I have inspected close to a thousand wood stoves and fireplaces and installed half that many. Here is what I ask potential customers to check. First of all if the stove has a label, take a picture of it. The same is true of the chimney. I generally can tell from pictures but a label is best. If the stove is older than 1980 it is most likely not going to be certified and a uncertified stove needs to have 48” clearance to combustibles. If it is homemade it is uncertified. If the chimney is damaged or rusted it will fail. If the stove and chimney are certified chances are the install will pass. If there are problems you will likely be able to make slight changes without huge expense. Feel free to send me pictures for free advice. There are problems with about 75% of the installs I see. Most problems can be overcome however. When it comes to wood stoves, your life is on the line – it must be installed right!
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