Fireplace Services
Fireplace installation details for Gabriella homes
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Framing the fireplace opening
The fireplace manual gives the framed opening and the finished cavity depth for each model. One maker asks for the framing across the top to sit above the fireplace's top standoffs, so the header never rests on the unit.
Our installers frame the opening to the manual, check it for square and set the fireplace before the finish is planned. Getting the opening right is the step that makes every later step easier. We confirm the opening against the unit that actually arrives, before any stone, tile or trim is ordered for the face.
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.
A chase top that sheds rain
One fireplace maker's manual has the chase top pitched away from the pipe opening, and one chase maker's instructions call for the storm collar to be sealed where it meets the pipe. Both details keep rain moving off the chase.
We set the slope and seal the collar as the manuals for your system describe. A chase top that holds water can rust early, so this is a detail worth getting right on day one. We also check that the storm collar sits snug against the pipe and that the cap is fastened the way the system lists it.
Wood trim around a masonry opening
Wood mantels and trim near a masonry fireplace follow a code limit. Combustible trim may not sit within 6 inches of the fireplace opening, and trim within 12 inches is limited in how far it projects.
We share those limits with you and your carpenter before the mantel is chosen. A mantel that fits the rule from the start saves cutting or replacing it after the inspection. Stone and brick surrounds are noncombustible, which gives you more design freedom near the opening than wood does.
