Our Process
How gas fireplaces are installed in Altamonte Springs
Vent run limits that change from one gas fireplace to the next
Vent rules differ between units. One direct-vent manual allows horizontal runs to be level with no rise, while one B-vent manual requires a rise of at least 1/4 inch per foot and forbids a level or downhill run. Elbow counts, maximum lengths and the ratio of vertical to horizontal pipe all vary by model.
Our installers therefore plan the route from the manual for the exact unit you choose, never from memory of the last job. The planned route for your Altamonte Springs fireplace, with its elbows and lengths, is written on the estimate.
Running gas fireplace vent pipe through attics and insulated walls
Where a vent passes through an insulated wall, ceiling or attic, the insulation has to be held back from the pipe. Section 502.4 of the code requires a steel insulation shield no thinner than No. 26 gage that ends 2 inches or more above attic insulation, with clearance kept to the vent maker's figure.
Many vent systems include their own listed shield, installed as the maker shows. Our installers fit it where the vent enters the attic in your Altamonte Springs home and keep the clearance around the pipe empty.
Framing the opening for a new gas fireplace
The framed opening has to fit the unit and its finish. One direct-vent manual notes that if the inside of the framed cavity will be finished, the framing dimensions must include the finished surface, and that framing or finishing material on or in front of the unit closer than the listed minimums must be entirely noncombustible, such as steel studs and concrete board.
Our crew frames to the maker's instructions, sets the standoffs where the maker shows them and checks every clearance before the wall is closed in your Altamonte Springs home.
Checking the new gas fireplace before it goes in
Damage in shipping happens. One maker's manual says to inspect the appliance and components, never to install damaged, incomplete or substitute parts and to report shipping damage, particularly to the glass. Vent parts, trim and log sets often arrive in separate boxes.
Our crew unpacks and checks every carton against the manual before anything is fixed in place in your Altamonte Springs home. A cracked glass or a bent vent section is caught on the floor, long before the wall is finished. Anything damaged goes back to the supplier, and the schedule is adjusted with you.
