Framing piping on 2nd floor advice

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Deppizzymo

Member
Feb 28, 2022
57
Missouri
The installer of our new Lopi Liberty indicated that I should frame up the second story portion of the pipe so nothing can touch it/lean or fall into it. Stove will be installed on the first floor and have a straight pipe through the second story and out of the roof. The room it will flow through on the second floor is a kids' bedroom. I wondered how most people went about doing this? Did you add vents to the framing so it could provide some secondary heating (or does the exposed pipe really help much keeping things warm)? They are leaving this portion of the install up to me which is totally fine because I am more than capable but I also wondered how others had done this in their own home.
 
The 2nd floor section needs a boxed chase. No combustibles, including framing, can be closer than 2" to the chimney pipe. A grille can be placed at the top and bottom to scavenge a little heat.
 
The 2nd floor section needs a boxed chase. No combustibles, including framing, can be closer than 2" to the chimney pipe. A grille can be placed at the top and bottom to scavenge a little heat.
So a fire stop needs to be at each floor, but you can still have vents to each floor individually? Surprising to me...
 
Check your local ordinances to make sure they don't require even more clearance between framed chase and the chimney pipe. I think begreen quoted the federal minimum on that correctly, but none of us can possibly know every local ordinance in all the locales.

I am sure you can't go smaller than 2" clearance.
 
So a fire stop needs to be at each floor, but you can still have vents to each floor individually? Surprising to me...
The fire stops are to limit the spread of a fire from floor to floor.
 
Thanks a lot. Well I live in rural Missouri so I am sure the bare minimum is all that is needed but I will try and be a little more safe than that haha
 
The 2nd floor section needs a boxed chase. No combustibles, including framing, can be closer than 2" to the chimney pipe. A grille can be placed at the top and bottom to scavenge a little heat.
Question for the educated … when “boxing in” or chase in the second floor piping , is it possible to use metal grating or some sort of wrought iron (as long as no one can get a finger or hand in…? Surrounding the pipe, for looks, as its passing thru the centre of a room
 
The whole notion of having a grate for ventilation of a boxed in chase is not correct, once you enter the ceiling support box between the first and second floor you switch the chimney pipe to class A which is usually double walled insulated, if that pipe gets hot then you have something wrong going on with your setup, class A needs a minimum clearance of 2" from combustibles, so when you frame the chase you basically want to be on the outside of the top edge of the ceiling support box, most boxes are built to have the 2" tolerance from the class a male connection to the outside wall / edge of the physical box.
 
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I did read someplace that the bottom end of class A can get too hot to touch. Presumably because of conduction thru the connected metal parts. That heat would shed in the chase.

However, it won't be hotter than the support box as that IS the connecting metal. If the support box can withstand touching wood (at 2" from the pipe), then the heat shed by the bottom of class A can't ever be an issue. Air or chimney Temps can't get higher than that of the support box.
 
The 2nd floor section needs a boxed chase. No combustibles, including framing, can be closer than 2" to the chimney pipe. A grille can be placed at the top and bottom to scavenge a little heat.
when you box it in , can a metal shroud be used, like a designed wrought iron or see thru metal enclosure….mine will pass thru the centre of sitting room on the second floor. Hmmm 🤔 make it something cool
 
Question for the educated … when “boxing in” or chase in the second floor piping , is it possible to use metal grating or some sort of wrought iron (as long as no one can get a finger or hand in…? Surrounding the pipe, for looks, as its passing thru the centre of a room
Yes, it's possible, if it's ok with the inspecting authority. A friend got approval for surrounding his chimney pipe with a perforated stainless sheet as it passed through the second floor of his A-frame. The metal mesh was attached with ceramic standoffs that maintained the minimum 2" clearance requirement.
 
We did one with stainless cables like those used for deck railings. I also had stainless rings every 18"going around the chimney holding the cables. It was a fun project that ended up looking very nice. I will try to find some pics
 
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