Fireplaces Westside Tile and Stone

Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, in caves, or in the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they generated hazardous or annoying smoke within the house.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in buildings, but venting smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where an open fire burnt with all the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow wouldn't enter.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it outside via a ceiling or wall. These can be put against stone walls, rather than taking up the center of the space, and this enabled smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and largely 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 put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general use instantly, however, since they were more expensive to develop and maintain.

The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace which greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting out a longer area at the very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected into the room. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern fireplaces.

Instead it relied on simple layouts with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces at this time have been a symbol of wealth, 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 the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending upon the design.

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

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On the exterior there is frequently a corbeled brick crown, in which the projecting courses of brick function as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much larger difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, that divides up all but the rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the crown or cap.

The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it is not great for you.

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made with sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A few types are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electrical mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing electric fireplaces.

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, several states and local businesses have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be suitably sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality control issues due to the quantity of moisture that they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon dioxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed in the place that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western cultures comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire dogs, all of which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are sometimes used to catch and re-radiate warmth, to protect the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set in front of the fireplace to include embers, soot and ash.

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the house. These fire pits were usually centered within a space, allowing more individuals to collect around it.

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Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came large 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 a emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

From the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of 2 components, the surround as well as the add. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was where the fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron frequently backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to add a cozy ambiance to homes.

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Some fireplace units incorporate a blower which transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the flame 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 notion although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to warm the air. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so since the 15th century. The best way to gauge the output of a fireplace is in case you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum requirement such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is provided through a big glass window while the fire is burning. During this time period the structure, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then equally radiated for several hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace glass