Block Off Plate

Had to add this:
Was looking at the Home Depot website, and the sheet metal that I wanted said it would be available at my store TODAY. That piqued my interest, so last Saturday I was picking up some potting soil, and decided to investigate. Again, someone asked to help me find something. I told him I was looking for sheet metal, not flashing, perhaps where the steel rods and such where? He frowned, said he didn't think they had anything, then took me to where the metal fabrication stuff was to show me. There were sheets that were kind of small, and I asked if they had anything bigger. He said no, and I looked a little closer, and spotted some nice sized sheets. "Hey, wait! Here is something!" I said. "Oh, yeah." he said, without a clue. When he left, I muttered to myself, "I should know better than to ask them and just look for it myself." A couple nearby started laughing.
I am going to plan the job for the end of May, I took off that week for other jobs like painting, hauling and such. The roxul is expensive!

 

I almost always decline assistance. I know where most stuff is at HD.
Yeah, I looked at getting some Roxul once. Evidently, its got a high percentage of gold mixed in or something. Pricey.

 

Well, I've got the Roxul (ComfortBatt). I plan on working on this around the end of May or so. My question is now, Is there any way without removing the liner to get that insulation up inside the chimney as far as possible? 'Cause I am not taking that liner out. Also, I remember that liner being somewhat flexible, and they had to use a "shoe" to attach it to the stove; am I going to mess up the connection if I don't line the block off plate just so? I also remember the installer broke out some of the damper throat to get it to fit.

 

Sort of--it is like fiberglass insulation, only a bit stiffer, and without backing, of course. It comes in a package of 12 batts, 15 1/4 by 47 inches, and 3.5 inches thick.

 

Yeah, that was my original plan, to stuff a lot up before the plate got installed. But since I have an outside chimney (on the north side no less), I wondered if I should be more aggressive.
Not that I am looking for any more work--got enough to do around here!

 

If the damper was cut to make room for the diameter of the liner, there is probably little chance of moving the liner aside to put the insulation up. I imagine you could cut the Roxul to shorter lengths, fold lengthwise and shove it up. A push stick should help. Filling the smoke chamber with Roxul will take a bit of material.

T stew put up some great pictures. Very good information.

 

Also steel pop rivets are great for overlapping sheet metal.

 

The damper wasn't cut to make room as much as to avoid an odd angle; as I recall, every time they tried to screw the liner to the insert thimble, it kept popping off, hence the boot. I think there was a pretty wide smoke shelf, so that is why they broke out some of the stones.

 

haven't got a pop rivet gun; I was planning on silicone?

 

Yes, the angle can be difficult to make a straight down connection to the stove pipe adaptor.

 

Do you have self tapping sheet metal screws and a screw gun? I just like a good mechanical fastener as the sheet metal can buckle a little from the heat.

I used high temp silicone around the perimeter of my block off plate and it off-gassed for days while curing.

 

The screws sound like a good idea.
Not so sure off-gassing would be a problem in summer? Or do you think it would still stink by October?

 

Possibly, when the high stove temps hit it. Maybe a few early September fires when you can open windows to let fresh air in.

 

Probably a POS, but its $5. Comes with 100 assorted rivets.
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-riveter-set-38353.html

 

Good old HarborFreight!! Wish they had one by me. Used to stop there all the time when I went down to Baltimore to see my father. I will have to get me one of those...

 

UPDATE...sort of.
Okay, I got the stove guys to take the insert out last Friday, got the block off in the fireplace this week. Problem is, I had miscalculated where the liner protruded, I know it was either towards the front or the back, and figured it was towards back, as that was where the damper throat was broken out the most. Friend with break came, brought some lighter weight aluminum, cut to size, but insisted on doing most of it for me. I was also dealing with the septic guy who arrived right after him, so after telling him I wanted to shove as much roxul up the chimney as possible, I went out to deal with septic guy. When I came back in, my friend had put "some" roxul in, and had already nailed the plate in place. I didn't want to take it out, so spent the rest of the morning stuffing pieces up around the 1" gap that we left for "play".
Stove guys came back this morning to re-install, discovered the area that the liner was supposed to go was towards the front, not the front, not the back.
So, had to snip out about 4 inches so the liner would line up to the insert properly. Took more roxul and shoved as much as I could behind the pipe. Sigh.
Not sure how much good that did, but I feel like I wasted $225.
That's it, I give up.