Shop Cabin Stove Permitting and Code Considerations

Interesting, I am not sure how the specific code references go in Canada. It would be good to track this down. We don’t yet have an experienced Canadian heater builder in our ranks but I will work on recruiting a couple (of amazing ones) I know! :slight_smile: Do you know if the NFPA 211 applies in Canada? This is where the default clearances when no other reference applies would likely come from for the US context. It might be good to split this specific Canadian code chain of reference into a new thread.

It depends on both quantity and size. I would imagine they need to be at least 2”x2” to be effective.

Yes, you are correct on all accounts.

This is the most interesting question. What is your goal with creating the convection cell, anyways?

Because of the way masonry heaters generally produce radiant heat, they generally don’t tend to need convection strategies. With a cooktop, you will tend to get some convection going as the room air washes across the metal surface (aside: metal wood stoves generally heat by convection created by the heat exchange between the air and the metal surface of the stove whereas masonry heaters predominantly transmit their heat more directly in a radiant manner). This can be accentuated by placing a thermoelectric fan on the surface with terrific results.

I had originally suggested creating a convection cell behind the unit because I assumed you were planning on placing it against a wall. If it is in the middle of a room, you may prefer a simple elevated backsplash or even including some containment/trim in your cooktop itself as @Danocon did on his neat recent build.

If you like the volume the natural convection cell offers from an architectural standpoint, then it will be interesting to experience its result. I would recommend having some kind of vent cover on the openings so that you don’t create an opportune place for cobwebs and such. We have been considering adding these to our catalog, but have not yet found the demand to justify a minimum order…


One reason to create a convection cell is to actively try to move heat to another area. A good example of this would be piping the heat to an upstairs and trying to draw the colder air down the stairway. In this case, you might want to have operable grills so that you can turn this functionality on and off.

Another very interesting strategy is to actually create a “plenum” which can be connected to a more sophisticated HVAC system to move the warm air generated to more remote areas of the house. In this case, I believe it is best practice to create a sealed heat exchange box and have it connected to the duct work so there is not question of mixing products of combustion with the heated room air.

It is unlikely that the heat generated at the bottom of a masonry heater, particularly if there is one solid course of refractory material before any channels, would be sufficient to overheat hydronic heating tubes that are sufficiently embedded in the slab.