Knowing Proper Building Codes when Installing a Wood Stove

Installing a wood stove in your home will make your heating much more environmentally friendly, however it's important to be aware of the building codes for wood stoves so you can protect your health while keeping yourself warm.

Wood stoves are much more efficient than an open fire and can quite easily consume all of the oxygen in a room. If they are not installed correctly they can also cause a release of carbon monoxide into the air in the room. This is lethal because carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for killing thousands of people every year.

Purpose of Building Codes

The purpose of building codes is not just to make your life more complicated. Actually the real reason for these building codes is to make fitting a wood burning stove safer. These wood burning stoves might save the environment, but you don't want it to affect your health in any way.

Insurance

Another important reason to abide by the building codes when installing a wood stove is because it can affect your insurance. If you fail to keep up with the requirements then your insurance may not be valid. If any damage is ever caused to you or your property as a direct result of the wood stove then the insurance may not be able to cover the repairs.

Fire Pad

A wood stove cannot be mounted directly onto your floor. It must be mounted onto a pad of stone, concrete or other non- flammable material. This is a safety concern and will ensure that your fire cannot cause any harm to your home or risk setting your home on fire.

There are a number of materials suitable for making the stove pad including ceramic tiles, concrete and natural stone. These fires should never be mounted directly onto wood floorboards no matter how quirky they look.

Venting

Because wood burning stoves are so efficient they can produce a lot of heat. This heat will consume the oxygen in the room which can make breathing difficult. A vent must be fitted which is the right size for your wood stove, this will allow enough fresh air into your room and will also remove the toxic gasses from the room.

Lining

Almost all wood burning stoves are fitted in the existing fireplace which means you don't have to worry about building a new chimney stack. However, chimneys can suffer from fires in the chimney due to the ash catching light. A metal lining can be dropped down the chimney to make this much less of an issue. This lining will also make it much easier to clean your chimney when needed

Check Local Building Codes

The building codes that we've looked at above are standard building codes. The actual building codes may differ significantly depending on your country and state. There are many different building codes to consider when installing a wood stove in your home.

Search local and state website for more information about these building codes and what you need to consider when installing a wood stove.