Suggested material for a heat shield installed above a fire pit
I have a large patio area underneath my deck (walk out basement). I’m trying to determine if it is possible to have my Solo Stove fire pit on the patio, under the deck. The deck is approximately 9 feet above the patio. I know that I can’t have the fire pit operating without any modification, as the deck above is made of Trex material, so I’m sure the heat that rises would warp it. I’m wondering if there is any type of material I could attach to the underside of the deck (above the fire pit) that would provide a sufficient heat shield to prevent overheating the boards above.
I’m aware that a fire pit under a deck is most likely not advisable. My thought with the heat shield, is that if it deflected enough heat it would also serve as a barrier to prevent any errant spark/embers that float up (the Solo, once running hot, puts off almost no embers).
Thanks in advance for suggestions on material – if you have evidence-based guidance on why this is a bad idea, please let me know (but don’t just tell me it’s a bad idea – seeking to engineer a safe solution).
Replies
I’m not sure what building codes say about it but aluminum is a fantastic barrier for radiant heat. 3M makes some really amazing products. I witnessed a demo of some of their products last week. They’re making tapes that can replace welds and rivets in a lot of cases. At the demo, they had a foil tape that was applied to a sheet of plastic on one side. They tried to melt the plastic with a heat gun and the side with the foil tape was completely unaffected by it. They also had a foil tape that was used as a sound barrier. If it was me, I’d either build a chimney like a ceiling mounted range hood or make a heat shield with fire rated insulation, cement board and a layer of aluminum.
I’ve seen indoor fireplaces that are open on all sides with a ceiling mounted chimney so they probably already sell something that’s building code approved.