Without adequate clearance from your stove, a combustible wall or object can overheat, dry out and present a fire hazard. The Fire Protection Association recommends that in general the common radiant-type stove maintain 900mm of space from a combustible surface. When this is not possible a heat shield is your only option. Situated between your stove and the exposed surface, a heat shield can reduce the required distance for safety. For more information on the minimum standards for heat shields and their installation, HETAS provides a comprehensive guide. It’s this risk of combustion which is the main reason why you’ll potentially need to install a heat shield. As such, when you’re selecting a heat shield you should have first measured the width of both your stove and your hearth. How should heat shields be installed? There's nothing more welcoming than a real fire. For over 10 years, Direct Stoves has been supplying homeowners like you with range cookers, and multi-fuel and wood burning stoves. If you are unable to place your stove with at least a 900mm clearance between it and other surfaces, then you’ll need to install a heat shield. Situated between the stove and the exposed surface, a heat shield will reduce the required distance for safety.

What a fantastic fireplace with the beautiful Hobbit stove. It fits perfectly into the small space and throws out a lot of heat. Here's a photo of our little stove, now our pride and joy and much admired by all who see and feel the warmth." We had a Hobbit stove fitted this week by Alex Reay from Flues and Fires, and I just wanted to get in touch to say it is AMAZING and we love it! Simply put, a combustible material is anything that can ignite and burn. Some of the more obvious examples of combustible materials are flammables like curtains and bedding, or things made from paper or wood like a coffee table or bookshelf, but there are some things that may not immediately jump to mind that are just as dangerous. For example, settees and other furniture made from fabric (especially cotton) and even plasterboard and wooden beams inside walls are combustible and could be ignited by the heat of your stove if they’re too close. Now here's where you need to make a few decisions on how to attach the wall protector. The sturdiest way is to screw it directly to the wall studs. However, your studs might not line up perfectly...and probably won't completely since many steel sheets are 2 feet wide and most wall studs are 16" apart.

According to NFPA code, metal heat shields should be made of 24 gauge steel and have a 1" air space behind them where air can move freely to dissipate heat. This may seem like a rather obvious point, but if you’ve not used a stove before, you may not realise quite how hot both the stove and its flue pipe can get. On the outside edge of the second metal piece, secure it to the wall with the spacers like you did the first piece. I've been living in houses heated with wood for over 50 years. Growing up, I spent Saturdays with my family gathering firewood. I learned to drive on a tractor we used for hauling logs. And even now I heat my Maine house exclusively with wood.

A. It depends on the stove's rating. In some cases, when using heat shield specifications, a heat shield will reduce clearances by 66%. Heat shields for wood stoves and fireplace surrounds come in various forms and are designed to shield the areas around fireplaces and wood burning stoves from excess heat. Do you have a small fireplace? Do you want a stove but cannot find one that fits? Look no longer…you have found it!Any wood stove installation must adequately protect combustible material from the heat that is generated by the stove.