Valcourt Lafayette IIS High Efficiency Wood Burning Fireplace
EPA 2020 certified at 1.2 g/h with 70% optimum efficiency, the Valcourt Lafayette IIS is a high-efficiency wood-burning fireplace built for zone heating: 750 to 2,200 sq ft, 80,000 BTU/hr maximum from dry cordwood, a 2.5 cu ft firebox that takes 20" logs for up to 8 hours per load, and a 176 CFM blower already in the box. It frames 37-3/4" wide by 41-5/8" high by 24-7/8" deep at zero clearance to the enclosure and vents on 6" listed chimney. Pick the square faceplate, one of five louver styles and a black or brushed nickel door overlay above; from $4,409.
Choose the Lafayette IIS if you want the Lafayette II firebox behind a square faceplate rather than the arched one — same 2.5 cu ft non-catalytic firebox, same blower, same five louver styles — in new construction or a remodel with a straight or offset 6" chimney path of at least 15 ft, and a plan to move heat: the top takes a gravity kit, either side takes the forced-air kit for a room up to 50 ft away.
It is not right for a mobile or manufactured home (not approved), for a room that cannot give it 80" of ceiling height and a 15 ft chimney run through the roof, or for anyone who wants an open fire: in the United States it burns with the door closed, and an unvented gas log set may never go in it. It is a zone heater, not a furnace — Valcourt itself asks for a conventional backup heating system.
Specifications
Frame an opening 37-3/4" wide by 41-5/8" high to the first header and 24-7/8" deep, with the enclosure kept empty to 80" above the base; the fireplace sits at 0" to the enclosure at the back, sides and floor. Keep a mantel to 3" deep and at least 8" above the door opening, a side wall 13" from the opening and a facing wall 48" away; a 6" combustible shelf goes at 58" from the base, or 50" with the optional heat shield. Floor protection runs 16" deep and 41-1/2" wide, R 1.00 unless the fireplace stands on a base higher than 4". The chimney is 6" CAN/ULC S629 / UL 103 HT factory-built pipe from the brands in Table 4 of the manual, 15 ft minimum from the base to the cap (17 ft with four elbows), at 2" clearance. Overall the unit is 40-5/8" high, 36-3/4" wide and 28-5/8" deep and ships at 495 lb.
How the Lafayette IIS compares to the Lafayette II
The Lafayette II (FP10R) and the Lafayette IIS (FP10RS) are one fireplace with two faces. Both carry the same 2.5 cu ft firebox, the same 80,000 BTU/hr rating, the same 176 CFM blower and the same five louver styles and two overlay finishes; the II wears the black arched faceplate, the IIS this black square faceplate, each with its own louver and overlay codes. Choose by the look you want on the wall — nothing about heating changes. This model is from $4,409 with the faceplate, louver and overlay chosen above.
Features
- EPA 2020 certified at 1.2 g/h, with 70% optimum efficiency and 80,000 BTU/hr maximum output from dry cordwood
- 2.5 cu ft non-catalytic firebox takes 20" logs east-west for up to 8 hours per load, heating 750 to 2,200 sq ft
- 176 CFM blower in the box, with automatic and manual modes and a speed knob
- Zero-clearance enclosure at the back, sides and floor — frames 37-3/4" x 41-5/8" x 24-7/8" between wood studs
- Two 8" gravity openings on top and a 6" forced-air opening on each side move heat to other rooms, up to 50 ft away
- Single ceramic-glass door with your choice of black or brushed nickel overlay, behind the square faceplate and one of five louver styles
Answers to common questions
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 176 CFM blower with AUTO / MAN switch and speed knob; Moulded refractory panels and cast-iron andiron; C-Cast baffle and stainless steel secondary air tubes; Single door with 5/32" ceramic glass, 25-3/8" x 10-1/2" opening; 4" fresh-air adapter, intake plate and screws; Top and rear standoffs; UL 127 / ULC S610 listed, EPA 2020 certified; Limited lifetime warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Venting - an 6" listed factory-built chimney from the approved list (see pg 49 in the installation manual) or a lined masonry chimney; Floor Protection - a non-combustible surface 16" deep and 41-1/2" wide in front of the opening, R 1.00 when the fireplace sits on the floor or a base of 4" or less, with a 2" folded metal strip at the joint; Electrical - a qualified electrician connects the included blower at the left-side inlet; Faceplate - the faceplate that closes the front of the enclosure (choose above); a faceplate must be installed, and it does not ship with the fireplace; Faceplate Louver - the decorative louver that mounts to the faceplate, in Classic, Arabesque, Urban, Mission or Crown style (choose above); Door Overlay - the black or brushed nickel overlay that finishes the door frame (choose above); the fireplace ships without one.
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Optional: A fresh air intake (register, collars and 4" insulated duct), a gravity or forced-air heat distribution kit, the fire screen, the shelf heat shield and carrying handles — the fireplace burns wood fully without any of them.
What chimney does it use, and how tall does it have to be?
A 6" factory-built chimney listed to CAN/ULC S629 / UL 103 HT, from the brands Valcourt lists in Table 4 of the manual — Ventis, Nexvent, Champion, Rockford, Selkirk, Security, DuraVent, Metal Fab and American Metal, in 1" or 2" solid pack or AC triple wall — starting with a 6" anchor plate on the fireplace. The system runs at least 15 ft from the base of the fireplace to the cap, 17 ft when it uses four elbows, with 18" straight before the first offset, 2" clearance to combustibles all the way, and a termination 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft. Some brands need a ventilated flashing or an attic radiation shield (Table 5). Send us your ceiling heights and roofline and we will size the run with you.
How much space will it heat?
Valcourt rates the Lafayette IIS for 750 to 2,200 sq ft, with 80,000 BTU/hr maximum from dry cordwood and a rated range of 12,700 to 60,700 BTU/hr, and a load of 16" logs burning up to 8 hours. That figure assumes zone heating — the room it sits in and the spaces that connect to it — and moves with your chimney, climate and insulation. A gravity kit on top or the forced-air kit on the side carries heat to a room upstairs or up to 50 ft away.
How does the blower work, and does it need power?
The blower ships installed under the firebox and moves up to 176 CFM through the air jacket. In AUTO it starts when the fireplace is warm and stops when it cools; in MAN it runs at once; a knob sets the speed and turns it off. Your electrician connects it at the electrical inlet on the left side of the unit. The fire itself needs no power.
Do I need the fresh air intake?
It is optional. The fireplace ships with the 4" adapter and intake plate; the outside wall register, two collars and an insulated 4" HVAC duct of at least 10' (30' maximum, with a P-trap loop) are bought separately. The intake fits the right side or the underside, the register sits no more than 10' above or 3' below the fireplace base, draws from outside the house — never an attic, basement or garage — and Valcourt recommends a register with a shutter that closes when the fireplace is idle.
Can I burn it with the door open?
Only to light and reload. The Lafayette IIS was tested for open-door use with the optional fire screen, but in the United States and in provinces with a particulate emissions limit, burning open-door with a rigid fire screen is prohibited, and the fireplace must never be left unattended with the screen in place. An unvented gas log set may not be installed in it.
Can it go in a mobile or manufactured home?
No. Valcourt does not approve the FP10RS for a mobile home (Canada) or a manufactured home (USA).
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Valcourt's Limited Lifetime Warranty covers the combustion chamber welds, castings and ceramic glass for life with four years of labour, the stainless firebox parts, baffle and air tubes for five years, the blower and controls for two, and paint, gaskets and refractory for one — for the original purchaser, with the dated bill of sale, model and serial number, and it runs through the dealer you bought from. The Torch Guys is that dealer and handles the claim for you: register the fireplace with Valcourt online, keep your invoice, and we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf rather than handing you a phone number.
