30+ Amazing fall decorating ideas for your fireplace mantel

Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed in the ground, in caves, or in the center of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of early indoor fire pits was that they generated toxic and/or annoying smoke within 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 situated hearth, where a open fire burned with the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow would not enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from spreading through an area and vent it outside through a ceiling or wall. These could be put against stone walls, instead of 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 problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They didn't come into general usage instantly, however, since they were more expensive to build and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. The 18th century saw two important developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier place on very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing up the smoke and from the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on stone and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a symbol of wealth, which to a degree is still the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, based on the design.

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

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On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, in which the casting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A cap, hood, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a far larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, which divides up all but the most violent rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the cap or crown.

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

Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could 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 USA, several states and local counties have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management problems because of the quantity of moisture that they release in the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesA vast range of accessories are used with fireplaces, which range between states, regions, and historical periods. For the inside, common in recent Western cultures include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire puppies, all of which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are occasionally utilized to catch and re-radiate warmth, to safeguard the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames placed before the fireplace to include embers, soot and ashes.

Over time, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to modern fireplaces. They were used for warmth on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a room, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

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Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came big scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace designers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly lit, with an emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.

From the 1800s most new fireplaces were made up of two components, the surround and the add. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, marble or granite. The fit was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.

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Some fireplace components include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be enhanced by means of a fireback, a piece of metal that sits behind the flame 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 notion though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider only the effect of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to heat the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so since the 15th century. The best way to gauge the output signal of a fireplace is in case you detect you're turning the thermostat down or up.

Most elderly fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first phase the initial heat is offered through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time the structure, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then evenly radiated for many hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace mantel decor