QUESTION

Can I install Marble behind a Wood burning stone? I would like to use marble tile on a wall behind a woodstove. The stove has a heat shield on the back (Jotul 500) and will be about 6" from the wall. There is duroc up right behind the stove itself, and the pipe which runs up about 2' and then elbows and goes out through the wall into a chimney, running up the outside of the house. Can I use marble tile on the wall surface or will the heat from the woodstove cause problems on the marble? Is there special grout that needs to be used? One woodstove retailer suggested putting spacers between the duroc and a second duroc board to allow airflow behind the tile. Is this necessary?

ANSWER

ANSWER - Most natural stone materials are heat resistant in terms of being near a wood stove. Although if something very hot is set on its surface causing a thermo shock it could crack. The stone can get dirty if it is subjected to smoke, but can be kept clean with proper maintenance.

If you install the stone over a concrete substrate or over a cementitious backer board such as Durock then it will help dissipate the heat. You should make sure you have good fire resistant insulation in the wall cavities. I don't think it would be necessary to put a space between the two layers of backer board and it could be more problematic if there is too much deflection. Using a regular cementitious grout should perform well, but it would be better if it were a polymer modified type of grout that will bond better to the edges of the stone. Just make sure your wall and tile assembly is code compliant, and that it is installed correctly. We do have free installation guidelines for tile installations to help you make sure the installer is qualified and that the tile is installed correctly.