Does anyone know what if any building code issues are involved with building an outdoor fireplace?


DOB

Comments

  1. A gas exterior fireplace. Isn’t that akin to running your air conditioner outside? Or using bottled water to wash your tub? Using hot water for ice cubes? Please tell me this is for a restaurant and not a home.

    If it’s a B-vent fireplace you need to follow the building code for flues – 6 feet above neighboring construction within 10 feet or something like that. If it’s direct vent, you don’t (I think). Also, check zoning – I don’t think a fireplace/chimney is a permitted obstruction in a rear yard unless it’s within 3 feet of the building. Not applicable though if it’s on the roof.

  2. toast,

    The snarkiness on this site can be irritating. You have no idea what my carbon footprint is. I don’t use air conditioners (I do have ceiling fans and want to install a whole house fan) and am amazed when I walk around on temperate evenings and hear the whine of air conditioners. I would guess that the energy someone to run central air for a month will approximate the natural gas energy I’ll use for an outdoor fireplace over the next 5-10 years.

  3. toast, if you knew anything about natural gas you’d know that the price has plummetted back to 2002 levels and there have been recent dicoveries of millions & millions of cu ft.

    Maybe the OP doesn’t have a car so his/her carbon footprint is smallt to begin with. 🙂

  4. ah.. natural gas. Big difference. I suppose would need permit to run gas line, etc.
    And regarding a woodburning outside as opposed to inside – is that chimneys do vent above houses into open. To burn wood in backyard – would be dispensing smoke into everyone’s windows and backyards as usually just 1 big enclosed courtyard.

  5. Nothing at all noxious about a gas fireplace. I suspect Vinca will chime in later with the appropriate links to the FDNY issues with this.

    Whether this is permitted or not, i don’t have much issue with. I would however, want the gas piping to be done correctly.

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