Best 25+ Stone fireplace surround ideas on Pinterest Stone fireplaces, Fireplace ideas and

Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed from the ground, within caves, or in the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires is present on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor fire pits was that they generated hazardous or annoying smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The medieval great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where a open fire burnt with all the smoke climbing into 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.

Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from spreading through an area and vent it out through a wall or roof. These could be placed against rock walls, instead of taking up the middle of the space, and this allowed smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully 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 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 room for the fireplace that greatly enhanced the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a longer area at the very top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing up the smoke and from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the room. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on stone and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple layouts with little unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces now have been a symbol of prosperity, which to a degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based on the design.

Historically they have been utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fireplace may have the following: a base, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney crane (utilized in kitchen and laundry fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel pub, home overmantel, a damper, a smoke chamber, a throat, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.

Related Images with Best 25+ Stone fireplace surround ideas on Pinterest Stone fireplaces, Fireplace ideas and

Natural Stone Fireplaces Fireplace Surrounds, Somerset

On the exterior there's frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the casting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater out of the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a far larger problem 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. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the crown or cap.

Organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to different studies, fireplaces could pose a significant health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.

Types of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made out of 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 kinds are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electrical mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing gas fireplaces.

In the United States, some states and local businesses have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. There are also air quality control problems due to the quantity of moisture they release in the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed in the place that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.

Stone Fireplace Mantels Stone Surrounds American Pacific

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

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits than modern fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly 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 space, allowing more individuals to collect around it.

Fireplace Mantels and Surrounds

Stone Fireplace Surrounds Photo Gallery And Ideas Regarding Stacked Surround Design 17

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 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 lit, with an emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

By the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of two parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, granite or marble. The fit was where the 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 believed to bring a cozy ambiance into houses.

Stone Fireplace Surrounds Photo Gallery And Ideas Regarding Stacked Surround Design 17 Video

Some fireplace units incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated area 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 can also be manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex notion 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 warm the air. 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 older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two stages. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a big glass while the fire is burning. During this time period the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then equally radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.stone fireplace surround