Stone Fireplace Mantels with Chimney Traba Homes

Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, in caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor flame pits was that they generated hazardous or irritating smoke within the house.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where a open flame burnt with all the smoke climbing into the port in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it outside via a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against rock walls, rather than taking up the center of the space, and this allowed smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general usage immediately, however, as they were more expensive to build and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the venting and airflow system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area at the top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing up the smoke and out of the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern kitchens.

Rather it relied on simple layouts with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of prosperity, which to some degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficiency, depending upon the plan.

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

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On the exterior there's frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick act 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 greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the most violent rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the crown or cap.

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

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass fire boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. In the United States, several states and local businesses have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. They must 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 safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the area that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in current Western civilizations include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire dogs, all which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metal firebacks are occasionally used to catch and re-radiate heat, to safeguard the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set in front of the fireplace to include embers, soot and ashes.

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were more fire pits than modern fireplaces. They have been used for warmth on cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were usually based within a room, allowing more people to gather around it.

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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace designers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design that was used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, instead of their size.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround as well as the insert. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to add a cozy ambiance to houses.

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Some fireplace units incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use 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 manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider just the impact of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, designed to heat the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so since the 15th century. The ideal way to estimate the output of a fireplace is in case you detect you are turning the thermostat up or down.

Most older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first phase the initial heat is provided through a big glass while the fire is burning. In this time period the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This heat is then evenly radiated for many hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window only provide heat radiated from the surface. Depending on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace wood