How close to oil burner flue can covered foam be applied?

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velvetfoot

Minister of Fire
Dec 5, 2005
10,202
Sand Lake, NY
I'm putting foam on my basement walls.
The flue from the oil fired boiler goes parallel and fairly close to a wall I'd like to isulate.
The sticker on the boiler says something like 16" distance required to flammable material.
I will be covering the insulation with 1/2" paperless drywall.
How close can I get? Could I use some other material that's flat and can be attached to the wall? Where could I find this out?

Sorry, but not sure which forum was best.
Thanks,
VF
 
I am not sure of the answer to your question. Seeming that an oil furnace needs the same type of chimney that a wood stove needs, I would think that the same requirements would be in effect. Two inches for insulated ss chimney, 18 inches for stove pipe. Check the manual for furnace, it should be in there.
 
I re-read the sticker.
It is indeed 18", and it is stovepipe.
It is about 4.5" from a concrete wall.
 
Sounds to me like you're going to have to leave a "bald spot" on that wall - I don't know of anything you could put up that would give any meaningful insulation in 4.5" of space, unless possibly you could get a layer of Micore, but I don't know if that would meet the requirements, or actually do much for the wall's R-value.

Gooserider
 
Thanks.
It doesn't look good.
I hoping to cover the entire walls, but there're couple of problem spots.
Microre is the ceramic board insulation, like for a baffle, or is it the ceramic wool stuff, like on top of the baffle?
I was thinking of tacking some batt or blanket stuff up, without any kraft facing.
I've read that fiberglass might technically not be fireproof.
They don't sell rock wool in the States, do they?
I've read Roxul is sold in Canada and could do the trick.
 
I called up the local lumber yard just now (Curtis Lumber) and they told me they sell rock wool.
The guy wasn't sure of the brand.
I imagine I could mount some small sections of that to the wall.
 
I hear what you're saying, and I might do that, but it'd be like putting fiberglass in a bag and the seal won't exactly be factory.
It's a small area. We'll see.
 
I was thinking Micore as the ceramic fiber panel that can be used as part of the understructure when trying to build a low height, high R-value hearth. Rockwool might also do, but I think it needs to be covered by some sort of panelling - i.e. firewall rated cement board.

I would take a look at the Building Science website (don't have a link handy, but search should find it) for how to handle putting it up in terms of vapor barrier and such - I wouldn't do odd solutions like tinfoil wrapping (save the tinfoil for hat construction...) unless there was a serious professional reccomendation.

It might not be a bad idea to check with your local code enforcers as well - see what they would consider acceptable - I don't know how close to a wall that's not clearly non-combustible they would be willing to buy, even if it IS made from non-combustible materials...

Gooserider
 
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