Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they produced toxic and/or irritating smoke inside the house.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in structures, 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 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 would not enter.
Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from spreading through a room and vent it out through a wall or roof. These can be put against rock walls, rather than taking up the middle of the room, and this enabled smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it feasible to give the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general usage immediately, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.The 18th century saw two important developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer place at the very top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected into the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern kitchens.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Rather it relied on simple layouts 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 gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a sign of wealth, which to some degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based upon the plan.Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry 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's frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick function as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater out of the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a much larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than 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 can pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.Types of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical 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 propane fuel sources. Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, several states and local counties have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. They need to be suitably sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality control issues because of the quantity of moisture that they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the place that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.
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As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a space, allowing more people to gather around it.
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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. The most famous fireplace designers of the time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their size.
By the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of 2 components, the surround and the add. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burned, and was built of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to add a cozy ambiance to homes.Pleasant Hearth Harper 4Piece Log Holder and Fireplace Tool SetFA338LT The Home Depot Video
Some fireplace units include a blower that 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 enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the fire 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 concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the effect of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, designed to warm the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The best method to gauge the output signal of a fireplace is if you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.
Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two stages. During the first phase the first heat is provided through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time period the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This heat is then evenly radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace tools
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