Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, in caves, or in the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor flame pits was that they produced hazardous 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 great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open flame burned with the smoke rising to the port in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain wouldn't enter.
Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from spreading through a room and vent it outside through a wall or roof. These can be placed against stone walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it possible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general use instantly, however, since they were 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 major 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. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area on very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing the smoke up and out of the construction. 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 designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was still placed on providing 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 of brick, stone or metal made 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, depending upon the plan.Historically they have been used for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or alternative flue allows exhaust to escape.
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On the exterior there's frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the casting courses of brick act as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior 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 metal liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, which divides up all but the rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated 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 could pose a substantial health threat. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you.Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made with sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A couple of types are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electric mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing electric fireplaces.
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. There are also air quality control issues because of the quantity of moisture they release into the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.
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As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They were used for warmth on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were usually centered within a room, allowing more people to collect around it.
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Many defects were found in ancient 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 had been smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.
From the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of 2 components, the surround and the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was where the fire burned, and was built of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to bring a cozy ambiance to houses.Cast Stone Hoods and limestone fireplace custom products Fireplace Surrounds Fireplace in Video
Some fireplace components include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased 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 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, intended to heat the atmosphere. The ideal way to estimate the output of a fireplace is in case you detect you are turning the thermostat down or up.
Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces may also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These modified 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 large glass while the flame is burning. In this time the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window only offer heat radiated from its surface. Based on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.limestone fireplace
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