Fireplace Services
Inside a new fireplace installation
A workmanship warranty, a clean site every evening and a price with nothing tucked away.
What zero clearance really allows
A zero-clearance fireplace can sit close to wood framing, but it still has required spaces. One chimney maker calls for at least 2 inches between its pipe and framing, drywall, insulation and wiring, and one fireplace maker lists half an inch at the back and sides of the unit.
We frame to the manuals for the fireplace and the chimney you choose and check every gap before the drywall goes up. Those spaces are easy to keep while the wall is open and hard to recover once it is finished. We also check outlet boxes, ductwork and plumbing near the planned opening, since any of them can end up closer to the chimney than the manual allows.
Carrying the chimney's weight
A factory-built chimney adds weight to the framing that supports it. The Florida Building Code requires those supporting members to be designed for the added load, and one maker asks for the pipe to be supported during construction.
Support points are marked on the plan and the framing under them checked. Supports, straps and braces from the listed system are part of the estimate, never an afterthought. On an upper floor or an older frame, that check can decide whether the fireplace goes on the wall you picked or the one beside it.
Enclosing the chimney inside the house
A factory-built chimney that passes through a closet, a storage space or a finished room needs to be enclosed. One chimney maker calls for that enclosure wherever the pipe runs through occupied or storage spaces, which keeps belongings away from it.
We plan the enclosure with the route and frame it with the listed clearance. If the chimney passes through a closet, we tell you how much space the enclosure takes before you approve the plan. Shelves, clothing and boxes stay outside the enclosure, and we point out its limits to you when the job is finished.
Space and a screen in front of the fire
NFPA advises a clear zone of at least three feet between the fireplace or other heating equipment and anything that can burn, with a sturdy screen in front to catch sparks. One maker provides a firescreen and asks for it to be closed whenever the doors are open.
We point out that three-foot zone at handover and help you plan furniture and rugs around it. The screen and doors are fitted before the first fire. Glass doors on a wood fireplace get hot as well, so the screen and the three-foot zone matter even with the doors closed.
