Wood Stove Wall Protection

[Adam Roby]

Do you need something specific to protect the wall behind a wood stove?
I am seeing a lot of people advertising free bricks (their old walls were pulled down).
I am wondering it that could be used to build up behind the stove and offer some heat protection?
It would mean a lot of weight, so probably some structural reinforcement, but could it technically work?

[Redoverfarm]

Maybe Mountain-Don will join in as he had specific info on heat transfer to the wood substructure behind a wood stove several years ago.  If my memory is correct a ventilated air space between your heat barrier and the wall worked best.  Metal would work if it was designed to be spaced away from the wall.  You could use brick but it would depend on your floor support for the additional weight.  You could also use a concrete backer board spaced away from the wall and either stucco it or lay a light weight cultured stone upon it.  Not sure what you are laying for a pad under your stove but it might be possible to use the same product or something that corresponds with each other.  I have a free standing stove but has a mason wall behind with cultured stone on its face so I really didn 't worry about the heat transfer.

[MountainDon]

The bricks will slowly conduct heat thru to the combustible wall materials.

There needs to be an air space between the non combustible shield and the combustible wall if reduced clearances are used. The air space is a minimum of 7/8, maybe 1 full inch and there must be space at the bottom and top to allow free circulation of air. Some info here ....  https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/FNR-100.html

[Adam Roby]

Thanks for the link.  I am not sure what asbestos millboard is, would hardie board be equivalent?
I wonder if putting metal studs (to act as the non-combustible spacer) against the back wall. then the hardie board with a 2" space at the bottom might work as the barrier.  What's there now is just a thin sheet of metal and it only covers a very small area, I definitely want to rectify that. 

[Edit]

I also definitely need to pull it back from the wall, maybe 18" from the new wall I build.  I would also consider doing the same along the length of the ceiling where the pipe is, seems to be cement board there now. but no spacer.