Combustible Material Placed Over Durarock

[JDW]

Greetings All,
I've been trying to sort through all the code info for my fireplace and I'm struggling a lot. The people who installed the fireplace went out of business and my GC isn't much help so maybe you all can offer some sage advice.

We installed a Heat & Glo Rutherford 50. It has a metal box that needs to be covered with a non-combustible. We are planning for soapstone over the metal and then barn wood for the rest of the fireplace. I have a couple of issues.The metal is 5.5" on the sides but 12.5" on top. I HATE it not being equal on all sides. That said, I don't have enough wall on the sides to make the sides 12.5" of soapstone. Here is my thought... if I put durarock over the metal, can I then place the barnwood over the rock as long as it's over the 6" mark? Does that make sense?

Here is a picture:

I would even it all out as about 8.5" of soapstone.

Also, the top of the hearth would be soapstone BUT can the front of the stoop be barn wood as well as long as there is an overhang of soapstone?

Any advice you all could offer would be so very much appreciated.

Thanks!
JDW

 

[webby3650]

The front of the raised hearth can have wood on it. The area above the fireplace can't have any combustibles over it, even if it has durock first. Sorry, it might just have to be uneven.