Stuart Altmann on sun 14 jun 98
Several days ago, I asked you clayarters to send me information about
regulations for installing a natural gas kiln on residential property. I
received many helpful responses. Here is a summary of the suggestions and
of my experience talking with local officials.
People and local organizations that you need to contact (titles may differ
in your area):
1. The zoning office. They are unlikely to have a specific prohibition
against kilns. They may have restrictions on running a business out of a
private residence. They will have specific regulations for things like the
set-back of structures from the property lines. You may also have to deal
with regulations about not creating an eye-sore and thus lowering property
values. Regulations vary from place to place, even within a county or
township, generally being tighter in urban areas than rural.
2. The building inspector. This is the person who will deal with the
details of your structure, from the standpoint of safe and sound
construction rather than aesthetics.
3. The fire marshall. Deals with those aspects of your kiln installation
that might provide a fire or explosion hazard.
4. The gas company's engineer. Will have information on whether the gas
main in your area can deliver BTU's at the rate that you need for your kiln,
and whether you will require a larger meter and line. Along with the fire
marshall and building inspector, may be concerned with safety devices on
your kiln, e.g. automatic shutdown in cases of flameout.
Here are some suggestions for working with these people:
1. Within a given county or township, restrictions are more stringent in
urban areas than rural, in expensive, "well-groomed" neighborhoods than in
others. Permission to put a kiln in an outbuilding is easier to get than if
it would be in a residence, and easier to get for a commercially designed
kiln than for one that you build.
2. Before you begin talking with these people, become as well informed as
you can about the specifics of your kiln. Make it clear that you intend to
build according to standards of good kiln design. A section of the Uniform
Mechanical Code deals with kilns; if that material is appropriate to your
kiln (I have not yet seen a copy), indicate to the building inspector and
fire marshall that you intend to build according to code. They will be
impressed that you know about the code and that you intend to abide by it.
3. If you have specs and drawings of your planned kiln, bring them along,
especially to the building inspector. In any case, you probably will not
get permission to build a kiln until you have provided them...a reasonable
requirement.
4. If you qualify, indicate that ceramics is your hobby, not a commercial
business. This doesn't mean that you can't sell any pots, just that you
don't do it at a commercial level. Unfortunately, no standard definition
exists for how much you can sell before its not just a hobby. However, the
insurance company that insures your residence probably will have a limit on
how much you can earn (net? gross?) before they consider it a business and
raise your rates accordingly. If your ceramic earnings fall below that
limit, tell the zoning officer etc. that this is a hobby kiln.
5. If you are required to install an electronic flame safety system, it
will be very expensive to buy and install in a hand-built kiln, and you may
be better off buying a commercially made kiln. A simple, basic and less
expensive system would include thermocouple-driven solenoid valves (BASO
valves).
6. Do what you can to minimize the chance of complaints from the neighbors
about your kiln, especially to government agencies.
7. If you are buying a house, consider including a contingency clause
requiring obtaining a kiln permit in your offer to buy. If the government
agencies will not give you such a permit until you own the property, have
the present property owner request a permit, using info that you provide
about the kiln. Building permits are to properties, not people, so you
could then assume it when you took ownership.
Further details about these and other issues are included in the numerous
messages that were sent to me; if you want a copy, send me a large SASE.
(If any of you who sent me messages would prefer that I not distribute
yours, let me know.)
My sincere thanks to those who responded to my call for help: John Baymore,
Fred Paget, George W. Peterson III, Cynthia Spencer, Mary Dye, Scott in
Dunbass (?), Ontario, Arturo DeVitalis, Hal DeWittie, and Karen Gringhuis.
Stuart Altmann
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