Alternative Stove Backs On A Budget!

[A A Matthews]

I am interested in suitable ‘cladding ‘ to fit behind stove as an alternative to tiles. There shall be calcium silicate board / boards on a 25 mm or more framework as seems to be the usual requirement. So looking at other materials to safely use .

All suggestions welcomed 

[LadyG]

Pebbled copper sheet, I've no idea where you get it.

Have you looked at stove shops websites for ideas?

[A A Matthews]

Thanks for this and have been Googling and checking out this Forum for ideas . Not too keen on copper effect or whatever it is . Was thinking about  piece of new galvanised corrugated iron or similar !

[LadyG]

7 hours ago, A A Matthews said:

Thanks for this and have been Googling and checking out this Forum for ideas . Not too keen on copper effect or whatever it is . Was thinking about  piece of new galvanised corrugated iron or similar !

If you are very short of cash visit a scrap merchant , but I'd think floor tiles would be cheap enough as you may get ends of batches discounted, all you have to do is work out how to cut them. Ask in kitchen fitting places.

Edited May 17, 2023 by LadyG

[magnetman]

Aluminium tread plate is alright. 

 

If you can find a scrap man who is happy to sell things that would be good. 

 

Stainless sink drainers work for this cut if off with a slitting disc. There is even a little folded part around it which has the effect of creating an air gap. 

 

pressed steel manhole covers. 

 

Depends if you want the boat to be country cottage or industrial. 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by magnetman

[agg221]

A crockery mosaic is cheap. Smash up unwanted/broken crockery in a range of colours, apply a layer of tile adhesive and stick on the bits to form a mosaic design of your choice. Boxes of about 100 pieces of crockery were going for 20p in my local auction last Sunday, or you may be able to get a job lot of damaged crockery from the local charity shop (my wife buys old t-shirts by the binbag full from the charity shop for £1 for rag rugs and they'll keep aside a bag full for her when she lets them know she wants them; it's likely they would do the same for you with crockery).

 

Alec

[magnetman]

Anything ceramic and you have to be super careful about not pyrolysing the wood which will presumably be behind it. 3/4 inch thick heatproof board wanted ideally. 

 

It is well known that for example plywood can pyrolyse then catch fire when hidden behind things like tiles. 

 

Air gap is what you really want but difficult on a narrow boat to fit a fire far enough away from wood to achieve safety. Easier on a wider boat.

 

[A A Matthews]

Thanks to you all for taking the time and interest to comment and I am giving these some thoughts. I have actually created a bathroom wall in broken tiles in an abstract wave form many years ago.

 

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

pressed steel manhole covers. 

I have a couple of squirrel stove side plates acting as a heat shield on one of our stoves. Built in air gap.

Edited May 17, 2023 by rusty69

[magnetman]

One fire I had the bloke who installed it had fixed a 4mm steel plate to the back of it with M6 bolts and long nuts. The plate ended up about an inch behind the fire. Interesting approach although the whole installation was done to withstand terrible wars so it had tiles, steel sheets and heatproof board in the hearth area. Amazing overkill. I removed it all with some difficulty. 

 

 

My preferred option is a dismantleable fire you put away in the summer so it relies on air gap rather than insulators. This is on a 9ft wide boat which gives more flexibility. 

 

 

[A A Matthews]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

Aluminium tread plate is alright. 

 

If you can find a scrap man who is happy to sell things that would be good. 

 

Stainless sink drainers work for this cut if off with a slitting disc. There is even a little folded part around it which has the effect of creating an air gap. 

 

pressed steel manhole covers. 

 

Depends if you want the boat to be country cottage or industrial. 

 

 

 
not country cottage for sure !

it’s my daughter’s boat and she likes zany, industrial and no frills look . It’s a 1987 30 foot Dutch cruiser so it just needs to look good with plenty of style !

 

Another Q 

I plan to use natural stone for hearth, 1 inch thick and raise it up however I can’t find any recommended for hearth heights. Is it a case of whatever suits ?

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, A A Matthews said:

Another Q 

I plan to use natural stone for hearth, 1 inch thick and raise it up however I can’t find any recommended for hearth heights. Is it a case of whatever suits ?

Dunno, but bear in mind the higher the stove, the shorter the flue, the worse it will perform.You could obviously go with a longer chimney, with the associated problems that may create.

[A A Matthews]

Ok 

thanks and need to bear that in mind . I think the raise would only be max 4 inches. Otherwise proportional etc it will not work.

another thought re surface behind stove with the CS board ; I have lots of ceramic floor tile that would be ideal but they are a buff colour . Wonder if anyone has good or bad experiences with spraying glossy tiles ??

all comments read with interest !!

[Tony Brooks]

8 minutes ago, A A Matthews said:

 

I plan to use natural stone for hearth, 1 inch thick and raise it up however I can’t find any recommended for hearth heights. Is it a case of whatever suits ?

 

It depends, I think, that it depends upon the design of the stove. Those on legs with an ash pan below a grate can have a thinner slab than a stove that sits directly onto the slab. Although not directly applicable to boats, I think it is in the building regs.

[A A Matthews]

 

Ok 

thanks but needs must and although I have boatman stove with ash tray and legs I plan to use the stone as it is free !!!

[Tony Brooks]

As it is a steel cruiser I would have thought that you could fabricate a steel angle iron cradle to set into the floor, so there is no wood under the stone, just bulge and air.

22 minutes ago, A A Matthews said:

 

Ok 

thanks but needs must and although I have boatman stove with ash tray and legs I plan to use the stone as it is free !!!

 

How easy will it be to drill the stone to get the fixings for the stove? The BSS requires stoves to be adequately fixed in place.

[A A Matthews]

With new masons bit in my SDS drill , on normal drilling settings I don’t expect any problems at all . Need to reccy the floor first to see what there is to screw into . If timber then I have a huge collection of old steel slotted screws which IMO are tougher than the modern pozi heads . Or coach screws . As I am a professional woodworker and do metal work as well I am confident of most tasks once I understand what is required 

[Tony Brooks]

I am not sure if you could drill granite like that but certainly sandstone, or limestone you could.

[magnetman]

There is an argument for bolting the fire to the framing on steel boats. I've had a lot of boats but none of them were at fitout stage. If I was doing it from this stage I would definitely mount the fire on the shell framing and build the interior around it. People have jacked the fire up on elaborate and probably very safe hearth arrangements in boats only to end up with cold feet. 

 

 

[LadyG]

5 hours ago, A A Matthews said:

Ok 

thanks and need to bear that in mind . I think the raise would only be max 4 inches. Otherwise proportional etc it will not work.

another thought re surface behind stove with the CS board ; I have lots of ceramic floor tile that would be ideal but they are a buff colour . Wonder if anyone has good or bad experiences with spraying glossy tiles ??

all comments read with interest !!

I have angle iron round the hearth to stop embers falling on floor, industrial look.

I like quarry tiles, black and red, I'd never paint tiles, it's a nightmare.

Edited May 17, 2023 by LadyG

[LadyG]

11 hours ago, A A Matthews said:

Thanks to you all for taking the time and interest to comment and I am giving these some thoughts. I have actually created a bathroom wall in broken tiles in an abstract wave form many years ago.

 

Swimming pools have a sort of ceramic faced brick in a loose pattern, looks quite good..

A paving slab looks industrial, and some have a bobble texture underneath. I'd be a bit worried they might crack.

For broken pottery, I'd want some strong colours, but I think the grouting if white would get dirty and look grim

Edited May 17, 2023 by LadyG

[Peanut]

Is there anything wrong with this stuff?

 

https://www.wickes.co.uk/NoMorePly-12mm-Fibre-Cement-Construction-Board-1200-x-800mm/p/225437Is

 

£21 for a 1200 x 800 sheet.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I am not sure if you could drill granite like that but certainly sandstone, or limestone you could.

Granite’s a piece of piss with SDS drill.

I used to do plenty of it.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

I used wickes ceramic tiles 600mm x 300mm x 30mm each, fixed onto thick plywood underneath and behind,  then you need a ceramic drill bit to screw the stoves feet down, through the ceramic and into the plywood. Quite pleased with the result, if I say so myself.

[A A Matthews]

Yes you are making a splendid job of this stove installation and thanks for the photos