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Like many building projects, installing a wood stove may require permission from your local government to ensure that you comply with safety regulations. However, rules will vary from town to town, so, before you buy a stove or start modifying your house, get in touch with the building or planning department of your city or town's government to get a sense of what is and isn't legal. If you need to get a building permit to install your stove, the officials in this department should be able to help you get one.  You may also want to call your local fire marshal, as, in some jurisdictions, installing a wood stove requires an inspection to approve the validity of the installation. Finally, you may also want to contact the issuer of your homeowner's insurance, as installing a wood stove may change your liability. Floor pads are essential for safe wood stove operation, as they ensure that any stray sparks or embers that fall from the stove will only come into contact with the pad, not the floor, reducing the risk of fire. Floor pads are especially crucial in the case of houses with wood or carpet floors directly adjacent to the stove. Certain laws dictate the use of floor pads - in the United States and Canada, the floor pad must stretch at least 18 inches (45 cm) in front of the stove door and 8 inches (20 cm) from the other sides. Installing heat shielding on the walls around the site of your stove can further reduce the risk of damage or fire. Heat shields are often made of sheet metal, which is relatively simple to lay over existing walls. Check your local building codes to find out whether any special permission is needed to mount the shield as well as any other related clearance requirements. Note that the installation of a heat shield can reduce the clearance requirements of your stove. If you haven't hired professional movers to help you get your stove into position, you'll need to move it yourself. Wood stoves are made from metal and can be incredibly heavy, so be sure to take any and all measures necessary to protect yourself as you move the stove. A sturdy dolly or hand truck that's rated above the weight of your stove is a great way to get the stove to its position without hurting yourself. Minor adjustments to the stove's positioning at the site of installation may need to be done by hand, in which case you should enlist the help of a friend or family member so that you don't have to bear the full weight of the stove yourself. You may also want to try rolling the stove into position on lengths of sturdy PVC pipe. A well-functioning chimney is absolutely crucial for getting the most out of your wood stove. Your chimney should carry smoke and sediment safely outside your house - a poorly-installed chimney may not effectively remove the smoke, leaving your living room a gloomy, smokey mess. Chimneys can be an existing part of the house's construction or can be installed along with the stove, but in either case, the chimney must be well insulated and made of a non-combustible material. New chimneys installed for wood stoves are often made of a special kind of insulated stainless steel piping.  You may need to use a length of stovepipe to connect your wood stove to the chimney. This is fine, but remember that stovepipe is relatively thin and poorly-insulated, so by no means can stovepipe be used as a substitute for an actual insulated chimney. Generally, the taller and straighter a chimney is, the better. The greater distance that smoke must travel horizontally (through curved sections of stovepipe, for instance), the less effective the chimney will be at removing smoke from the stove. Installed properly, wood stoves can be a tremendous boon for your house, but installed improperly, they can be a hassle and even a serious danger. If you encounter any problems while installing your wood stove or you are unsure of how to proceed safely, enlist the help of a professional. Similarly, if, after installation, you have even the slightest doubts about the safety of your stove, schedule an inspection with an expert. The safety of your home and family is well worth the minor expense of hiring outside help. The National Fireplace Institute (NFI) is an agency that certifies fireplace and furnace experts. If you have any doubts about who to contact to install and/or inspect your new wood fireplace, search for an NFI-certified expert in your area on the NFI website.
Before starting, notify your local officials. Lay a non-combustible floor pad in the spot where your stove will be.This pad, made of brick, ceramic tile, concrete or another noncombustible substance, should be flush with your home's existing flooring. Add a heat shield to protect combustible walls. Carefully move the stove into position. Install a chimney and connect it to your stove, if necessary. Consider hiring certified professionals to install and inspect your stove.