Woodstock Keystone/Palladian flue size

How close are you to that 30" required mantle clearance? If your short I think about the only thing you can do is a mantle shield or get rid of the mantle if you want to pass inspection.

 

+1 Would a low profile heat shields painted white blend in?

 

I definitely don't meet the 30" mantel clearance. Does this only apply to any portion of the mantle that hangs directly over the stove? The mantel shelf is only about 5" deep. I'm concerned about the horizontal part of the wood mantel as well.

Interesting idea about painted while shield - first I want to fully understand all the clearance requirements.

 

I have a mantle that extends out a few inches also and I had a local sheet metal shop make a heat shield to my measurements. You dont really see it there. I had enough clearance but I still wanted to deflect the heat out and away from it.

 

Does your mantel have a board running underneath the shelf like mine?

 

The manual isn't real clear on these clearances. Send Woodstock a picture and see what they have to say, I'm sure they have delt with this issue many times.

 

Yes, I have clearance to that. I should get a small shield for that. It is only a 3/4" protrusion on that board. If you need ideas, I can mock one up with cardboard and post a few pics. Essentially my mantle is similar construction.

 

Thanks fishingpol, that would be helpful but I hate to put you to the trouble.

I have sent WS pictures and I must admit I am still a little confused (Todd is right, clearances are confusing). The way I understand what they told me, I must meet a 30" clearance measured from any top portion of the stove to ANY point above the stove and at any angle. This would apply not to just the narrow shelf which would not hang directly over the stove, but also to the the horizontal board underneath the shelf. The shelf is easy, just add a shield under it. The board under the shelf is the problem.

The funny thing is when you count side clearance, its measured PERPENDICULAR from the side of the stove. When you measure top clearance, you treat the top surface like a point source and measure at ANY ANGLE above the stove. They were very clear on this.

If I interpret this correctly, I would need to either rip out the entire wood mantle, or put metal shield all the way around it spaced out 1". Wife rejects both plans.

 

Well it sounds like your in a bit of a pickle. My mantle clearance is short and I was going to install a heat shield but the hottest I've ever seen it get is 140. It got much hotter when the old fireplace was burning.

 

How much mantle clearance do you have?

 

A shield that covers the bottom edge of that horizontal board would be pretty easy. The wrench in the works is measuring 30" at any angle on the top surface. Perpendicular measuring on the top with the shield would be no problem to the bottom edge of that board. It is measuring from the front top of the stove at an angle to the horizontal board is where the problem lies.

Pickle is right.

 

21" But the way my new hearth was built I think it creates a good air flow around the stove and helps cool the mantle.

 

If it only gets up to 140F, I wouldn't worry about it. You should have seen the death traps I survived as a kid.

 

I might have missed it but what are your measurements? Do you have a rough idea of how and where the stove will sit on the hearth, how tall it is, and what your measurements will be with the stove sitting there? From what you've said here it sounds like the only thing you can do is a heat shield on the mantle across the top or rip it all out and put in something new or extend the hearth and place the stove further out in the room.

 

Todd

I'm a little slow here, how the heck do you load that stove?

Are you saying you only have 21" from top of stove to bottom of mantle board? The stove sits so far inside the cavity its hard to figure out how that impacts the necessary clearances.

 

Yup I think you are right, mantle shield across the top or rip it out. I could not pull it out far enough into the room to help. Pickle time. I'm not giving up just yet.

 

Keystone is 28" tall.
Lintel is 29" from floor
Shelf lower surface is 51" from floor
Bottom edge of horizontal mantel board is 38" from floor

So there is only 10" of mantel clearance from stove top to lower edge of board. It would be easy to add a shield below the board to protect the bottom 3/4" thick edge which protrudes from the wall, but it's the 13" wide board itself I am worried about.

 

Exactly, you see the same problem I do. But also measuring from the back top of the stove at an angle to the horizontal board is even worse.

 

The loading door swings out 90 degrees before it hits the brick so there's no problem loading.

Yes, only 21" from stove top to the bottom of the mantle. With the old fireplace there was no way I could keep my hand on that mantle but now it's just warm even with a 700 stove top.