Installing a wood stove in my garage

[General Lee]

Greetings,

I picked up a 55,000 BTU wood stove and all the correct piping for my 28x28 garage. This will be my first wood stove and a first time installing one.

I spend a decent amount of time in the garage and my labs are basically housed in there as well. I'm just getting tired of using propane and kerosene as my heat source (too expensive). I actually can't wait to get it installed, and I've already started collecting and splitting wood Plus I get to use my tractor to haul logs and firewood and its a great feeling of satisfaction that the labor is going to good use.

Any garage wood stove users out there? Any tips or advice?

 

[ToadHill]

Make sure you have proper clearance around the stove and the stovepipe. If you have fire insurance on the garage and the stove isn't installed right your company may decline a claim if you have one.

 

[schmism]

have had one for years, my dad has had one ever sence i can remember being in his garage, my uncle and my 2 cousins all have wood garage stoves.

the more centrally located the better it will heat the garage.

Include a ceiling fan above the stove

vertically vented is best for performance (draft etc)

in theory any stovepipe that runs through a non-insulated area should be insulated stove pipe (to keep the combustion gasses hot enough to properly rise all the way up and keep creosote deposits to a min)

i burn a LOT of scrap pallets in mine. wood is free, dry, usually hardwood and makes easy starting kindling.

 

[Mike Costello]

I recently installed a wood stove in my garage. A couple of suggestions: 1) Use insulated stove pipe going through the roof with the proper flashing and make sure it's well sealed against water intrusion from rain and snow. 2) If wind is a problem, consider using a chimney cap I used called a vacu-stack. I was having trouble with smoke puffing back down the chimney on windy days and the vacu-stack cured the problem nicely. The stove draws very well now. 3) On the interior side I used single wall black stove pipe from the stove up to the insulated ceiling support.
If done right, all should work well and the garage will be nice n toasty! Mike.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

if placing it near a corner, use a layer of durock over a layer of sheetrock to help heep heat off the wall. If you want it to look pretty, you can add tile or 1/2 brick veneer to that. Make sure you've got at least 2' of clearance between the stove and combustibles, too.

 

[sherpa]

How are you getting the pipe out of the garage, do you have a chimney?

We love heating with wood. We heat out home and garage with wood stoves.

We enjoy harvesting wood, cutting splitting and stacking wood.
We even cook meals on our indoor stoves with dutch ovens.
sherpa

 

[General Lee]

if placing it near a corner, use a layer of durock over a layer of sheetrock to help heep heat off the wall. If you want it to look pretty, you can add tile or 1/2 brick veneer to that. Make sure you've got at least 2' of clearance between the stove and combustibles, too.

It most likely will be going in a corner. Even though the stove only recommends 8 inches of clearance from the wall, I should still add Durock?

 

[General Lee]

How are you getting the pipe out of the garage, do you have a chimney?

From the stove...... about 9 foot of black pipe to the ceiling, then once through the ceiling, Class A insulated pipe through the attic and out through the roof. Straight up.......No 90's

 

[Highbeam]

Well, wood stoves are actually illegal in the garage. You would have to build a room within the garage for the stove.

Doesn't mean people don't do it but it does mean that if the place burns down that your insurance won't cover you. Worst yet, if the fire spreads to a neighbor's property or hurts someone that you are liable and uninsured. Kinda ugly really. You can check this because when you go to get a permit for it, the permit will be denied.

If you choose to do it anyway be sure that you make it foolproof and be extra diligent to avoid chimney fires.

Another option for a garage is a wood furnace that will make gobs of hot air and is more likely to be permitted.

Remember, unpermitted = illegal = void your insurance.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

It most likely will be going in a corner. Even though the stove only recommends 8 inches of clearance from the wall, I should still add Durock?

OK - then it's a double wall model, but I'd still make sure there was something non-flammable in that corner, just to be safe, and durock is cheap. $10 per sheet and you only need one 3x5 sheet on each wall to give you plenty of coverage.

 

[NSBound]

Well, wood stoves are actually illegal in the garage.

I think that this type of thing is governed by local building codes, so you can't make a blanket statement like that to everyone. In my area, they are not illegal, but we do have to have the installation inspected and approved by a WETT inspector (Wood Energy Technology Transfer).

 

[General Lee]

Well, wood stoves are actually illegal in the garage. You would have to build a room within the garage for the stove.

Doesn't mean people don't do it but it does mean that if the place burns down that your insurance won't cover you. Worst yet, if the fire spreads to a neighbor's property or hurts someone that you are liable and uninsured. Kinda ugly really. You can check this because when you go to get a permit for it, the permit will be denied.

If you choose to do it anyway be sure that you make it foolproof and be extra diligent to avoid chimney fires.

Another option for a garage is a wood furnace that will make gobs of hot air and is more likely to be permitted.

Remember, unpermitted = illegal = void your insurance.

Maybe illegal in your state, but I've already spoke to my insurance company. They just want to come and inspect it after installation. I haven't run across any info where a garage wood stove is illegal in my state. I will definitely do some digging to make sure since you mentioned it.

 

[Highbeam]

Canada has their own rules but we have a national building code. Ask your insurance company about your unpermitted install and see if they change their tune. You'd better get that in writing too. If you can get a permit for your garage install then you're golden, I betchya can't.

 

[NSBound]

If you can get a permit for your garage install then you're golden, I betchya can't.

Got it, did it, inspected, approved, insured - all in writing!

 

[Highbeam]

Like I said, Canada has their own rules. The rest of the folks in this thread, including the OP, are from America. Maybe in Mexico you can put a stove in the garage too.

That said, if me or anybody else can accomplish what you did,

"Got it, did it, inspected, approved, insured - all in writing!"

Then that's great. I would love to have a wood burner in the garage.

 

[tommu56]

If you do put a wood stove in the garage don't do any parts cleaning in the garage.
We had a neighbor cleaning car parts with a kerosene heater in there and the fumes got to the heater and the garage and cars were a total loss luckily he got out with just a sun burn on his hands and face.

tom

 

[westcliffe01]

If it is a "workshop", you may get a permit if it is clear to the inspector that no fuel or solvents etc will be stored in the area and that it is not used for parked vehicles. There will be some other requirements, like a fireproof door and the interior will have to be appropriately finished (drywall to provide fireproofing etc).

 

[Duffster]

we have a national building code..

Since when?

I am assuming you meant "we" as the United States.

 

[studor]

Maybe in Mexico you can put a stove in the garage too.

Nah -- there you put the garage in the stove on cold nights

First off you have to stop calling it a garage -it is a shop
If it is an attached garage you will have difficulty in a number of places (like most of the US and Canada)
A detached garage is different than a shop -- in a lot of places you can heat a shop with wood -- garages on the other hand are a bit more problematic because of immediate thoughts by inspectors of gasoline and expensive vehicle storage etc. I heat my shop with wood but not my garage

 

[General Lee]

I talked to my insurance company again and since the garage is finished....ie; dywall etc, it is considered living space so as long they come out and inspect it and everything checks ok it will covered.