2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Chimney Installation in Ham Lake’ Category

Height Requirements for Chimney Installations in Ham Lake

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

When contemplating the look of your chimney installation in Ham Lake it is important to follow the specific height requirements set by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association).  These height requirements were established to distance the top of your flue from your home’s roof to reduce the amount of heat that your roof is exposed to.  The obvious reason for these requirements is if the top of the flue is too close to the top of your home, the heat could catch your roof on fire.  A not so obvious reason for these height requirements is if the fireplace does not have a sufficient distance from the fire pit to the top of the chimney flue, the smoke will not be sucked up towards the chimney.

The height requirements for a typical chimney, otherwise known as a masonry chimney, is the top of the flue must be 10 feet horizontally from any portion of the roof, and the top of the chimney must extend 3 feet from the roof, where the chimney protrudes.  Typically a chimney inspection professional from 2nd Generation Chimneys should check these distances, but the best way to check if your chimney clears the 10 foot distance between the top of the flue and your roof is by placing a tape measurer on top of your chimney, extend the tape straight out to 10 feet, and make sure you can not touch any portion of your home with this extended length.  You can also measure 3 feet from the top of your flue down to the roof, where your chimney emerges, to see if that height requirement is fulfilled.

If you find out that your chimney flue does not meet the height requirements for the safety of your home please contact 2nd Generation Chimney.  We will be able to fit your flue with a chimney height extension.

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