What does Decorative beam not in conformity mean on the report I received from the chimney sweeping service? What are my options?
Fire protection standards have been evolving over the last few years, and the number of chimneys reported as non-compliant is increasing. It's not always easy to understand why. That's why we're going to explain the current requirements.
Your beam must be made from type RF2 wood. Type RF3 wood is not permitted, as it burns more quickly in the event of a fire.
Materials are classified in the AEAI standards according to their reaction to fire (RF) in three groups:
Meaning | Example | |
RF1 |
No contribution to fire | Concrete, Iron, Steel, ... |
RF2 | Low contribution to fire |
Hardwoods: Oak, sipo, teak, wenge, black locust, bilinga, iroko, laman, makoré, dark red meranti, sapelli. |
RF3 | Allowable contribution to fire |
Hardwoods: Maple, beech, alder, ash, cherry, walnut, ... Softwoods: spruce, fir, larch, Scots pine, Douglas fir, arole, red cedar, etc. |
The beam must be protected on the underside and rear by a fireproof plate (RF1 material), e.g. Silca Protect EI60. This plate must be glued, not screwed, to avoid creating a thermal bridge directly in the beam.
There are several ways of bringing your chimney up to standard, but it's important to remember that the beam is often only one of the visible defects. When the beam is removed, we often find that the rest of the installation is not up to standard (no firewall on the back of the chimney, combustible materials in the mantel, no convection/decompression grilles, etc.).
One of the simplest solutions is to upgrade the chimney beam. In this case, the chimney beam needs to be dismantled and removed. A carpenter will then replace it with a new hardwood beam (type RF2) and hollow it out to install RF1 fire protection.
How would you like to benefit from a more efficient and easier-to-use heat source? Upgrading is also an opportunity to rethink your home's heating concept. In many cases, a pellet or wood-burning stove can be installed to replace the old chimney, using the same flue (which will need to be lined if necessary). This solution saves space while providing a much more efficient heating system.
This solution is the least expensive of all. It involves permanently blocking the chimney (closing the firebox and flue) and declaring to the local authority that the chimney will no longer be used.