Valcourt Frontenac Decorative Wood Burning Fireplace
A wood fireplace built for the view of the fire: the Valcourt Frontenac puts 972 square inches of ceramic glass in front of a 9.4 cubic foot firebox that takes 30-inch logs, behind a guillotine door and firescreen that drop out of sight under the hearth. It is an EPA Low Mass Phase II qualified decorative fireplace — 4.2 g/kg, about 70 percent cleaner than unqualified models — listed to ULC-S610 / UL 127, 60" wide overall, venting on an 8" chimney, from $8,899 with the facing trim and refractory panels you choose above, and covered by Valcourt's limited lifetime warranty.
Choose the Frontenac if you want a big, open-looking wood fire for ambiance rather than a furnace — it is Valcourt's largest decorative fireplace, and once the fire is established you can run it behind the glass or open behind the firescreen. It suits a new build or a full remodel where you are framing a chase and finishing the wall in tile, brick or stone, because the trim is matched to that finish. If you want the same door system in a smaller firebox, the Antoinette takes 18" logs and the St-Laurent 30" logs in 6.4 cubic feet.
It is not right if you are buying it to heat the house — Valcourt rates it for under 1,000 square feet as a supplementary heat source and requires another heat source in the home — and it is not for a mobile home. It needs at least 18 feet of 8" listed chimney above its base (20 feet with elbows), 7 feet of clear height above the base, 48" to anything combustible in front, and a non-combustible wall of cement board around it, so it is not a drop-in for a finished room without opening the wall. For a closed-door, high-efficiency wood fireplace that heats, look at Valcourt's EPA 2020 models such as the Lafayette II instead.
Specifications
The fireplace is 74-3/4" high, 60" wide and 36-1/4" deep overall and sits on a 59-3/4" x 30-1/2" footprint that usually needs no extra floor support. Frame it in 2" x 3" or heavier lumber with floor-to-ceiling studs, headers only where the facing and mantel need them, and nothing combustible directly above the fireplace for 7 feet from its base; the framing and corner dimensions are drawn in Figures 7 to 14 on PDF pages 20 to 25 of the installation manual. Keep combustibles 48" from the front, a side wall or a side mantel (projecting 3" at most) 8" from the door opening, and the opposite side wall 20" from it when one side is walled. A combustible shelf 6" deep sits 52" above the base — add 46" to the shelf depth for deeper shelves, so 8" at 54", 10" at 56" and 12" at 58". Floor protection runs at least 20" in front and 12" past each side of the opening, 69-1/8" x 20" minimum, with a sheet-metal or grout joint at the fireplace. The chimney is an 8" listed system from the approved list, at least 18 feet from the base (20 feet with two or four elbows), with 2" to combustibles, or a masonry chimney relined with an 8" stainless liner.
How the Frontenac compares to the Antoinette and St-Laurent
Valcourt's three decorative fireplaces share the guillotine door and firescreen, the 4" fresh-air adapter and the same choice of narrow overlap or masonry trim. The Frontenac is the largest — 9.4 cubic feet and 30" logs, starting at from $8,899. The Antoinette FP7D is the compact one, 5.3 cubic feet and 18" logs, from $6,374; the St-Laurent FP16D sits between them at 6.4 cubic feet with 30" logs and is EPA exempt rather than Phase II qualified, from $8,279. Pick by the size of the fire you want to look at.
Features
- Guillotine glass door and firescreen that slide down under the hearth on a removable handle — burn behind 42-1/16" x 25-3/16" ceramic glass or open behind the screen
- EPA Low Mass Phase II qualified decorative fireplace — 4.2 g/kg, about 70 percent cleaner than unqualified models, and listed to ULC-S610 / UL 127
- A 9.4 cu ft firebox that takes 30" logs east-west on two cast-iron andirons, with 972 sq in of glass in front of the fire
- Finish it to the wall you build: straight or arched narrow overlap for tile and thin facing, straight or arched masonry trim flush with brick or stone, and classic brick, contemporary brick or herringbone vermiculite panels inside
- 8" chimney from a wide approved list — Ventis, Nexvent, DuraTech, Dura Plus, Selkirk, Security, Metal-Fab, American Metal — or a relined masonry chimney, 18 ft minimum
- 4" fresh-air adapter in the box, and tested for a gas lighter (27,000 BTU/h) or a gas log set (39,000 BTU/h) if you want gas ignition or gas logs later
Answers to common questions
What chimney does the Frontenac need, and is any of it included?
It needs an 8" chimney and none of it ships with the fireplace. Use a factory-built metal chimney listed to UL 103HT (USA) or ULC S629 / S604 (Canada) from the approved list — Olympia/SBI Ventis and Nexvent, Selkirk CF Sentinel, Super Pro 2100 and Super Vent 2100, Security S-2100+, DuraVent DuraTech, DuraTech Canada, DuraTech Premium, Dura Plus HTC and Dura Plus AC, Metal-Fab Temp Guard, American Metal HS and HSS — we stock DuraVent. The system runs at least 18 feet from the base of the fireplace (20 feet with two or four elbows), starts with 18" of straight chimney before any elbow, keeps 2" from combustibles, extends 3 feet above the roof and 2 feet above anything within 10 feet, and vents nothing else. Some brands carry mandatory extras: a ventilated roof flashing for Ventis, Nexvent and DuraTech, an attic radiation shield for Security, and no attic enclosure for American Metal. An existing masonry chimney works too once a sweep has inspected it and it is relined with an 8" stainless liner.
How close can a wall, mantel or shelf sit, and what goes on the floor?
Keep anything combustible 48" from the front of the opening. A side wall can sit 8" from the door opening, and if the fireplace is built against a wall on one side the other side wall must be 20" from the opening; a combustible side mantel can also sit 8" from the opening as long as it projects no more than 3". Above the fireplace nothing combustible sits within 7 feet of the base except the studs carrying the facing, and a combustible shelf 6" deep goes 52" above the base (8" at 54", 10" at 56", 12" at 58"). The facing itself is non-combustible cement board finished in tile, brick or stone. On the floor, lay non-combustible protection at least 20" in front of and 12" past each side of the door opening — 69-1/8" by 20" minimum — and join it to the fireplace with sheet metal or sand-cement grout.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: Guillotine ceramic-glass door (42-1/16" x 25-3/16", 4 mm) and sliding firescreen with the removable handle; Two painted cast-iron andirons; Top spacers with screws, in the firebox and manual kit; 4" fresh-air intake adapter for an optional outside-air connection; ULC-S610 / UL 127 safety listing, EPA Low Mass Phase II qualification, and the Valcourt limited lifetime warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Facing Trim - a straight or arched narrow overlap for tile and thin facing, or a straight or arched masonry trim for a flush brick or stone finish; one trim must be installed to complete the fireplace, and none ships with it (choose above); Refractory Panels - the moulded brick or vermiculite panels that line the firebox; the fireplace is not used without them, and they do not ship with it (choose above); Venting - an 8" listed factory-built chimney from the approved list (see pg 36 in the installation manual) or a lined masonry chimney; Non-combustible facing - cement board around the fireplace and the brick, stone or tile finish that the trim you choose is made for; Floor Protection - a non-combustible surface at least 20" in front of and 12" beyond each side of the door opening (69-1/8" x 20" minimum), joined to the fireplace with sheet metal or sand-cement grout.
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Optional: An outside-air connection (4" insulated pipe, wall termination and clamps, plus the fresh air intake register with airtight damper) and a gas lighter or gas log set within the tested inputs — the fireplace burns wood fully without any of them.
Which facing trim do I need, and why is it sold separately?
It depends on the wall you are building, which is why Valcourt sells the trim apart from the fireplace: a narrow overlap for thin facing material such as tile, or a masonry trim for a flush finish with brick or stone, each in a straight or an arched shape. The narrow overlap goes on last, pushed against the finished facing and screwed to the fireplace with four supplied screws. The masonry trim goes on first — screwed to the fireplace before the cement board and the brick or stone are built up against its edge, and if that non-combustible material is thicker than 3/8" the trim is fitted before the fireplace is even set in place. Whichever you choose, keep mortar, acid and abrasives off its face.
Does it need an outside air supply?
Valcourt strongly recommends one, and some local authorities require it. A wood fire pulls combustion air out of the house, which in a tight home can starve a gas or oil furnace, lose to a range hood and push smoke back into the room. The fireplace already carries the 4" adapter on its left side (or at the back on the left); you add 4" insulated HVAC flex pipe (6" beyond 20 feet or more than two bends, 30 feet maximum) with an insulated P-trap, two clamps and an outside wall termination that draws from outdoors — never an attic, basement or garage — no higher than half the chimney height or 10 feet above the base and no lower than 3 feet below it. The optional intake register with airtight damper lets you close that duct when the fireplace is cold.
Can I burn it with the door open, or put gas logs in it?
Yes to both, within Valcourt's tested limits. Once the kindling fire is established you can run the fireplace behind the glass door or behind the firescreen, as you prefer, with the exhaust damper fully open the whole time it burns. Valcourt has tested the fireplace with a gas lighter of up to 27,000 BTU/h — with the lighter burning, close the screen and keep the glass door open — and with a gas log set of up to 39,000 BTU/h; the lighter or log set carries its own code requirements for the gas connection.
Does buying online affect my Valcourt warranty?
No. The warranty is Valcourt's and applies whichever trim and panels you choose; it runs from your dated sales invoice, so keep it and register the fireplace online at valcourtinc.com with the model name and serial number from the nameplate on the back. The Torch Guys will help you with any claim. Coverage is a limited lifetime on the combustion chamber welds, castings, convector air-mate and ceramic glass (4 years labour, one replacement), 5 years on the stainless components, trims and vermiculite, 3 years on carbon-steel firebox parts, glass retainers and the handle, and 1 year on paint, gaskets, insulation and refractory bricks. It covers the original purchaser only and requires installation by an authorized qualified technician.
