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Introduction
A wood stove radiates heat in all directions, so you must place it on a noncombustible surface and maintain safe clearances from walls and other combustible surfaces. Follow local building codes and the manufacturer's recommendations to determine the best location for a stove and the correct size of the noncombustible hearth and fire wall.
Run the flue pipe before installing the veneer. Use brick veneer on the wall. For the hearth, you can use brick veneer, as shown here, or full-size bricks.
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finished project
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1. Plan the location
Shown above are two options for venting a wood-burning stove. You can install a masonry flue in the wall or extend a class-A metal flue up through the roof. Before you begin the project, check local requirements for chimney height above the roof line. Assemble the chimney and flue so you know exactly where the stove needs to be located. As you assemble the metal chimney, fit the sections together with the crimped ends pointing toward the stove. That way, any condensing moisture will flow back to the fire and dissipate.
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2. Lay out the job
Based on manufacturer's recommendations and local codes, decide on the dimensions of your hearth and fire wall. To avoid cutting too many bricks, use a modular spacing rule to set your dimensions so as to use a whole number of bricks.
Use a level and straightedge to mark the outline of the fire wall on the wall. Lay out the radius corners on the hearth using a string and pencil compass. The corners shown are 16-inch radii; you can vary the shape of the corner according to the shape of your stove and how much hearth area you want in front of it.
If you have carpeting, cut it and its pad out and remove it. Remove a section of baseboard molding wide enough to accommodate the fire wall. If required by code, first screw 1/4-inch-thick cement board to the floor and wall. Screws on the wall should attach to studs.
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Lay the bricks
Depending on the composition of the brick veneer material, you simply may be able to apply thin-set mortar to the wall and attach the veneer directly to it. Or, see Installing Stone Veneer, related projects, for applying a scratch coat and mortar. Use shallow plastic spacers to maintain consistent joints between the bricks. When applying the brick veneer to the wall, check for level and plumb with a carpenter's level.
Dry-fit the bricks for the hearth border to establish joint spacing before laying them permanently in mortar. Then start in a corner and lay the remainder of the floor bricks. Cut the bricks with a brick set and baby sledgehammer. Wait a day for the bricks to set, then grout the joints (see Installing Light-Weight Brick Veneer).
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