Stove hearth build

[DeanS]

Hi all.

 

I'm installing a stove hearth, and initially thought that the stove needs to be bolted down into something substantial...such as cement, so my plan has been to cut the floorboard, add an extra piece of cement paving, and cement it to the ballast. Then tile, and mount the stove with bolts down into the cement floor. I've been reading some previous forum threads, and some people have just put masterboard under the stove, tiled on top, and bolted the stove down ...through the masterboard into the wooden floorboard.

 

Am I erring on the side of caution, or would there be no need to cut floorboards/cement etc. Basically I guess I'm asking, is it ENOUGH to just bolt a stove into the floor. (with protective tiling for embers etc)

[GSer]

Because i wanted the fire to sit a bit taller i made my base from 3 layers of 3/4 ply then bolted this to the floor bearers, this gave a good sturdy structure to build the surround from. The ply was then tiled and i got a curved steel ash catcher sort of thing made to finish the front off nicely. Looks Ok to me and a bit different to anything else i've seen. Mind you I don't get out much

[Rod a mod from Tod]

I just put a flag on top of the floor bedded on a few blobs of silicon to take out any unevenness then drilled through the flag and secured with suitable screws. Tiled the flag, then drilled, plugged and screwed the stove to the flag.

[rjasmith]

The officially correct answer I suppose is to see what the dreaded BS 8511 CoP says! Of course most people probably rapidly switch off when this is quoted but I'll carry on anyway!

 

It all depends on the spec of your stove. If it has been CE marked and the CE plate refers to BS EN 13240 then your stove should have been tested to show it cannot raise the temp of any hearth to not greater than 100°C.

 

If the stove has this plate it only needs to have a 12mm thick non combustible hearth below it (area and shape also given in the CoP).

 

Otherwise it is supposed to have a much thicker non combustible hearth, of up to 125mm thick!

 

Sounds like your original idea is leaning towards doing this! However if you've got a CE marked stove you may not have to.

 

Richard

[canals are us?]

If I was building a hearth I would fix masterboard to the floor, lay smooth paving slabs ontop the size of hearth wanted, cutting them if needed and then tile over the top. The back/sides would be masterboard with an air gap, packed out with pieces of masterboard and leaving ventilation and tile. I would grout in a coloured grout.

 

I would ideally buy a stove with short legs so the stove has an airgap below so as to help not transfer heat through the hearth.

 

I would use single walled flue but buy a short 1mm thick flue an inch bigger and cut it along lengthways and fix it spaced off the rear of the flue as a heat shield, painted to match. If flue was close to sides I would fireboard the whole section same as below and tile.

 

Stove Fan .

Edited September 19, 2012 by canals are us?

[Old Son]

I bought a lump of granite which is firmly fitted between the front step and the wall so it cant move. My stove is bolted down to this. The granite hardly ever gets warm.

[Lesd]

Even when our squirrel is roaring away the underside of it is only just warm, the tiles below are actually cold !

Ours stove is screwed down onto tiles that sit up a raised wooden structure with a hollow gap between it and the actual floor.

[rjasmith]

Even when our squirrel is roaring away the underside of it is only just warm, the tiles below are actually cold !

Ours stove is screwed down onto tiles that sit up a raised wooden structure with a hollow gap between it and the actual floor.

 

Yes I believe the Squirrel is a CE marked and tested stove and more and more other types are becoming so these days.

 

I nearly bought an Aarrow Acorn 4 which was not until recently but it's identical sister the Hamlet Hardy 4 was so I bought that and so can avoid the "thick hearth" rule. A new Acorn 4 would be OK these days!

 

Richard

[RobinJ]

I'm installing a stove hearth, and initially thought that the stove needs to be bolted down into something substantial...such as cement, so my plan has been to cut the floorboard, add an extra piece of cement paving, and cement it to the ballast. Then tile, and mount the stove with bolts down into the cement floor. I've been reading some previous forum threads, and some people have just put masterboard under the stove, tiled on top, and bolted the stove down ...through the masterboard into the wooden floorboard.

I would just ensure the paving slabs are screwed down into the battens well (whether cemented, siliconed or whatever too). The screws (or bolts) will probably be hidden by the tiles or whatever is covering over the slab. The stove itself can then be fixed into the paving slab with the knowledge that neither will move, even if you get hit by the QE2!

[NorthwichTrader]

OK, in view of these two above posts, would it be OK for me to tile 1" quarry tiles directly to my 18mm ply floor?

The fire is CE marked (supposedly 45 degree hearth test by Morso) and will be placed directly over a joist, so there shouldn't be too much movement in the ply.

Does this seem acceptable?

If so, can any old quarry tile cement be used in this instance?

Many thanks, in advance,

Stuart

 

edit: tried to multiQuote...was referring to post 4 & 7

Edited November 26, 2015 by NorthwichTrader

[Mitchellmoxo]

I found this document really useful when installing the stove surround in my boat - http://www.soliftec.com/Boat%20Stoves%201-page.pdf

[bizzard]

My preferred method is to use cement. You can make the hearth any depth or shape you want and not stuck with a slab of something that might not be the right thickness or a pleasing shape Lay a sheet of builders polythene down on the chosen spot, this is to prevent the cement sticking to the floor and will enable removal if you want to move it or remove it. Nail up with boards shuttering for the hearth surround to your desired shape. It pays to make it the same dimensions as your chosen size tiles as much as possible to save some tile cutting.

Once the shuttering is done, stand a couple of small tubes ( bits of 3/8'' copper tube would do) a little lower than the shuttering on end inside the hearth area, these are to take the screws that fix the hearth to the floor and will save drilling through the concrete-cement when it's set. Pour in the cement, (concrete mix will be a lot stronger) until level with the shuttering and tamp and smooth overall with a nice straight edge board.

When the cement is set knock the shuttering away and either tile all around the edge or make a nice hard wood surround. Screw the cement hearth down to the floor through the bits of tube you set in the cement. Tile over and mount your stove.