Chase Cover Required for Wood Framed Chimney?

General Inspection Topics
1

Hello All,

I am trying to find where in the IRC that a wood framed chimney is required to have a metal chase cover. All I can find is about masonry chimneys. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

2

Wood framed ‘chimney chase.’

3

Thanks for that link Robert. I gave it a read, but there was no reference to IRC requiring a chase cover on wood framed chimneys. The only IRC reference was for crickets.

4

Is there a reason that you believe or think the IRC requires it or should?

1 Like
5

IRC R1003.9.1 requires masonry chimneys to have a concrete, metal or stone cap and a drip edge

I am looking for the counter part of that for a wood framed chimney.

6

Hello Ken,

Unfortunately with the IRC not everything is where you might expect it. In this case look to R903.2 (2018 IRC) with the phrase “and other penetrations through the roof plane.”. The cover is nothing more than a flashing around the factory built/specified flue for the appliance below.

7

Sometimes you don’t need to go any further than Logic.
(Do you really think the top of a wood chimney chase can stay open to the elements)?
That is when a proper watertight cover is required to keep the rain out. That is accomplished by the method explained in Manny’s post above.

1 Like
8

2018 IRC Section R903.2 requires flashing for penetrations through the roof plane, extending to chase covers on wood enclosed metal chimneys.

Would you agree with that statement? With all the problems I see with chase covers in my industry of stucco remediation I would have hoped to see something more specific. Nearly every house I touch we have to replace the covers.

Thanks guys.

9

Anybody know if ASTM touches on this topic?

10

Look to the manufacturer manual for the appliance that flue serves. Factory built chimney systems must be installed per the manufacturer’s listing. Not knowing what that flue serves (we were not there) you can also review M1805.1 which tells you this and that they will be installed per R1003 and R1005. Sections R1003.9.1 and R1005.1 then tell you to have a cap.

The general answer is R903.2 but hopefully you have identified and taken the manufacturer information for the appliance the flue serves?

11

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Let me think :thinking:

12

I could, but that’s really beyond the scope of a stucco inspection I would be conducting. This citation is only to show a homeowner its importance, so I think R903.2 will do the job. Thanks Manny!