Cold air coming in from new chimney instal

[jeffee]

Help! I just got my new prefab chimney install in my 1 1/2 story log home. The best built thing on my home was a nice insulated roof. Now there's a hole in it where the chimney penetrates it, which is in my bedroom (a loft). The chimney is straight up from the stove. My bedroom loft is in 1/2 upper floor of my house; where my head is in bed, the room is full height but above my feet the roof is already sloping down, and a few feet further the roof meets the floor ( the floor is made of 1.5" tongue and groove boards, that's it). The chimney penetrates the roof near where the roof meets the floor. They used a cathedral box on the floor of my bedroom to support the chimney, and all there is in the roof is the chimney, and then the flashing and shingles. 2" (or more) of space all around the chimney. This side of the roof gets the heavy wind etc. and cold air was blowing in my room last night, and it's still November .... I'm going to box it in, and I want to use as much insulation as safely possible. The building inspector is coming in a couple of days and I'll find out what he says I can do -- I was hoping for a heads up in the meantime about any suggestions. For example, can I use anything to insulate the 2" space around the chimney such as mineral wool? How would you folks handle this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Metal]

When a chimney extends between floors, which can be occupied, the chimney must be enclosed to prevent contact. Sounds to me like the person who installed yours pretended the loft didn't exist and just put the cathedral box in, this would work if the loft did not exist. You need to build a chase around the pipe on the second floor (similar to normal 2x4 and drywall wall. The building inspector will explain this and surely won't pass the installation until it is fixed.

 

[jeffee]

Thanks for your response. I think they used the cathedral box because they felt it was the best way to support the chimney -- are you saying that you think they had another motive ? They did specify on the contract that I was responsible for boxing in the chimney. I will absolutely fulfill ANY requirements that the inspector has; I talked to him personally when applying.

I'm looking for information about the insulation as well as whether or not I need to box it in -- I will!! I don't like the cold and freezing cold drafts in the bedroom ....

 

[jeffee]

What do folks do to control cold air infiltration in a situation where the chimney penetration is in a living space, either in a situation like mine or in a open layout cathedral ceiling installation? I'm definitely going to build a tiny little framed box -- but I'm not sure how to correctly insulate it (as much as possible). Are standard fiberglass bats the only way?

 

[DriftWood]

You can not have any thing in that box. No instillation, nothing! It should be away from the vent pipe and the bottom should be sheet metal and the top sheet metal that is ventilated. No combustibles can be near the vent pipe. Get on the phone call the manufacture of the pipe and talk to the engineers they have a solution to your problem all ready figured out.