The Anatomy of a Fireplace: Flues, Chimneys and More DIY

Ancient fire pits were sometimes built from the floor, within 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 premature indoor fire pits was that they generated hazardous or irritating smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open flame burnt with the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain 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 put against stone walls, rather than taking up the center of the space, and this allowed smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it feasible to provide the fireplace a draft, and made it possible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general use instantly, however, since they were more 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 basement and venting a lengthier area on top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected to the room. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.

Rather 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 placed on providing quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of wealth, which to a degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, based on the plan.

Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses.

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

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

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

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, some states and local counties have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality management issues due to the amount of moisture they release in the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon dioxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesA vast assortment of accessories are used with fireplaces, which range between countries, regions, and historical periods. For the interior, common in current Western civilizations comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire dogs, all of which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes utilized to capture and re-radiate heat, to protect the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames set before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ash. For fireplace tending, tools comprise pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and tool racks.

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits than modern fireplaces. They were used for warmth on cold days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally based within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace performers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind 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.

By the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of 2 components, the surround and the add. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burnt, and was built of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to add a cozy ambiance to houses.

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Some fireplace units include a blower which transports 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 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 produced from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex notion although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to heat the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The best method to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is in case you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be modified by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a large glass while the fire is burning. During this time period the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to two daily firings are sufficient to guarantee a constant room temperature.fireplace flue