Direct vent fireplace is melting our siding and soffit. Would love your advice!

[Kate97]

Hi! When I bought my house a few years ago, the inspector noticed that the gas fireplace vent did not have enough clearance from the overhang above it. (There's supposed to be 18" vertical clearance to a ventilated soffit. Mine only has about 16.") He also noted that the soffit and a bit of the siding are warped, like they've melted. He advised me not to use the fireplace until I've had this taken care of. Since then, I've had so many people out to look at it, and I still don't have a clear answer on what I should to do to fix it. I would be beyond grateful for any advice you can offer!

A few things:

- The fireplace companies I've spoken to (very reasonably) won't touch it, since they didn't install it. (It's a Lennox Direct Vent Gas Fireplace, and I guess they've since been acquired or something.)

- I got an estimate for how much it would cost to remove the overhang altogether. Then the soffit would be gone, and hopefully that will allow the hot air to better escape so that it doesn't melt the siding? It's expensive though, so I'm hesitant to move forward if I'm not sure it will work.

- I have the vent clearance requirements, and although it needs 18" of vertical clearance beneath a ventilated soffit, it only needs 12" of clearance beneath an unventilated soffit. So...could this problem just be solved be replacing the ventilated soffit with an unventilated soffit? It seems like then it would at least be up to code, but I can't understand how that would solve the problem of the soffit/siding melting from the heat.

Thank you so much for any thoughts you can offer. I obviously don't know what I'm doing, and this has been driving me bananas.

. .

 

[DAKSY]

You need to have a vinyl siding standoff & MAYBE an extension added to it.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

(broken link removed)

The cap needs to be removed & you probably will need to extend the DV pipe, as well.

 

[Kate97]

Thanks so much for the guidance!

 

[Tech Guru]

Vinyl Siding is literally the worst stuff ever. Never have I seen something melt just by looking at it. Simple stories: more than once I've seen vinyl siding melted in spots due to reflection of the sunlight off of a pool, or neighboring windows. Why anyone would want to clad a home in that is mind boggling. (I know, it's all to do with $$$)

rant over.

 

[stripedbass]

Hi! When I bought my house a few years ago, the inspector noticed that the gas fireplace vent did not have enough clearance from the overhang above it. (There's supposed to be 18" vertical clearance to a ventilated soffit. Mine only has about 16.") He also noted that the soffit and a bit of the siding are warped, like they've melted. He advised me not to use the fireplace until I've had this taken care of. Since then, I've had so many people out to look at it, and I still don't have a clear answer on what I should to do to fix it. I would be beyond grateful for any advice you can offer!

A few things:

- The fireplace companies I've spoken to (very reasonably) won't touch it, since they didn't install it. (It's a Lennox Direct Vent Gas Fireplace, and I guess they've since been acquired or something.)

- I got an estimate for how much it would cost to remove the overhang altogether. Then the soffit would be gone, and hopefully that will allow the hot air to better escape so that it doesn't melt the siding? It's expensive though, so I'm hesitant to move forward if I'm not sure it will work.

- I have the vent clearance requirements, and although it needs 18" of vertical clearance beneath a ventilated soffit, it only needs 12" of clearance beneath an unventilated soffit. So...could this problem just be solved be replacing the ventilated soffit with an unventilated soffit? It seems like then it would at least be up to code, but I can't understand how that would solve the problem of the soffit/siding melting from the heat.

Thank you so much for any thoughts you can offer. I obviously don't know what I'm doing, and this has been driving me bananas.

View attachment 262321. View attachment 262322. View attachment 262323

Hi,

Your post brought back a lot of memories. I had a similar problem.

I had the right amount of clearance but still had a problem with soot getting onto the vinyl siding on the soffit. It's a long story.

I have a Vermont Castings direct vent gas stove (model: Stardance). DuraVent produces the venting for VC. A senior technician at DuraVent gave me a solution.

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

Even though you're soffit has holes in it, it is not a vented soffit. There is no air movement. the dog box is just built on the outside, and that was the only soffit the Builder had available. To please the code enforcement, you could install non-vented soffit. that will do absolutely nothing for your clearances, or sagging soffit. I would get a builder to remove the soffit, or do the cheap way, like I had to do on one job. would not be my first recommendation. It is solid aluminum, that a steel guy made for me.

 

[Kate97]

Even though you're soffit has holes in it, it is not a vented soffit. There is no air movement. the dog box is just built on the outside, and that was the only soffit the Builder had available. To please the code enforcement, you could install non-vented soffit. that will do absolutely nothing for your clearances, or sagging soffit. I would get a builder to remove the soffit, or do the cheap way, like I had to do on one job. would not be my first recommendation. It is solid aluminum, that a steel guy made for me.

Oh wow, that is brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing this.

 

[jordocoys]

Even though you're soffit has holes in it, it is not a vented soffit. There is no air movement. the dog box is just built on the outside, and that was the only soffit the Builder had available. To please the code enforcement, you could install non-vented soffit. that will do absolutely nothing for your clearances, or sagging soffit. I would get a builder to remove the soffit, or do the cheap way, like I had to do on one job. would not be my first recommendation. It is solid aluminum, that a steel guy made for me.

Hi there! I am loving this solution. I need to do the same but am having trouble finding a reasonable sheet metal quote. Seems like a simple job for someone to make one 45 degree bend in a small piece of aluminum. Curious - How did you go about finding a "sheet metal guy", and do you have any advice on doing so?

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

Hi there! I am loving this solution. I need to do the same but am having trouble finding a reasonable sheet metal quote. Seems like a simple job for someone to make one 45 degree bend in a small piece of aluminum. Curious - How did you go about finding a "sheet metal guy", and do you have any advice on doing so?

Look for a business in custom metal fabrication.