Quadra-Fire 7100FP-GD-B 7100FP EPA Woodburning Fireplace, E. Construct the Chase, Materials

7100FP EPA Woodburning Fireplace			R
E. Construct the Chase
A chase is a vertical boxlike structure built to enclose the fire-
place and/or its vent system. Vertical chimneys that run on	Round Termination Cap
the outside of a building must be installed inside a chase.
In cold climates, it is recommended that the chase be well		Storm Collar
insulated using batt type insulation between the joists.	Metal Chase Top
Construction of the chase may vary with the type of build-		Ceiling
ing. These instructions are not substitutes for the require-
		Firestop
ments of local building codes. Local building codes MUST
be checked.
Chases should be constructed in the manner of all outside
walls of the home to prevent cold air drafting problems. The
chase should not break the outside building envelope in any
manner. All outer walls need to be insulated.
Building codes require false ceiling and ceiling firestops at		False Ceiling
each floor of the chase or every 10 ft (3048 mm) of clear
space to control spread of fire.		Attic
Walls, ceiling, base plate and cantilever floor at the first level	Tabs	Insulation
		Shield
of the chase should be insulated. See Figure 14.1. Vapor
		Ceiling	Insulation in the
and air infiltration barriers should be installed in the chase			outside walls
		Firestop
as per regional codes for the rest of the home. Additionally,			of the chase
	Insulation	Insulation
Hearth & Home Technologies recommends that the inside
surfaces be sheet rocked and taped (or the use of an equiv-	False Ceiling	False Ceiling
alent method) for maximum air tightness.		Chimney
Holes and other openings should be caulked with high tem-	Figure 14.1	Chase Assembly
perature caulk or stuffed with unfaced fiber glass insulation.

Materials

a.The chase is constructed using framing materials much the same as the walls in your home. A variety of siding materials may be used including brick, stone, veneer brick, or standard siding materials.

b.In constructing the chase, several factors must be con- sidered:

1)Maintain a 2 in. (51 mm) air space around the chim- ney.

2)The chase top must be constructed of non-combus- tible material.

3)In cold climates, a firestop spacer should be installed in an insulated false ceiling at the 8 ft. (2438 mm) level above the fireplace assembly. This reduces heat loss through the chase.

4)In cold climates, the walls of the chase should be insulated to the level of the false ceiling as shown in Figure 14.1. This will help reduce heat loss from the home around the fireplace.

Three examples of chase applications are shown in Fig- ure 14.2.

1.Fireplace and chimney enclosed in an exterior chase.

2.Chimney offset through exterior wall and enclosed in chase.

3.Chase constructed on roof.

All outside walls should be insulated.

1 2 3

Figure 14.2 Chase Constructions

Page 14 433-1390D September 7, 2007