Fireplace Insulation

Problems arise mostly in homes where furnaces and fireplaces are installed improperly. Fireplaces in most cases are the causes of unwanted blaze and fire accidents in the United States alone. To remedy these increasing incidents of negligence experts and government agencies formulated codes and regulations that will standardize the way fireplaces are to be built. In these requirements, fireplace insulation is a major consideration.

Insulating a fireplace is as important as properly warming your place or office. Insulation helps trap unwanted cold air to get in the rest of the house and rather consume it and transform into heated air. On the other hand fireplace insulation is necessary to prevent accumulation of heat in the surrounding walls and objects that may trigger fire.

A very special case in fireplace insulation is a setting up of a fireplace inside a boat. The first requirement of this is that the owner of the boat does not want to carry woods inside so they opted for a gas fueled fireplace even though they would love to smell wood fire. And since natural gas can be very pretty dangerous especially when there are leaks, owners prefer the help of seasoned fireplace installers who are experts in proper piping and fittings. This case of installing a gas fueled fireplace in a boat was their first.

Fire is always a major concern in ships that is why experts first look at risks of accumulating heat around the fireplace so as not to cause fire. They built a very strong and robust firebox surrounding the insert.

Insulating fireplace is the key to safety. Fiberglass insulation was installed in the area between the hull and the chimney. Installers used a five centimeter fiberglass sheet that was covered with thin metal plating. The following process in gas fireplace insulation was to build a fireproof box to envelope the fireplace. Another set of five centimeter insulation blocks that can be reshaped and cut with a saw was screwed together like wood. These blocks were then mounted at the bottom, at the back and on each side of the fireplace where the insert has to be locked in.

The final stage was then to insert a one centimeter insulation board to the height of the chimney. At the back of the board, another fiberglass insulation was installed instead of using the traditional foam or Styrofoam. The chimney was then wrapped with a light fibrous material that was shape in a cylindrical form and placed in the corner.

Another fireplace insulation case is when an owner of the house wanted to put insulation above the fireplace. In this situation, the fireplace was installed in a way that it formed a triangle by the walls of two rooms and the hallway. The problem was that the border of the fireplace were not insulated thus permitted heat from the attic to flow into the house during summer and allowed warm air to escape from the house during the winter. The owner could actually saw the uninsulated fireplace walls from his attic.

To address this, the area was insulated and met a clearance around the chimney of two inches. In government codes, this requirement is stated in what is called the Attic Radiation/Insulation Shields. This code is developed to rest in the framed joist area where the chimney passes through. These so called shields enable a minimum clearance or allowance with sloped shape so the insulation can be forced in without it staying in the surface of the chimney.

Whatever the requirements of your fireplace installation may it be: offshore, outdoor or renovation needs, proper fireplace insulation should be in accordance with government standards. Fiberglass is often the choice of many households, but beyond all safety measures in fireplace installation, regular maintenance of fireplace is your first line of defense against fire accidents.