Valcourt Manoir Decorative Wood Burning Fireplace
Two ceramic-glass doors that slide out of sight into the sides of the fireplace, and a real wood fire behind them. The Valcourt Manoir is a U.S. EPA Low Mass Phase 2 qualified decorative wood fireplace listed to UL 127 and ULC-S610: a 4.25 cu ft moulded-refractory firebox for 20" logs, a 176 CFM blower already installed, an 8" chimney outlet, a 41-1/8" x 25-1/2" framing footprint, supplementary heat for up to 1,500 sq ft, from $4,624 for the fireplace alone before the required faceplate you choose above, and a limited lifetime warranty on the firebox.
Choose the Manoir if you want the look and sound of an open wood fire in new construction or a remodel — doors open behind the mesh screens for the evening, closed when you want the glass — with a blower in the box and the option to duct heat to other rooms through a gravity kit on top or the forced air kit on the side. It is the updated version of Valcourt's first fireplace, framed in like any zero-clearance unit and finished with a metallic black faceplate in the style you pick.
It is not right for a mobile home, and it is not a furnace — it is a decorative fireplace rated as supplementary heat for under 1,500 sq ft, with no EPA heater certification, so plan on another heat source in the home. It needs at least 15 ft of 8" listed chimney above its base, 72" of non-combustible space directly above it, and a non-combustible surround; it cannot connect straight into the clay tile of a masonry chimney, was not tested inside a masonry chimney, and never takes a vent-free gas log set. If you want a certified high-efficiency wood heater, look at the Valcourt Lafayette II instead.
Specifications
Frame the fireplace 41-1/8" wide by 25-1/2" deep in 2" x 3" or heavier lumber, with 2" to the chimney and nothing combustible directly above it for 72" from the base other than the studs carrying the facing; allow 12" beside it for a fresh air intake kit (left side only) and 18" beside and above for the forced air kit. A corner installation needs chase walls of at least 54-9/16" on each side and 77-3/16" across the front. A perpendicular side wall stays 18-1/2" from the fireplace and projects no more than 6" past its face, and a 45° wall stays 24" from the door opening. The facing is non-combustible — cement board is mandatory — with at least 5-1/2" of it above the top of the fireplace body and no more than 1-3/8" of finish where the faceplate overlaps it. A combustible mantel shelf 6" deep sits 48" above the bottom of the fireplace, 8" at 50", 10" at 52", 12" at 54" (add 42" to any other depth), and combustibles stay 48" from the front of the opening. On the floor, non-combustible protection runs 16" out and 46" wide with no R-value required. The chimney is an 8" listed system from the approved list, 15 ft minimum (17 ft with four elbows), with 2" to combustibles throughout. The blower wires to household power by a qualified electrician.
How the Manoir compares to the Lafayette II
Both are Valcourt zero-clearance wood fireplaces with a 176 CFM blower installed and the same gravity and forced air heat-distribution options, and the choice is what you want from the fire. The Manoir is the decorative fireplace: two retractable ceramic-glass doors you can open for a screened open fire, an 8" chimney, EPA Low Mass Phase 2 qualified but not a certified heater, from $4,624 before its required faceplate. The Lafayette II is the EPA 2020 certified high-efficiency heater — single arched door that stays closed, 6" chimney, and a rated heat output — from $4,409. Pick the Manoir for the open-fire experience, the Lafayette II when heating is the job.
Features
- Two steel-framed ceramic-glass doors that retract into the sides of the fireplace — burn with them closed, or open behind the mesh screens for an open-fire view
- U.S. EPA Low Mass Phase 2 qualified decorative wood fireplace, 2.9 g/kg — about 70% cleaner than an unqualified open fireplace, listed to UL 127 and ULC-S610
- 176 CFM blower already installed under the firebox, with auto or manual operation and a HI-LO rheostat
- 4.25 cu ft moulded-refractory firebox with cast-iron andirons for 20" logs, rated as supplementary heat for up to 1,500 sq ft
- Heat where you want it — two 8" top openings for a gravity hot-air kit, and a 6" side or back opening for the forced air kit that ducts heat up to 50 ft away
- 8" chimney from a wide approved list — Ventis, Nexvent, DuraVent Dura Tech and Dura Plus, Selkirk, Security, Metal Fab and American Metal — or a lined masonry chimney, 15 ft minimum
Answers to common questions
What chimney does the Manoir need, and is any of it included?
None of the chimney ships with the fireplace, whichever faceplate you choose. It needs an 8" listed factory-built chimney (UL 103HT in the USA, ULC S629 / ULC S-604 in Canada) from the approved list — Olympia/SBI Ventis and Nexvent, Selkirk CF Sentinel, Super Pro 2100 and Super Vent 2100, Security S-2100+, M&G DuraVent Dura Tech, Dura Tech Canada DTC, Dura Tech Premium, Dura Plus HTC and Dura Plus AC, Metal Fab Temp Guard and American Metal HS/HSS — or a code-compliant masonry chimney with an 8" liner. Every run starts with an 8" anchor plate on the fireplace, rises at least 15 ft from the base (17 ft with four elbows), extends 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft, keeps 2" from combustibles, and vents nothing else. Some brands add mandatory parts — a ventilated roof flashing for Ventis and Dura Tech, an attic radiation shield for Security — and it cannot connect straight into the clay tile of a masonry chimney. Send us your roof height and we will size the run with you.
How close can a mantel, shelf or wall sit, and what goes on the floor?
Nothing combustible sits directly above the fireplace for 72" from its base, and combustible materials stay 48" from the front of the opening. A combustible mantel shelf 6" deep goes at least 48" above the bottom of the fireplace, 8" at 50", 10" at 52" and 12" at 54" — add 42" to the depth for any other shelf, and never below 48". A side wall at right angles stays 18-1/2" from the fireplace and projects no more than 6" past its face; a 45° wall stays 24" from the door opening. The facing itself is non-combustible cement board with at least 5-1/2" of it above the top of the fireplace body. In front, lay continuous non-combustible floor protection 16" deep and 46" wide — 8" past each side of the door opening — with a sheet-metal strip at the joint; no R-value is required and carpet never goes underneath.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 176 CFM double-cage blower with heat sensor, auto/manual switch and rheostat, installed under the firebox; Two retractable steel-framed doors with 5 mm ceramic glass, and two mesh screen doors; Moulded refractory panels (bottom, front, back and sides) and two cast-iron andirons; 4" fresh-air adapter and screws for an optional outside-air connection; UL 127 / ULC-S610 safety listing, EPA Low Mass Phase 2 qualification, and the Valcourt limited lifetime warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Faceplate - the metallic black faceplate that finishes the front of the fireplace and overlaps the surrounding finish (choose above); the fireplace ships without one; Venting - an 8" listed factory-built chimney from the approved list (see pg 27 in the installation manual) or a lined masonry chimney; Floor Protection - a continuous non-combustible surface 16" deep and 46" wide in front of the fireplace (8" past each side of the door opening), with a sheet-metal strip at the joint; Non-combustible facing - cement board around the fireplace and at least 5-1/2" of non-combustible material above the top of the fireplace body; Electrical - household power run to the blower inlet on the back of the fireplace by a qualified electrician.
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Optional: The Traditional or Modern gravity hot-air kit, the forced air kit with its 6" insulated pipe, the 4" fresh air intake register, and a tempered-glass floor protector — the fireplace burns and heats without any of them.
Can I burn it with the doors open?
Yes — that is what the retractable doors are for, with either faceplate. Slide the glass doors into the sides of the fireplace and burn behind the closed mesh screens, or run it with the glass doors fully closed; the doors are never left part-way, and the mesh screens stay closed whenever a fire is burning except to light or reload. The fire is built directly on the hearth behind the andirons, no grate, with dry cordwood or 100% wood-residue fire logs (up to three at a time). A gas log lighter of up to 27,000 BTU/h may be installed; when it is burning, keep the glass doors open and the screens closed.
How do the gravity kits and the forced air kit move heat to other rooms?
Either way works with whichever faceplate you choose. The gravity kits use the two 8" openings on top of the fireplace and let hot air rise on its own through 8" rigid duct (not included) to grilles at least 68" above the floor and 12" below the ceiling — the Traditional kit gives you two grilled outlets with elbows and brackets, the Modern kit a slim decorative plate on a distribution box; runs are limited to 10 ft with two elbows per duct, never downhill, never flex duct, never tied into central heating, and both outlets are always installed. The forced air kit connects to the 6" opening on either side or the back and pushes heat through 6" insulated HVAC flex pipe to a room up to 50 ft away on a wall thermostat and a 300 CFM blower; it was emission-tested and does not change the EPA result.
Does it need an outside air supply?
Not by default, but Valcourt strongly recommends one and some local codes require it, regardless of faceplate. A fire draws its air out of the house, which can starve a furnace or let a kitchen exhaust pull smoke back into the room in a tight home. The fireplace already carries the 4" adapter; you add 4" insulated HVAC pipe (30 ft maximum, ideally with a P-trap loop), an outside inlet cap and clamps, through the knockout on the left side only, with the outdoor termination no more than 10 ft above the base of the fireplace and never drawing from an attic, basement or garage. The optional fresh air intake register adds an airtight damper you can close when the fireplace is cold.
Does the blower need power, and can I run the fireplace without it?
The blower is already installed under the firebox in every Manoir and wires to household power at the inlet on the back of the fireplace, by a qualified electrician, during the installation. The fireplace burns without it running — leave the switch off, or set it to automatic so the heat sensor starts and stops it, and use the rheostat for speed. Wait about an hour after lighting before turning it on so the firebox comes up to temperature.
Does buying online affect my Valcourt warranty?
No. The warranty is Valcourt's and applies to every Manoir on this page; it runs from your dated purchase 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 stainless components, 3 years on carbon-steel firebox parts, glass retainers and handles, 2 years on the blower, heat sensor, switches and rheostat, and 1 year on paint, gaskets, insulation and refractory bricks. It requires installation by an authorized qualified technician, covers the original purchaser only, and applies to a fireplace burning cordwood.
