When I was first looking for heat shields to protect our wall, all of the options I found were either very expensive or ugly or both. We were going to use an older Fisher model stove that we had been gifted, but found out that to be safe, the stove would have to stick way too far our into our living room. The wood stove we eventually bought does NOT require a heat shield. Most of the newer models don’t require one. But when our chimney was inspected and fixed by a pro, he did leave a nasty cement ring around the outside of the pipe. So, a heat shield seemed like a good way to cover that up, get a little wall protection and create a focal point for the room.
I had seen wood stove heat shields made with tin ceiling tiles before, but I also knew there were some regulations that we wanted to adhere to. (Again, we don’t NEED the heat shield, but we pretty much stuck with the regulations.) For example, heat shields need to be 1 inch off the ground and have a one inch air barrier for air behind them. They should also be made out of noncombustible material, so no wood heat shields. 🙂 For more information on regulations, check with your local chimney professional and your insurance company.
Anyway, while Googling, as ya do, I found this company, American Tin Ceilings. They have a wide selection of tin ceiling tile, so I picked out the tile I liked the most (the black matte nail up pattern #1), ordered it, and they shipped it right to me. They even have a calculator on their site that helps you figure out how much tile you need. With shipping, my tile cost about $250.
So the easy part was over. After the tile arrived, George got to work. He went to the hardware store and bought aluminum metal flat bars and copper couplings. The flat bars will attach the tin ceiling tiles together and the copper couplings will be used to keep the ceiling tiles off the wall for air flow.
He then cut the flat bars and created an aluminum flat bar grid for the back of the tiles by measuring how tall and wide the tiles would be when put together. This creates a sturdy backing for the tiles. To create the grid, he drilled holes through the front of the tiles and the grid to connect the tiles together. After the tiles and frame were connected with machine screws and nuts, we held the tile structure loosely against the wall.
We then took the copper couplings and held them against the wall, behind the structure. (You can see how the completed project looks from the side in the photo above.) George drilled pilot holes through the structure, then ran drywall screws through the middle of the couplings, thus attaching them to the wall. This allows for a 1″ air barrier behind the wood stove heat shield. See the photos below for how it looks against the wall.
This isn’t the easiest project to replicate (or even explain!) but I think it was well-worth it to create a modern, one-of-a-kind heat shield.
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments. I know this may be difficult to understand without pictures.
PRODUCT UPDATE:
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like this model stove is made anymore, but here is a similar one.
Underneath the stove is a piece of quartz we had cut by a local company.
Please remember to get your stoves professionally installed and inspected. Fire safety is important!!
Cool project. My husband and I are going to try to replicate it for our hearth. Did your aluminum grid run across every seam? And which installation type did you choose when ordering the tiles from American Tin Ceilings? Thanks!
Hey Sara, yes, the grid ran across every seam. I’m not 100% sure what you mean by installation type, but I think “ceiling and wall”?
Hi Melanie, came across this heat shield and looks cool but can you tell me what your hearth is made of or how it was constructed? Looks interesting and what I am looking for as an alternative to brick. Also how have your metal tiles held up since they are painted; i.e, has the heat affected them adversely over use….thought the painted version couldn’t be used because of this? Thx. for your help.
Hi Melanie, was hoping to get some input on your surround and hearth as working on one of these now….how do the metal tiles hold up to the heat – i.e, sounds when they heat up and the fact they are painted. Would really like to know how the hearth was made. Could you advise on these please?
Hey Donna, looks like you might have accidentally commented twice, so I’m going to respond to this comment. The tiles have not been painted by me. They came from http://www.americantinceilings.com in that color. I believe they are powdercoated and powedercoating can withstand fairly high heat, although honestly the tiles never get hot. (You could double-check with the tile manufacturer if you are concerned.) I have put my hand to them several times and they barely feel warm. With modern stoves like this one, they don’t actually need a heat shield, but we liked the look of it. If you want to get unfinished tiles and paint them yourself, I know hardware stores sell high-heat paint. (Like this: https://amzn.to/2SpHqli) The hearth is made of a piece of quartz that was specialty cut from a local business.
Sorry about the double input Melanie, thought it didn’t take. We have a new stove but rules in Canada for install are over the top vs. U.S. so assumed there would be a lot of heat involved. Good to know not an issued with the powder coated versions as here there is limited color options to the high heat paint. I really like your minimalist approach to the install so can you just clarify……re the hearth did you just build a box and apply the quartz over it? Thx again.
No, you can’t use wood around a stove, so you can’t build a box. (At least not in the US) The hearth is floating on a rubber mat with holes, similar to this: https://amzn.to/2SzrXzj
Thanx for this post! How did the flat bars attach to the tiles?
Screws!