Pearl Mantels Savannah 72in W x 9in H x 9in D Taos Distressed Pine Transitional Fireplace

Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, in caves, or at the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor fire pits was that they produced hazardous or irritating smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where a open flame burned with the smoke rising to the port in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so rain and snow would not enter.

Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from spreading through a room and vent it outside through a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against rock walls, rather than taking up the center of the room, and this allowed smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and made it possible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings handily. They didn't come into general usage instantly, however, since they were more expensive to build and maintain.

Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a longer place on very top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and from the building. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected into the space. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple layouts with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now were a symbol of wealth, which to some degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, depending upon the plan.

Historically they were used for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses.

Related Images with Pearl Mantels Savannah 72in W x 9in H x 9in D Taos Distressed Pine Transitional Fireplace

Salem Wood Mantel Shelves Fireplace Mantel Shelf MantelsDirect.com

On the exterior there is frequently a corbeled brick crown, in which 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 much greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, that divides 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 is not good for you.

Types of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made with sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for either gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, several states and local counties have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. There are also air quality management problems due to the quantity of moisture they release into the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed in the area that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.

Pearl Mantel classic Monticello white fireplace mantel. 4856quot;. FREE SH. eBay

AccessoriesFor the interior, common in current Western civilizations include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire dogs, all which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a frame, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are occasionally used to catch and re-radiate warmth, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames placed before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ashes.

As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits than modern fireplaces. They were used for warmth on chilly days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the house. These fire pits were usually based within a space, allowing more people to collect around it.

Home Improvement: Build your own Fireplace Mantel Hearth craftsman style Make It and Love It

Housewarmer Fireplace Mantel Surround with Shelf eBay

Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. The most famous fireplace performers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burnt, and was built of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were believed to add a cozy ambiance to homes.

Housewarmer Fireplace Mantel Surround with Shelf eBay Video

Some fireplace components incorporate a blower that transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be increased by means of a fireback, a piece of metal that sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but are also manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the atmosphere. The best way to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is if you notice you are turning the thermostat up or down.

Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum requirement such as in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is provided through a large glass window while the flame is burning. During this time period the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Based on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to guarantee a constant room temperature.fireplace mantle