Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or at the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor fire pits was that they generated toxic and/or annoying smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where a open fire burned with the smoke rising to the port in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow would not enter.
Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it out via a wall or roof. These can be placed against stone walls, rather than taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general use immediately, however, as they were more expensive to build and maintain.In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, increased the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a longer place at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing the smoke up and from the building. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the room. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern kitchens.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on rock and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was still placed on providing quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of prosperity, which to a degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, based upon the plan.Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows exhaust to escape.
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On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater out of the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a far greater difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the standard masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the crown or cap.
The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal fire boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.A few types are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electric mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing gas fireplaces.
Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and propane fuel sources. In the USA, some states and local counties have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality management issues due to the amount of moisture they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the place that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.
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Over time, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They were used for warmth on cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were usually based within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.
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Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came big scale housing developments, necessitating a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace designers of this period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design that has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.
From the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 components, the surround as well as the insert. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, marble or granite. The insert was fire burned, and was built of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to add a cozy ambiance into houses.Dimplex Media Console Fireplaces DFP4974BW Logan Media Console Fireplace Nassau Furniture TV Video
Some fireplace units incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a piece of metal that sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, designed to heat the atmosphere. The ideal method to gauge the output of a fireplace is if you detect you are turning the thermostat down or up.
Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are often equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two stages. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a large glass window while the flame is burning. During this time the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace media console
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