by Edward on Jan 2, 2014
in Rustic Home Décor Times
Some things to think about before you install your woodstove/fireplace…
If you are a self-proclaimed do-it-yourself guy like me or looking to hire out this work, I learned some things about my experience and will share it if you want to read on. First check out your homeowner’s policy to see if it covers what you plan and if so, how much it may cost more. Picture above is my wood stove we put in ourselves.
Sounds crazy, but the stove pipe is crazy expensive and you may think about where you plan to place your fireplace because if it. The pipe going through the wall and outside has to be double or triple wall and is really expensive. Single wall is ok inside the house, and can actually help transfer heat through the pipe if it is exposed in the room.
If you are looking to purchase a wood stove, think about where the chimney flue will go. It is preferable to have as few 90 degree bends running your pipe out of the house. This issue is draft and a cold day may be an issue for smoke not drafting out of the stove very well. If you are looking to run your chimney straight through the ceiling, you should consider the stove that has the pipe coming out the top of the stove. If you are looking for one to go the wall then up, get the stove that exhausts the pipe behind it.
For me at least, I am on the side of running the stove pipe out the wall in contrast of running the pipe out the ceiling. The main reason being, as much as you caulk around the pipe at the roof, eventually the caulk breaks down and there is the concern for an eventual leak. If you do look to do this work yourself, be sure to check building codes and also check with someone that has done this work before. Doing this will save you a lot of heartache, time, and potentially money making a needless oversight mistake. Besides, flue fires can be serious business and having it done right is a must.
