Our house has a heat circulator fireplace that is about 20+ years old. It is in good working order. I built a mantel with side pillasters to go around it using the same clearances from the metal box insert as the three boards that the contractor used to finish it when the house was built. The difference is, my mantel protrudes three and a half inches out from the fireplace so that I can have a mantel above. I have been informed that this is a fire hazard since it protrudes more than the width of a three quarter inch board. The manufacturer stated that a surround that was combustable had to be 12 inches from the fireplace opening and that non-combustible materials could meet the fireplace face. My question finally is, could I adapt my matel by adding a 45 degree metal baffle that would deflect the heat over the edge of the wooden surround and also insulate it from the heat?
Answer:
I don't know what jurisdiction you live in but I do know that your local building authority (city hall) will have a lot to say about this. Your local fire department should be the first ones to talk to and they'll tell you all about it too.
