Other chimney insulators???

Hi was wondering if there was any other sources of insulators other then vermiculite that are easier to come across? i am in Canada, Hamilton, Ontario to be exact. or do i even need to have an insulator for the chimney? Thanks

Hi Leee; I'm a newbe at this but maybe i could help. Have you looked for perlite? I first found it at a home depot store for $17.00 a 2 ,foot bag , then found a 4 cubic foot bag at a local nursury for $21.00 , my understanding is that vermiculite will hold water and perlite will not. As far as insulating the chimney every thing i have read says YES you realy need the chimney as insulated as possable. I hope this helps some , I know I have a lot more to learn. good luck tom

not sure if it's available in your area, but i used volcanic ash,

and in this thread they used volcanic cinders

https://permies.com/t/5937/rocket-stoves/rocket-mass-floor-heater-finally