Fire place and chimney with stone veneer framing

For example, shall I stop and start the framing before and after the rafter? Try to balloon frame it? Mix? Trying to figure out the best detail. Balloon framing, the studs get really long and may have to go with engineered wood.

Since a chimney is usually a box, you could platform frame your studs and use the mid-height double plates to brace them without having to use full-height members. I generally try to support the upper chimney veneer all the way from the roof to the foundation elements in some form.

I'll be detailing one of these in the next week or so. My plan is to break it up into 8' or 12' stud heights with double plates and then offset the sheathing joints half of the stud height and put corner braces on the plates. Mine is partially in and partially out of the building and with no visible chase on the second floor (yay...), so once I break free of the roof I'll use hold downs to the roof framing where needed.