How to Cut an Exhaust Through a Wall for a Wood Stove

Making the Hole

• 1

  Determine where you want the wood stove exhaust to go through the wall; it should be close to the stove, although you need to have at least 4 inches of pipe between the wall and the stove.

• 2

  Use a stud finder on the wall to ensure you’re not going to try and cut through a stud; you want the hole to be close to the stud, however.

• 3

  Measure the diameter of the horizontal exhaust or chimney pipe you’ll be using, if you don’t already know it, then trace a circle that size on the wall where you intend to cut.

• 4

  Fit a 1/2-inch bit into the drill and drill a series of holes in the drywall, keeping them just inside the circle you’ve drawn. Insert your jigsaw here and then cut around the circle. Remove the insulation in the wall until you have access to the outside wall. Use the compass to mark a circle for the pipe on the inside of the exterior wall.

• 5

  Use an extended bit to drill through the outside wall -- use masonry bits for brick walls -- at several points around the circle. Move outside to complete the job, either use a jigsaw for frame construction or a drill for brickwork, and make the circular hole in the wall.

Inserting the Pipe

• 6

  Insert the radiation shield; this serves as insulation between the exhaust pipe and the wall. Form into a circle around the circumference of the hole and screw in place in the studs. Apply silicon caulk where the shield meets the interior and exterior walls.

• 7

  Work from the outside and slide the exhaust pipe into the hole, ensuring that the radiation shield covers all the pipe completely in the wall. Ensure at least 4 inches of the pipe extends beyond the wall into the room.

• 8

  Extend the pipe on the outside of the house so it's at least 2 inches beyond the wall before you attach the tee joint; the chimney rises from the tee joint on the outside of the house, while the bottom of the tee can be opened for cleaning.