New stove: do I need a metal box?

Andrea15

Hi there,

we want to get a 5k stove installed and we got 2 quotes from local suppliers (both SEEM reputable).
First off, their quote is vastly different: one is quoting about 2,9K, the other 3,9K. if the first seem a tad expensive, the second downright extravagant. (The quotes are all in and include the stove - which seems to be the least important item, price-wise).

However the expensive one has included a "steel chamber recess box to accommodate stove", in other words, the existing hole in the wall (the old fireplace) is to get lined with this steel box. On top of that I can get another layer of "fake" bricks, but it not obligatory. This firm told that the metal box is indeed necessary, but I am not finding much info about it. That would be another £300+.
The cheaper installer instead is lining the chamber ONLY with the fake bricks (which are made of some insulating cement).

So, two questions:

1) what is reasonable to pay to get a half decent stove installed? (as I said the stove is not THAT expensive considering the cost of the work, so no need to skimp on that)
2) do I actually need this steel lining?

thanks.

Ectophile

Is there anything flammable in the fireplace?

This all seems a bit extravagant to me. I have a stove just shoved into the fireplace. All they did was repair the brickwork where holes had been made for plumbing in an old gas fire.

The important thing is that there should be ventilation space all round the stove, and there should be a gap of around 12"/30cm between the stove and anything flammable.

keith969

I've never heard of a stove requiring a steel box... mine is just surrounded by the original bricks after removing and opening up the fireplace.

Cost just over £2K 7 years ago, including a lined flue and a nice bit of polished black granite for the hearth.