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What To Put Behind a Wood Burning Stove?

What To Put Behind a Wood Burning Stove

Wood burning stoves are a necessity for people living in extremely cold weather or places where there is winter for most of the time of year. The job does not end with buying the perfect and right size wood burning stove because many things might need your attention. For example, the wall behind the stove, where you have installed the wood burning stove, can get damaged or spoiled by too much heat leaking from the behind of the stove.

The heat can also cause the wall to burn which may lead to a mishap or accident later. There is no need to get scared of this problem because there is no problem that does not come with a solution. You just have to find the right solution to solve the problem and we already did that for you. We came up with different options that you can put behind a wood burning stove to protect your wall.

Reason to put something behind the stove

Wood burning stoves are made of metal sheets and the metal is used to absorb the heat from fire produced by burning wood. It will then radiate that heat into the room to make it warm. This is the reason that objects or things must not be placed too close to the stove because the heated metal can damage them and can cause an accident.

It can be avoided to place objects near the stove but you need to install a stove ahead of a wall. Walls are built of strong material but they can also be spoiled if too much heat is received at the same point for long. A solution to this problem is that you need to install or put a heat-resistant material object behind the stove. Here is an informational guide that will help you in this process step-by-step.

What to Put Behind a Wood Burning Stove?

Here is a list of things that you can put behind the wall with some valid reasons in detail that will help you understand how an object or material can protect the wall from excessive heat. We also added some pros and cons in the form of individual lists so it is easy to distinguish between them and convenient in choosing one.

Faux panel

The faux panel comes first in the list of what to put behind a wood burning stove. It is a low-density foam that is made of plastic and heat-resistant materials. This can prove to be a very beneficial product as a protective layer for your wall against the excessive heat of the wood burning stove. It is not as durable as bricks or stones but can provide you enough protection.

They are very lightweight and easy to install or apply on the wall with the help of adhesive back. You can also cut it into different shapes or sizes according to your needs and requirements. Faux panels are available in different styles and designs so you can have numerous options to choose from that matches your home furniture and décor.

Pros

  • Heat resistant
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to install
  • Cuts easily
  • Many designs available

Cons

  • Low durability than others

Fireback

The next product we have to protect your walls is a traditional and old way that is firebacks. Firebacks are made of heavy iron and steel so that it is effective against heat to protect your wall from huge damage. They are much durable and strong as compared to other materials that are put behind the wall.

They can protect your walls by absorbing the heat as well as it can reflect the heat in the room so it can get warmer with effectiveness. As much as they serve in controlling the heat and its damage, it is also beneficial in decorating your homes. They come with different patterns with a historic or aesthetic touch that can add a sense of style to your house.

Pros

  • Strong and durable
  • Iron made
  • Great protection
  • Heat resistant and reflector
  • Stylish and traditional

Cons

  • Heavyweight
  • Can be expensive than others

Bricks

Bricks are also a good source to protect your walls from getting damaged due to the heat of the wood burning stove. You can use masonry or clay bricks to build or construct a small wall behind the stove. Fire bricks are more reliable than masonry bricks and are capable of withstanding higher temperatures.

Bricks can also be used in the stove so the metal of a wood burning stove can also be protected from getting heated up and melting or damaging. It does not matter which brick type you use to protect your walls but make sure that you leave some space between the wall and bricks for regular airflow.

Pros

  • Endure high temperatures
  • Strong and durable
  • Can be customized

Cons

  • No premade designs

Tiles

The fourth material in the list is the tiles. Tiles are also considered the same category as the bricks. They are made of different materials like ceramic, concrete, glass, stone, marble, granite, or slate. These materials used to make tiles are popular because of their strength, durability, endurance, and also heat resistance.

You can choose any type of tile and construct them onto the wall with insulation and some professional help so there is no chance of any mistakes. There is no use of tile to protect walls from heat if you do not use insulation. They are available in basic or solid colors as well as in different stylish designs so you have a great variety to choose from to style the protection of your wall.

Pros

  • Made of different materials
  • Heat resistance
  • Reliable

Cons

  • Heavyweight

Heatshield

The next protecting material we have is the heatshield. Heatshields are made of two panels with carbon composite and carbon foam that is super-heated so they can work against the excessive heat of the wood-burning stove to protect the wall from heat. They are made in different sizes so you can choose according to your requirements or needs.

To install the heatshield, you will find a lot of instructions, manuals and tutorials but it is best to gain professional opinion as it can be critical if you do not have prior knowledge of heatshields. You will need to apply the shield at 45 degrees and it must have a gap from the wall so the air can pass through for ventilation.

Pros

  • Specially made to absorb heat
  • Different sizes
  • Constructed with carbon
  • Durable and reliable

Cons

  • Cannot be customized

Concrete

The second last thing that we recommend you for protecting your wall from the heat of the wood burning stove is concrete. To protect the wall against excessive heat, you will need to build a board of concrete like you make a small wall of bricks and then place the wall behind the wood burning stove with some gap between the wall and concrete board.

You can also attach the concrete board to the wall but you will need insulation to make it effective for protection.  You can also protect the floor from getting damaged by constructing a concrete board for the floor too.

Pros

  • Reliable and durable
  • Can absorb heat
  • Protects the wall from damage
  • Can be painted for designing

Cons

  • May need professional help

Insulated shields

The last material that we have for the list of what to put behind a wood burning stove is insulated shields. Insulated shields are just like heat shields that we discussed above. The difference between heatshield and insulated shield is of constructing material.

The heatshield is made of carbon whereas insulated shields are made of steel, aluminum, or thermal ceramic. It is made in three parts that can be folded in different angles to put around the stove for protection. These can also be used for cooking stoves.

Pros

  • Reliable and durable
  • Heat protection against fire
  • Different designs
  • Multiple applications

Cons

  • May not be available for bigger stoves

How to protect the wall from the wood burning stove?

You might be thinking about how to attach or install all these materials to protect them from heat. Here we penned down a very easy, simple, and convenient method that will let you attach your desired material to the wall. Here, we divided the method into three steps so you can understand it completely.

Step # 1: Size of the object

The first step in this method is to check for the size of the material you need for the wall behind the stove. Let’s suppose that you choose a fireback or heat shield as your solution. You will need a fire back or heat shield of a size that is a little bigger than the stove so it can protect the wall completely.

Measure the height and width of your stove and then find a suitable material that is a little bigger than the measurements you took. Make sure that you note all the details of the wood burning stove like the design of the stove so then you can buy according to the shape or design.

Step # 2: Matching with interior or décor

The next step in this procedure is a completely personal choice of you to rather follow it or not. You will know the importance of this step if you are a person that loves to style your house or are concerned about its design. Designing or styling the back of your stove or wall can be an imposing and modest touch to your house that will show how creative and stylish you are.

The start of the step is to look for the material according to the design and décor of your interior so that it can match the atmosphere of your house and does not give a bad impression of the place. You can choose an antique fireback or a heat shield of contrasting color with your furniture or walls.

Step # 3: Attaching the object  

The third and the last step of this step-by-step procedure is a very important and main part. In this step, you will come to know about attaching or installing the material or object behind the wood burning stove. If you are using bricks, tiles, faux panels, or concrete then you need to make a small wall from it with the measurements that you noted in the first step and attach it to the wall with some kind of glue or nails.

If you are using insulated shields, heat shields, or fire back then you will have to attach it with the help of installation brackets. It comes with a brass plug that will not get damaged from extra heat. You can attach the installation brackets in two directions. You can either attach the fire back with brackets on top and bottom or you can use them on the left or right side.

Conclusion:

A lot of wood burning stoves are installed in open fireplaces or traditional fireplaces that will help in providing the necessary space to the produced heat by the stove so it does not damage the wall. But you do not have to worry if you do not have an existing fireplace because you can place all these things that we mentioned above so your heat problem can be solved. We assure you that by applying our suggested things to protect your wall, you will never regret this decision that you just made in time.

We also discussed a simple method that will let you install all these things easily and simply. We are more than glad that you found us in time and were able to save your wall with our help. We will also recommend you install clearances or stove hoods for fire and heat so your ventilation system can get better and there is no excessive problem that will cause any trouble.