vent options

Post Reply | Watch this Post

Venting to the outside can be done using standard 6" metal vent (no plastic on stove vents). Ventilation can be routed above the stove in a conventional hood, or using a down draft system into the basement and out the side. The asbestos siding is not a tremendous obsticle. Like any other installation, you need to cut a hole through it between studs and apply a vent and damper system. To safely cut the asbestos siding, you will need to purchase a HEPA respirator (identified by a magenta stripe on the cartidge), disposable tyvek clothing, and work with wet dust suppression. It is equivalent to cutting 3/16" cement board. So you need to start by drilling using a masonry drill bit and use a carbide blade in a jig saw to cut the hole. If you continually spray the area being cut with soapy water, you will limit the dust generated.

Alternatively, you can remove a whole piece(s) of the siding and flash and trim around the finished vent up to the siding. This way you will only need to cut through whatever is under the siding (usually wood siding) while removing the asbestos siding in whole pieces. I remember cutting through this stuff in the early 70s to install a patio door before asbestos was hazardous. You probably wouldn't want to replicate my technique, but no apparent ill effects 30 years later.