Chimney air gap issue

[boo_boo]

A friend is building a house, and the inspector flagged the chimney, saying there must be a 1" gap between it and any flammable material. The house is framed and sided, has anyone else run into this? Is this common now?

 

[ColdChisel]

Absolutely, that's pretty standard these days. Most building codes require a 1-inch clearance from combustibles for exterior chimneys, and if it goes thru any framing, that distance increases to 2 inches. I helped a friend with the same situation on his cabin last year. We had to pull back some siding and install a metal firestop plate. It was a quick fix, and it passed inspection without a hitch. Let your friend know this is a common issue and definitely something they should get right

 

[hardhathustle22]

Last summer, a friend of mine was putting together his dream lake house, and he ran into a bit of a snag. The inspector caught the chimney clearance issue and made him redo some of the framing and throw in a heat shield. It's funny how those things come up, it feels like it's becoming pretty standard to see that these days.

 

[boo_boo]

@ColdChisel Thanks! I'll let them know it's common and not a big deal to fix. A metal firestop sounds like a smart solution, I am glad to hear it passed inspection!

@hardhathustle22 Oh nice! It sounds like it's a growing trend. I'll pass that on, it i is so frustrating to redo framing, but better now than later. I'll mention the heat shield too in case that's needed

Thanks for the help guys!