Certification & Installation

Currently all our stoves are ULC-cerfied for Canada except the America (being replaced by the ULC-certified Alaska), Clasica, and the Salamander Range. If you would like to know how to legally install these models in Canada please read on: tens of thousands of non-certified stoves are legally used in all provinces.

This guide is meant only as a reference based on our research and understanding, we invite you to research the laws in your locality. We also recommend discussing the installation with your installer prior to purchasing any stove.

1) EPA Certification

This is a US wood stove requirement which regulates smoke emission levels, not safety, and does not apply to cook stoves, other than possibly in the city of Montreal.

2) Safety Certification (UL, CSA, Intertek etc)

Both certified and uncertified wood stoves legal in Canada. A classic example of uncertified stoves widely in use today is any antique stove: the antique stoves preceded certification rules & bodies. The rules for uncertified appliances in Canada vary from province to province. There is no national law prohibiting the use of uncertified stoves. Please check your local building code whether or not it contains any restrictions on uncertified stoves. In most cases getting an uncertified stove means higher clearances between the stove and combustible materials (drywall, wood studs etc). You can greatly reduce this distance by using heat shields to cover your walls. Remember that these clearances apply only to combustibles, if the wall is not considered combustible by the Building Code, and there are no other combustibles within the distance specified by the Code then you can put your stove even flush against the wall.

You can find clearances and other installation details for uncertified stoves in Canada: here

You may also want to check with your home insurance company first. Insurance companies are private (or public) businesses and have their own requirements. We did extensive research among them and most replied that the requirements are set by brokers, not underwriters. If your broker requires a wood stove to be certified make sure to ask exactly which certification they are after:

1) If they need the stove itself to be ULC or CSA certified then you need to either change the insurance company or go with a certified stove, such as our Regina model.

2) But quite often they will require only a report of safe installation, in other words:  WETT. A WETT report can be provided by a WETT-certified installer which you can find in the directory in the link above. A WETT installer can install both certified and uncertified stoves. It is important to understand that you can also install any appliance yourself following the installation rules in the link above and have a WETT-certified installer simply come and provide you with an inspection report. The WETT installer may need to receive permission from the local AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) in order to install an uncertified stove.

A CSA or ULC certified stove will come with its own clearances specified on the label (typically 12" to 16") on the rear and two sides.

Lastly, if you are replacing a properly installed uncertified stove you can safely do so without consulting anyone.

The material above is provided purely for reference, it is not professional advice. The exact details of your installation may be different than discussed above. Please consult your installer or Building Code regarding the proper installation of your stove.

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