How to build heat shields for wood stoves

In addition to using proper materials, adequate clearances are one of the most important safety features of any wood stove installation.  A properly installed and maintained wood stove can be one of the safest appliances in your home. But cheating on clearances can create a very dangerous situation.

Wood stove clearances cannot be eliminated entirely, but they can be reduced significantly by using a properly constructed heat shield. It's critical that heat shields are designed properly, and that rated clearance reductions for the type of shield are followed.

NFPA-211, the industry standard for wood stove installations, describes three different types of heat shields.  (Note: NFPA-302 is the standard for boats, which is a bit different from the rules outlined in NFPA-211 and this article.  The rules in NFPA-302 are less detailed than NFPA-211, so we suggest following NFPA-211 standards unless you're installing on a boat.)

Dwarf Stove Clearance Requirements

Distances to Combustibles Without Shielding

• 18” from back of the stove

• 16” from sides of the stove

• 36" from the top of the stove to the ceiling

• 18” from single-wall pipe

• 2" from insulated pipe

Distances to Combustibles With an Air-Cooled Heat Shield on the wall or pipe (2/3 reduction)

• 6” from back of stove

• 5.33” from sides of stove

• 18" from the top of the stove to the ceiling

• 6” from single-wall pipe

• Read about building an air-cooled heat shield

Distances to Combustibles with an Air-Cooled Heat Shield Attached to Stove (1/2 reduction)

• 9” from back of stove

• 8” from sides of stove

• 9” from single-wall pipe

• Read about building an attached heat shield

Distances to Combustibles with an Insulated Heat Shield (1/2 reduction)

• 9” from back of stove

• 8” from sides of stove

• 9” from single-wall pipe

• Read about building an insulated heat shield

Distance to Combustibles with a Masonry Heat Shield (1/3 reduction)

• 12” from back of stove

• 10.66” from sides of stove

• 12” from single-wall pipe

• Read about building a masonry heat shield