How to Install a Wood Stove & Fire Codes

Wood stoves have general fire codes.

Wood stoves add a functional heat source to a home. However, the amount of heat produced requires additional fire codes. These are general codes and different for registered and unregistered wood stoves. Each state has its own codes as well. There are specific "do's" and "don'ts" to consider for installing a wood stove.

Things You'll Need

• State and local fire codes
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Check your state and local fire codes with regard to wood stove installation. The codes are available at your local government office or the state website.

2. Read the label on the side of the wood stove for additional information about clearance. including its required distance from walls. In general, stoves more than 10 years old require 48 inches of clearance. Newer, safety-tested stoves require 36 inches of clearance from the wall. Measure this distance with a tape measure before installation to ensure you have the proper clearance

3. Measure the base of the stove width and length. The installation surface (tiled area) must provide 6 inches of clearance on each side.

4. Ensure that the wood stove and its exhaust pipe have at least 18 inches of clearance from a protected wall, including tiled walls and brick walls.

5. Install stove on tiled (or protected floor like brick or cement) with proper installation distance. Connect stovepipe to stove using the provided hardware and vent directly through the roof or into a chimney with at least 18 inches of masonry on either side of the pipe.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave stove feet on the stove. Removing these is against fire codes and invalidates the stove's safety rating.

References

• Hearth: Wood Stove Clearances: Installing It Safely
• NASDOnline: What to Install Stove On

Resources

• University of Missouri Extension: Wood Stoves and Their Installation
• Buckley Rumford Fireplaces: NFPA 211
• Woodheat: Stove Clearance Distances