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Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or at the middle of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor fire pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burnt with all the smoke climbing into the port in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow would not enter.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it outside through a wall or roof. These could be placed against rock walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it feasible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general usage instantly, however, as they were expensive to develop and maintain.

Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a lengthier place at the very 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 from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected into the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern fireplaces.

Rather it relied on simple layouts with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a symbol of prosperity, which to some degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, depending on the plan.

Historically they were 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 other flue allows exhaust to escape.

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

Organizations such as 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 fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made with sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, some states and local counties have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality control problems due to the amount of moisture that they discharge in the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by 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 current Western cultures comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire dogs, all which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are sometimes used to catch and re-radiate heat, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames set in front of the fireplace to include embers, soot and ashes.

As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were 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 generally centered within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

Shenandoah Fireplace Mantel Shelf Home Accents

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Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace designers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with an emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.

From the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burnt, and was built of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to bring a cozy ambiance into homes.

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Some fireplace units incorporate a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be enhanced 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 complex concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider only the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the air. The best method to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is if you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is provided through a large glass while the fire is burning. In this time period the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then evenly radiated for several hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only offer heat radiated from its surface. Based on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace mantel shelf