![]() So, how exactly did these chimney parts trigger a full-on structure fire? Shrouds & Structure Fires: How Does it Happen? Needless to say, while decor and aesthetics are important when it comes to fireplace and chimney care, nothing should compromise the safety of your home and family! The defective device shall remain withdrawn from service until all necessary repairs or alterations have been made. ![]() The fire code official is authorized to take measures to prevent the operation of any device or appliance without notice when inspection shows the existence of an immediate fire hazard or when imperiling human life. The fire code official is authorized to order that measures be taken to prevent the operation of any existing stove, oven, furnace, incinerator, boiler or any other heat-producing device or appliance found to be defective or in violation of code requirements for existing appliances after giving notice to this effect to any person, owner, firm or agent or operator in charge of the same. Decorative shrouds installed at the termination of factory-built chimneys shall be removed except where such shrouds are listed and labeled for use with the specific factory-built chimney system and are installed in accordance with the chimney manufacturer’s instructions.Ħ03.7 Discontinuing operation of unsafe heating appliances. Decorative shrouds shall not be installed at the termination of chimneys for factory-built fireplaces except where the shrouds are listed and labeled for use with the specific factory-built fireplace system and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.Ħ03.6.3 Decorative shrouds. Here are the specific code sections below.Ģ021 International Residential Code (IRC) If no mention of shrouds are made in the fireplace or chimney piping manual then no shrouds should even be considered. In fact, both the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Fire Code (IFC) state that no shrouds should be installed at the termination of a factory-built fireplace or chimney system unless specifically listed and labeled for use with that specific fireplace system (and installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions), or constructed on site per the specifications in the applicable manual. Nowadays, shrouds are still used now and then, but there are much stricter regulations in place when it comes to installation. These changes resulted in structure fires. In short these shrouds often changed the heat signature of the fireplaces, chimney piping, and terminations to the structure. In fact, the size and design were putting homeowners at great risk! They were often too small, blocking important pathways for cooling the chimney or fireplace system, and increased the likelihood of home and chimney fires significantly. In the late 80s and early 90s, when fires consistently started occurring in homes with these shrouds installed, further investigations were done, and it was discovered that the shrouds were indeed the cause of the fires. And after they first landed on the market, many were pleased to invest in one! Unfortunately, while these components looked great and did in fact improve aesthetic appeal, they didn’t have a solid reputation for being properly tested to ensure the fireplace was still safe for use after installation and in fact, led to many structure fires. A chimney shroud is essentially a decorative cap that is meant to cover any unsightly chimney parts installed at the top of the flue.
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