Ancient fire pits were sometimes built from the ground, within caves, or in the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they generated hazardous or irritating smoke inside the house.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in structures, but ventilation smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where an open flame burnt with all the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be coated so rain and snow would not enter.
Additionally throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from dispersing an area and vent it out through a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against stone walls, rather than taking up the middle of the room, and this enabled smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it feasible to provide the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage instantly, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a lengthier area at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing up the smoke and out of the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more traditional spectra based on stone and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on providing quality stone. Stone fireplaces now have been a sign of wealth, which to some degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for the relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based upon the plan.Historically they have been utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or alternative flue allows exhaust to escape.
Related Images with Home Decorators Collection Chestnut Hill 68 in. Media Console Electric Fireplace in Rustic
Wesleyan Electric Fireplace Media Console in Meridian Cherry 32MM6439MC247
On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick act as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater out of the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a far larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, which divides up all but the most violent rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the cap or crown.
The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it's not great for you.Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.
Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, several states and local counties have laws limiting these types of fireplaces. They need to be suitably sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management issues because of the quantity of moisture that they release into the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the area that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.
View larger
Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They were used for heat on cold days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were usually centered within a room, allowing more people to collect around it.
Corinth Infrared Electric Fireplace Media Console in Vintage Cherry 23DE1447C233
Fireplace Media Console Electric Entertainment Center Corner Mantel Tv Stand New eBay
Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace designers of this period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design that was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.
From the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of two components, the surround and the add. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were thought to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.Fireplace Media Console Electric Entertainment Center Corner Mantel Tv Stand New eBay Video
Some fireplace units include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be increased by means of a fireback, a piece of metal which sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally produced from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to heat the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so since the 15th century. The best method to gauge the output signal of a fireplace is if you notice you're turning the thermostat down or up.
Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is offered through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the next phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only offer heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace media console