or a size of stove to do this, as you need to know how big of a flue pipe and chimney you will need. It will be a class A system for sure.

Go to the Duravent web site and download the catalog, which has lots of good install info in it that will help you.

http://www.duravent.com/Index.aspx (catalog download is the gray box in the lower left)

http://www.duravent.com/docs/L820_2011-oct.pdf

You've seen and read all my reasons for justifying a thru the wall installation for a steel building.

Charles

 

[green.bubbly]

Thanks for the suggestions and information. I assumed that most of these systems had the same diameter flue. I did not want to vent up through the roof since I have a steel roof and really do not like the idea of having to try and flash it. I certainly do not want to come back in a year and try and cut holes out of the side wall. I would rather install the flue now and get the stove later.

Having the flue inside for heat is not really a big need.Down in Louisiana, we seldom get really cold spells. Wife wants it more for looks than function.

 

[rburke65]

Is this going to be a gas unit or a wood/coal burner? Different sized heaters require different sized flue so you will probably have to decide beforehand.....IMO.

 

[Highbeam]

Almost all wood stoves use a 6" flue. Only the occasional oddball needs the much more expensive 8" flue. It is also a fairly rare stove that vents out the back, most come out of the top and then you install a 90 degree bend to go out the back wall. To allow flexibility I would install the thimble (the thru the wall piece) at a height so that the top of the flue is more than 18" below the ceiling but above eye height. Really though, you can put this off until you buy the stove. The wall pass throughs come with a large trim ring and are made to be cut into an existing wall.

 

[green.bubbly]

Is this going to be a gas unit or a wood/coal burner? Different sized heaters require different sized flue so you will probably have to decide beforehand.....IMO.

It will have to be wood since we do not have gas available.

Almost all wood stoves use a 6" flue. Only the occasional oddball needs the much more expensive 8" flue. It is also a fairly rare stove that vents out the back, most come out of the top and then you install a 90 degree bend to go out the back wall. To allow flexibility I would install the thimble (the thru the wall piece) at a height so that the top of the flue is more than 18" below the ceiling but above eye height. Really though, you can put this off until you buy the stove. The wall pass throughs come with a large trim ring and are made to be cut into an existing wall.

Yeah, I guess I could always cut the hole later on when we purchase the stove. Unless of course I eventually talk her out of it.

 

[930dreamer]

Any thought on a pellet stove, they can vent straight through a wall.

 

[green.bubbly]

Any thought on a pellet stove, they can vent straight through a wall.

No, I never actually saw one in use. Do they have a flame like a typical wood burning fireplace? Our fireplace will be more for the looks than for heat production.

 

[Highbeam]

No, I never actually saw one in use. Do they have a flame like a typical wood burning fireplace? Our fireplace will be more for the looks than for heat production.

The pellet stove flame looks lively but concentrated. It is a forced air combustion with sparks shooting off from the small burnpot. Not a relaxing flame show. The sound is the big negative, it's a very noisy appliance.

A pellet stove is more about heat production than looks. It is a furnace with a window.

 

[Shop Specialties]

I have been doing nothing waste oil heater sales and service for 21 years. We always run the straight up for draft and easy cleaning. Metalbestos SS II is the best stovepipe on the market and will last forever. To seal the roof use a Dektite rubber boot. The jobs I did 20 years ago still do not leak or need the Metalbestos replaced.

 

[6768rogues]

I would frame an opening for the typical wall thimble and finish over it. Chimney parts change periodically, so I would not spend money for any parts that might not be compatible with a future chimney. Remember that it will need to be cleaned, so design your installation to make cleaning easy.