Rules and regulations

Stringent requirements apply to the installation of fireplaces and wood burning stoves with regard to safety, installation, chimney connections and chimneys. These requirements may be found in the “Building Legislation for Single Family Houses”.

Speak to your architect, or ask the technical administration department at the municipality for advice.

A fireplace is defined as an open hearth, while a wood burning stove or similar is defined as a closed hearth. The floor below the hearth must be a non-combustible material such as a metal plate or tiles. A single chimney may be used for several closed hearths, while every open hearth must be connected to its own chimney. A standard wood burning stove must not be connected to a chimney to which a gas-fired hearth is also connected.

There are also a number of requirements governing the actual chimney and its location in relation to other building elements. It is a good idea to ask your local chimney sweep for advice. The chimney sweep must, in any event, be informed when a hearth or a chimney is installed, and the chimney must be swept at least once a year due to the risk of soot, soot condensation and possible chimney fires.

You will find the exact regulations at the National Agency for Enterprise and Construction’s website at www.ebst.dk.