Is it safe to put your flu through the peak of the house?

[swmlikafsh]

I just got a wood stove and trying to decide where were going to place it and I think it would look the best in the center of my family room against the wall but that would be placing it right in the center of the peak of the house in the A frame roof
(top of the A). Is that safe?

 

[fossil]

Structurally questionable and could be quite tricky, depending on just how your house is put together. You can certainly center the appliance and then offset the stovepipe at some point of your choosing. Rick

 

[savageactor7]

Just slightly off peak...you don't want to cut into your main roof support.

 

[SlyFerret]

When I did my install, I ran into a situation like that. I had a heck of a time getting offsets to work within the short attic space that I have.

When I looked into going directly through the peak of my roof with my Class-A chimney pipe, I was told that it wasn't a good idea.

There were two reasons...

First, going through the peak of the roof would require a custom two piece flashing to be fabricated. I was told that the two piece flashing would just about guarantee leaks.

Second, your Class-A system isn't listed to be used with the custom fabricated flashing. Using a part that isn't specifically specified by your manufacturer as compatible with your Class-A system can void the manufacturers warranty. (Selkirk even told me that using their Metalbestos roof support bracket with my SuperVent system would void their warranty on the SuperVent).

If you can use a pair of offset elbows to miss the peak of your roof, you'll be doing yourself a real favor. Installing the regular flashing on the roof will be much easier.

-SF

 

[DAKSY]

... but that would be placing it right in the center of the peak of the house in the A frame roof
(top of the A). Is that safe?

Sure it's safe. The question I would try to answer is if I could get a peak flashing for the correct pitch.
My A-frame is a 24/12 & there's not a lot of product out there for that pitch...
MoF, I hadda make my own b-vent flashing for my LP hot water tank...
The other thing to consider is the framing...You're gonna hafta notch the ridge beam &
frame a feature between your rafters - similar to the way a stairwell opening is framed...
You'd probably be better off with the offsets before you penetrate the roof...(IF you've got the room to do so...)

 

[Corey]

Dunno...if I've seen one chimney go through the peak of the house, I've probably seen 1000. The first two pics on the first page I came across on google show chimneys through the peak:

http://www.gascoals.net/ChimneyCapsPipe/ChimneyCaps/tabid/966/Default.aspx

I think a vast majority of the bungalow style houses ever built have a chimney right up through the center. As long as it's properly framed, I can't imagine it would be any worse than the whole assortment of dormers, shed roofs, dog houses, skylights, cupolas, bump-outs, vents and other structures which perforate an otherwise smooth roof.

With that said, most of the hardware available - trim collars, storm flashing, etc seem to be geared toward installing on a standard 'sloped' roof as opposed to the peak. So you'd almost have to see what is available and compare the 'off the shelf' cost of standard hardware + a couple of elbows to offset the pipe, versus the extra framing and possibly specialized hardware to put it right at the peak.

 

[begreen]

... but that would be placing it right in the center of the peak of the house in the A frame roof
(top of the A). Is that safe?

Sure it's safe. The question I would try to answer is if I could get a peak flashing for the correct pitch.

If I remember right there is a flashing. Not sure if it is made by Security?

 

[fossil]

"Properly framed" is exactly the question. OP made reference only to the structure being an "A-frame". If that means it has a single continuous load-bearing ridge beam supporting the roof structure longitudinally on the house, then violating the integrity of that member would be a challenging problem, most likely involving installing additional vertical supporting members (columns). If, however the roof structure is more conventional, as typically found in the "bungalow" style houses, maybe with trusses supporting the roof, then a retrofitted flue through the peak might be feasible. In any case, without more information about the structural details of just how this particular home is put together, we're all just speculating here. In the end, though, darned near anything's possible...it just takes money. And if you're talking about altering the roof structure on your home, it takes a professional...or more likely a couple of them (design & execution). Rick

 

[SlyFerret]

Dunno...if I've seen one chimney go through the peak of the house, I've probably seen 1000. The first two pics on the first page I came across on google show chimneys through the peak:

http://www.gascoals.net/ChimneyCapsPipe/ChimneyCaps/tabid/966/Default.aspx

I think a vast majority of the bungalow style houses ever built have a chimney right up through the center. As long as it's properly framed, I can't imagine it would be any worse than the whole assortment of dormers, shed roofs, dog houses, skylights, cupolas, bump-outs, vents and other structures which perforate an otherwise smooth roof.

With that said, most of the hardware available - trim collars, storm flashing, etc seem to be geared toward installing on a standard 'sloped' roof as opposed to the peak. So you'd almost have to see what is available and compare the 'off the shelf' cost of standard hardware + a couple of elbows to offset the pipe, versus the extra framing and possibly specialized hardware to put it right at the peak.

But those aren't Class-A stainless chimneys, those are original construction masonry chimneys.

I don't think anyone would argue the the peak of the roof is the ideal location as far as draft goes. Slightly to one side or the other should be good enough though.

-SF

 

[fossil]

There are situations where it's just impractical. Had my house been built differently, such that I wanted to center my woodstove beneath the peak of my ceiling, would it have been practical to find a way to put the stovepipe up through my ridge beam? Don't think so. That's why I say it depends...it depends on how the house is built. Are we really talking about an "A-frame" construction here, or is the OP simply using the "A-frame" phrase to mean the ridge? Are the ceilings cathedral, or not? Is there an attic? This question is basically unanswerable without more information on how the house is put together. Rick

 

[Corey]

I guess the key terminology to look for here is if the OP has what the industry would term a 'ridge board' - which is simply a non load bearing board that runs down the rafters and typically isn't even supported at either end. Or if he has a true 'ridge beam' which is load bearing and would be supported by additional load bearing members on the end - like your pic, fossil. (Your place? very nice set-up!) Cutting a ridge beam would be a huge ordeal due to the load bearing nature. Cutting the ridge board would just require proper blocking/headers for either side of the opening, not much more complicated than framing an opening in a non load bearing wall.