Tom Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Hi all - we are having our stove fitted in a few weeks so I need to think about siting it. Our floor is polished concrete and we plan to have the stove up on a concrete plinth. This is the stove we have: https://www.lacunza.net/ad-en/freestanding-stoves/verona-1000 - and I want to cast a similar sort of concrete base for it to sit on. There is a ducted air feed coming up underneath it, so the base will need to be hollow. My idea is to make a base with concrete blocks that is a few inches too narrow (bedded on mortar), then make a concrete former around the blocks that is a few inches longer/wider, then pour concrete between the former and the blocks. Would this work do you think? Any better ideas? Really can't think how best to do it, but could have some trial runs outside over the weekend. Thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crofter Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I'd be tempted just to sit the stove on the floor, although I believe you need to delineate an area around it. You could use a tempered glass hearth for that. Not sure how you'd get on drilling a hole through it for the air supply... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 14 minutes ago, Crofter said: I'd be tempted just to sit the stove on the floor, although I believe you need to delineate an area around it. You could use a tempered glass hearth for that. Not sure how you'd get on drilling a hole through it for the air supply... I get what you're saying but we wanted it raised up a bit to form a bit more of a room-divider too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 FYI there's some minimum hearth size/height BC regs to observe. I might be tempted to make a PU / EPS / PIR former for the inside to save on concrete - otherwise it'll be proper heavy. Did similar for a concrete shower tray once. BTW I found a bit of EPDM was ideal for moving the stove around on the hearth without scratching it - before taking away the EPDM when the stove was in the right place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 If you are posting concrete, use a vibrating poker in the concrete, multi tool vibrating the shutter or electric sander vibrating the shutter to ensure no air voids and to get the max strength 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 5 minutes ago, TonyT said: If you are posting concrete, use a vibrating poker in the concrete, multi tool vibrating the shutter or electric sander vibrating the shutter to ensure no air voids and to get the max strength good shout, was going to use the SDS drill but multi tool sounds better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 56 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said: FYI there's some minimum hearth size/height BC regs to observe. I might be tempted to make a PU / EPS / PIR former for the inside to save on concrete - otherwise it'll be proper heavy. Did similar for a concrete shower tray once. BTW I found a bit of EPDM was ideal for moving the stove around on the hearth without scratching it - before taking away the EPDM when the stove was in the right place. Like the idea of a PIR former 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Here's what I did in the end. Lightweight block "core" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Wood former around the outside and fill with concrete between this and the blocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Timber removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crofter Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Looking good! What's going on the sides and the top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 When you said you wanted it "raised up a bit" I expected an inch or two. What is going on the floor? I am not sure that stand is big enough to meed the space the "hearth" needs to be around the stove? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 If you need more space around it, one possibly acceptable way may be to have a set of modern hearth rails at a suitable height. In concept think of the altar rails in churches, but made out of eg wrought iron or something shiny. Or a traditional fender if that is permissible. I think the only difference I might have done with the cast concrete would have been to use shiny sheet for the mould to make it very smooth - but that might have shown imperfections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 3 hours ago, Crofter said: Looking good! What's going on the sides and the top? The stove on the top and nowt on the sides! 3 hours ago, ProDave said: What is going on the floor? I am not sure that stand is big enough to meed the space the "hearth" needs to be around the stove? The floor is concrete. BR needs 225mm in front and 150mm to the sides IIRC which obviously must not be flammable (which the floor wont be!) but also serves as a demarcation so furniture etc cant get too close - so we might just put down some tiles to satisfy them for sign off and then remove after. 3 hours ago, Ferdinand said: I think the only difference I might have done with the cast concrete would have been to use shiny sheet for the mould to make it very smooth - but that might have shown imperfections. Exactly this. Looks good when smoothe but has to be 100%. Our floor is going to be polished, so I think the contrast with the rough concrete monolith will look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Regardless of the rules, I like a hearth with edging to catch embers when loading, and retain ash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 On 13/01/2024 at 12:27, ProDave said: What is going on the floor? I am not sure that stand is big enough to meed the space the "hearth" needs to be around the stove? Looks fine to me. Very similar to what we did: ours is also sitting on a cast concrete plinth, save that we have a steel tabletop between the stove and the plinth. You can’t really see the plinth in this photo as it’s the same colour and finish as the floor: microcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 On 13/01/2024 at 15:55, Tom said: we might just put down some tiles to satisfy them for sign off and then remove after. I really doubt this is going to be raised by building regs. They just leave these things to the stove installer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsibob Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 On 13/01/2024 at 15:55, Tom said: Our floor is going to be polished, so I think the contrast with the rough concrete monolith will look good. Maybe. Alternatively, can you ask the flooring polisher, to polish your plinth as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 >>> I really doubt this is going to be raised by building regs. Yeah I was in a place yesterday where a refurb was done 10 years ago. The hearth didn’t conform to regs but BC must not have been that bothered. And the burner and flue was on the original planning docs so it likely wasn’t a later addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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