DIY Wood Beam Mantel

Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed in the ground, within caves, or in the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of early indoor fire pits was that they generated hazardous or irritating smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The medieval great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where a open fire burnt with 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 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 out through a ceiling or wall. These can be put against rock walls, rather than taking up the center of the room, and this allowed smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage instantly, however, as they were 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. The 18th century saw two important developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier area at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing up the smoke and from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected into the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern fireplaces.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on rock and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Rather it relied on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of wealth, which to a degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based on the plan.

Historically they were utilized for heating a dwelling, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows exhaust to escape. A fireplace may have the following: a foundation, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney (utilized in laundry and kitchen fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, home overmantel, a damper, a smoke room, a throat, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.

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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 outside walls. A cap, hood, or shroud serves to keep rainwater out of the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much greater difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the crown or cap.

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

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

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and propane fuel sources. In the USA, several states and local businesses have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality management issues due to the amount of moisture they discharge in the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the interior, common in recent Western cultures comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, along with fire dogs, all which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes utilized to capture and re-radiate warmth, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames placed before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ashes. For fireplace tending, tools include pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and instrument racks.

As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to modern fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the house. These fire pits were generally centered within a room, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

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Wood Fireplace Carved Wood Fireplace Mantels and Fireplace Mantel Shelves

Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace designers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.

By the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of 2 parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, marble or granite. The insert was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were thought to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.

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Some fireplace components incorporate a blower which 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 with the use of a fireback, a piece of metal which sits behind the flame 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 complicated concept although 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 air. The ideal 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 relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof 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 developed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first phase the initial heat is offered through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time period the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then equally radiated for many hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from its surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.wood fireplace mantels