What Is a Protected Wall for Woodstove Installation?

Protective Materials

• The most commonly used protective materials for walls are light-gauge sheet metal, non-flammable insulation boards or masonry walls. Interior masonry walls that are at least 3.5 inches thick are effective protection against heat damage. Twenty-four-gauge sheet metal combined with fiberglass or mineral wool insulation and 1/2-inch thick insulation board are also effective forms of wall protection. All three types of protective material are more effective if they are installed with an inch of ventilation space between the heat shield and the wall.

Clearance Requirements

• Protective heat shielding is only effective if the wood stove is positioned properly. Your wood stove should have at least a foot of space between it and your walls. If your walls are unventilated masonry, you will need to keep your stove at least 2 feet away. Wood stoves also require a minimum clearance of at least 24 inches from the ceiling. If you install a sheet metal protector on the ceiling the minimum clearance decreases to 18 inches.

Installation

• The placement of your stove is a key factor in preventing fires and heat damage to your home. Your stove should not come in contact with a wall or its protective shield. Wood stoves that are less than 2 inches above the floor represent a fire hazard unless you have a masonry floor. The protective barrier for your floor should extend for 18 inches beyond the outer edges of the wood stove. If your wood stove has an exhaust pipe that extends into the ceiling near a wall, you should install a protective barrier that is at least 18 inches wide between the wall and the pipe.

Considerations

• If you decide to insulate the wall around your chimney, make sure to provide space between the insulation and the chimney to prevent damage to it. Only use fiberglass, rock wool or another form of non-combustible insulation in the walls and heat shielding around your wood burning stove. The protective shielding on your walls will not protect the plastic insulation around the electrical wiring inside the wall next to a chimney.