Fireplace Services
Inside a new fireplace installation
Every trade's share is named in the estimate, so nothing is left to guesswork.
The attic insulation shield
Where a factory-built chimney runs through an insulated attic, the Florida Building Code calls for a steel insulation shield around it. The shield keeps loose or blown insulation away from the chimney.
We fit the shield the chimney system lists and check that it rises above the insulation as the code and the manual describe. If you plan to add attic insulation later, we point out the shield so the installer knows to keep clear of it. While we are in the attic, we also make sure no stored boxes or decorations sit against the chimney or its shield.
Where outside air may come from
The Florida Building Code calls for exterior combustion air for a wood-burning fireplace unless the room is mechanically ventilated to neutral or positive pressure. The intake must draw from outdoors or a ventilated crawl space or attic, never a garage or basement, behind a corrosion-resistant screen.
We locate the intake with those rules in mind and use the duct the fireplace lists. The intake location appears on the plan, so nobody later covers it with a patio or a planter. The duct run is kept as short and direct as the manual allows, which also makes the outside hood easy to find and keep clear.
Doors, vents and the draft
One maker warns that placing a fireplace near a door that opens often, or near a heating or cooling outlet or return, can cause smoke spillage from the opening. Moving air in the room competes with the draft.
The room's doors and vents are noted during the inspection, and we suggest a placement away from them. When the ideal spot is next to a busy door, we explain the tradeoff before the wall is opened. A ceiling fan or a supply vent can often be adjusted, while a doorway cannot, so we weigh each one before the location is final.
Yearly care for the new fireplace
Once a year, NFPA 211 says, chimneys, fireplaces and vents should be inspected for soundness, for freedom from deposits and for correct clearances. A new fireplace starts that cycle on its first anniversary.
Our maintenance visits let the team that installed your fireplace come back for that yearly look. Any work the visit finds is priced in writing first. The first yearly visit also confirms that the chimney parts, the chase top and the collar came through their first season as installed.
