A mantel must be at least 6 inches from the fireplace opening.
Fireplace mantel height code.
If you re seeking an optimal mantel height over a fireplace there are a few things you need to keep in consideration and again these may differ from fireplace to fireplace.
The national fire protection association the nfpa sets standards regarding placement of a mantel in relation to the fire box local building codes.
All combustible mantel surrounds and shelves must be kept at least 12 inches from the opening of your fireplace top and sides.
When installing a mantel shelf don t forget to account for any brackets or corbels when measuring for the appropriate clearance.
Clearance to the fireplace opening 1 combustible material shall not be placed on or near the face of a fireplace within 150 mm of the fireplace opening except that where the combustible material projects more than 38 mm out from the face of the fireplace above the opening such material shall be at least 300 mm above.
You ll want to familiarize yourself with your local building code for fireplaces.
Parts of the mantel assembly located along the sides of the fireplace opening which project more than 1 1 2 inches 38mm from the face of the fireplace shall have additional clearance equal to the.
These are usually based on the international building code standards along with standards set by the national fire code.
Based on mantel height codes and.
4101 8 10 01 chimneys and fireplaces.
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National standard building code masonry built fireplaces.
First you need to calculate the distance between the bottom of the mantel and the top of the firebox.
Mantel height is not an arbitrary decision.
The seattle residential code specifies that woodwork mantels and trim must be at least 6 inches away from a fireplace opening and regulates the size and placement of a mantel hung within 12.