Wood Stove Install - Interview

Since I posted the review of the Century Hearth Wood Stove, it seems appropriate to get some input from the stove's installer regarding the "How-To" of installation.


Question: What was the hardest part of this installation?

Answer: I expected the hardest part of the installation to be removing the shingles, cutting a hole in the roof, and re-establishing a water-tight seal. That turned out to be easier than I expected. I chose a warm day, a flat pry bar and did not try to rush the job. Shingle nails were easily removed and I was careful not to break the old, brittle shingles.

As it turned out, centering the two-hundred pound stove under the hole by myself was the biggest challenge.


Question: Other than the stove itself, what were some of the other required expenses?

Answer: Double-walled pipe - at over $30 per foot - made me wonder just how important that element of fire safety really is. Stories of slip-shod chimneys catching a house on fire gave me an appreciation for how important it was to do this job right.


Question: Had you known then what you know now, is there anything you might have done differently with this installation?

Answer: No - not really. Some good choices were made in having the stack taller than the code required for a good draft, and not including any bends or elbows - again to maintain the strongest possible draft.