ᐅ Place the wood stove on a floating screed (floating floor screed).

Hello forum,

I would like to ask for your experiences regarding wood-burning stoves.

In our new build, the living room will have fully floating screed. I originally thought it would not be a problem to place a wood-burning stove on it weighing around 155 kg (340 lbs). Under the stove, there will also be a glass fire protection plate that will help distribute the weight somewhat.

Now, my builder has asked how much screed should be left out in the stove area so that I can reinforce that section or have a full screed layer installed there.

I assume I can place a 155 kg (340 lbs) wood-burning stove directly on the floating screed without any issues, or is it really necessary to leave an opening in the screed in this area and install a special subfloor?

Construction layers: floating screed – PE foil – 2 mm (0.08 inch) impact sound insulation – 8 mm (0.3 inch) laminate – 8 mm (0.3 inch) glass fire protection plate

Thank you very much

Regards

Dean

Hello Dean,

Dean schrieb:

Under the stove there would be a fire protection plate made of glass, which also helps distribute the weight a bit.

This is the most commonly chosen option; I assume that no underfloor heating or utility lines have been installed in this area.

"Building utility lines such as water, gas, or electrical conduits must not be installed within the partition walls of a fireplace or tiled stove system. Despite the thermal insulation used inside the fireplace cladding, these partitions can heat up to temperatures of up to 80°C (176°F). This heat can cause damage to the utility lines over time. Moreover, these lines become inaccessible once the fireplace system is installed. In case repairs are needed, the fireplace system would have to be dismantled again."**

Dean schrieb:

Now my builder has asked me how much screed should be omitted in the fireplace area so that I can reinforce this area or have full screed installed there.

"For thermal and impact sound insulation, a layer of polystyrene is installed under the floor screed. This polystyrene layer can compress under the weight of the fireplace or tiled stove, which may lead to cracks in the floor. Therefore, a bonded screed with a particularly strong insulating layer must be applied in the fireplace base area. The bonded screed should follow the outline of the fireplace or tiled stove base. Planning documents regarding this are usually provided when purchasing the stove."**

Dean schrieb:

I can just place a 155 kg (342 lbs) stove on the floating screed as usual, right? Or do I really need to omit screed in this area and install a special underlying base?

I have quoted the above descriptions from the documentation of a reputable fireplace manufacturer so that you can understand the requirements.

What you think you can do or should avoid is really something your structural engineer should answer. Your stove installer should provide you with all necessary documents, including those for preparing the base.

When our customers want to install a stove, we always point out this procedure. Your builder likely follows a similar approach; otherwise, he would not have asked how many square meters of full screed to install.

**Source: Hark

Kind regards

Personally, where the wood stove is located, I would cover the floor with natural granite flagstones. We also have similar polystyrene (Styrofoam) panels under the screed. That easily supports the 150 kg (330 lbs) mini stove. That’s not a heavy load.

I would also return the glass plate immediately; it’s just unnecessary.

If it breaks, just carefully break it up, lay down a 20 mm (3/4 inch) special insulation mat, mix 7 bags of ready-to-use screed from the hardware store, and fill it in. Don’t forget to vibrate it; otherwise, it will settle and crack again.

You could also cut and place steel mesh reinforcement, using spacers if needed.

Hello Dean,

I also retrofitted a stove back then, weighing about 230 kilograms (507 pounds)... I had to listen to all kinds of comments... The screed will crack, the insulation will get compressed, the laminate flooring will definitely be damaged... blah blah blah. I placed a glass plate on the laminate, positioned the stove on it, connected it, and it’s been working fine. Nothing happened at all, it has been there for 12 years now and still provides wonderful warmth.
P.S.: Apply a very thin bead of silicone all around the edge under the glass plate before placing it and pressing down. Otherwise, dust will get under the plate that you won’t be able to remove later.