Is a Class A Chimney Through Ridge OK?
I am going to install a Jotul Woodstove in my house. I want to extend the class A chimney straight up and to do this I will penetrate the ridge of the roof. My house is a 1-1/2 story. The stove will be located in the center of a portion of the house with a gable end wall. The Chimney will go straight up thought the 1st floor ceiling into a finished 2nd floor with a cathedral ceiling. l will use double wall black until the 1st floor ceiling and then switch to class A pipe. The opening used to have a masonry chimney which had to be removed when we lifted the house off the foundation for some significant repair. So the ridge in the area of the class A pipe penetration is not connected to the rest of the house anyway. My city also requires the pipe to be chased in above the roof line for aesthetics
The question is is it eve OK to divide the ridge with the class A pipe. Will the inspectors give me a hard time on this one even if I explain the situation to them.
Also any pro tips to installing the flue. I have the ceiling support kit and am learning how the chase top flashing is supposed to be installed with spacer clips to keep the flashing off the wood chase by 3/8″ to 1/4″.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tim
Replies
Definitely not something you want to do.
The fact that you have a cathedral cieling means to me that the ridge beam is a structural member, supporting half the load on the roof. Cutting through it means you have to restructure to support that load in another manner or the roof will sag, the wall will spread, and the wife will never let you live it down. You need to use a pair of elbows to stagger that puppy over some. I would probaly do it in the lower room before going class A. Should be cheaper there, and less hasle to support the weight of the stack offset.
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It sounds from the original post that the ridge beam is already discontinuous because a masonry chimney went thru prior to the house being raised. The problem I see is the extra-fancy roof jack you'd need to run the pipe thru the ridge.
Maybe we need some pics.
I can't figure out the dissconnected from house bit. If what you think, he may already have a major problemo
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He mentioned having to conceal the pipe in a chase above the roof per his local convinance (sp?) If he constructs a chase around it the flashing around the penatration wouldn't be a problem woud it?
Edited 1/9/2006 11:42 pm ET by CAGIV
My bad, won't happen again.
It was more of a question then a statement, I thought the same thing at first then re-read it. Wasn't sure if I missed something;)
Good job! U learn to pick up on little details like that from taking tests in school?
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Yeah, 7 years of college you learn how read questions real careful ;)
and I'm going back here sometime here in January.... just need to figure out exactly when that first class is... It's a real bitch if you miss the first one, the teachers don't like that at all.....
Next question, if that cathedral ceiling on the second floor was a finished attic, having knee walls set inside instead of full walls on the outside, could the cieling/floor joist be used as rafter ties in place of a ridge beam? not saying that happens to be the case though
reason I ask is I also noticed the 1 1/2 story, I've seen relators use 1 1/2 story when talking about a finished attic around here... but then I've also seen them use the term "porta cache" to fancy up a shtty car port ;)
Edited 1/10/2006 12:10 am ET by CAGIV
David,
You are right the ridge beam is already dis-continuous.
I attached some pictures.
Bookcase_small is where the stove is going to be located. by the way, I built the bookcases too from some reclaimed pine from the renovation. As you can see when I center the stove in the opening between the bookcases I want the flue to go straight up for symmetry.
Chimney Chase is directly above the bookcases on the fist floor. The chase is not loadbearing, but it does lend some structure and supports the tops of the rafters.
Ridge_beam shows the ridge beam (duh). Trust me it is there under the foam, I put it there myself.
The whole section between the knee walls was added in after the masonry chimney was removed. The entire chimney was inside the envelope of the house. The knee walls also lend some support to the rafters. The roof pitch is 15/12 with 2x4 rafters. Yes I said 2x4 rafters. My architect ran the calculations and since they are almost real 2x4s from 70 year old southern yellow pine and the roof pitch is so steep they work.
The distance from the second floor to the ridge is just under 8'.
I am not really worried about cutting through the beam myself structurally. I know how the house is built and am not worrying about any sagging. I am more concerned about what the inspectors might make me do. As piffin said, I may have to put in some elbows and offset to one side, but I would like to avoid this for the function of the chimney and loss of a bookcase on one side.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Tim
You buy a cheap tool twice and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!
Edited 1/10/2006 8:01 pm ET by 1toolman
seeing that, I'm less concerned about the ridge cut now than I am about the wood stove location below. You do know that you need 36" ckearance to combustables, right? therte might be room there for the 18" from the pipe clearance, but the 367" to bookcasdes just does't seem to exist
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Piffin
The clearance is 6" in rear with the optional heat shield isntalled on the stove, which I already ordered and double wall black pipe. 18" clearance on the side with the loading door. I checked and checked and rechecked the clearances. I will add some safety margin on the back too just to be safe -- maybe 7" or 8". The side clearances of 18" are mainly for access to load logs not for heat. If you bolt the door shut you can reduce it but I won't.
Jotul has a pretty detailed set of instructions for their clearances.
Thanks
TimYou buy a cheap tool twice and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!
Make sure that firs your local standards too. AFAIK a double wall standpipe cuts that clearance down from 18" to 9". To get to 6" you need another shield on the wall itself. Not familiar with Jotul's new stoves, but you can still counmt me scarred for you. The nature of those cabinets dictates that paper will reside there. That is an extremely flanmable substance in close proximmity. Now imagine going to bed with the cat playing around with the stuff piled on the desktop...
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Don't have a cat, DW needs to clean before the stove is installed.
Local codes follow manufacturers installation requirements.
TimYou buy a cheap tool twice and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!
I still don't have an answer to my original question. Is it against code to take the flue (class A pipe) through the ridge?
TimYou buy a cheap tool twice and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!
You did get an answer. It depends on how the framing is now structured. If this is a structural ridge beam and not a ridge board, then it needs to be supported.
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