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Fireplace Design A Real Burning Issue

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A brick or stone enclosure forms the basis of the fireplace. Variously referred to as the fireplace opening or recess or builders opening, it could be set flush with the wall or built out into the room, forming a chimney breast. This chimney breast rises through the height of your house, emerging through the roof to form a chimney stack Go to this page . At the top of the opening the gather and flue join to carry the smoke up the chimney. If the chimney is shared by a number of fireplaces on different floors, it may contain more than one flue.

The masonry over the fireplace opening is supported by a lintel or a brick arch. Old inglenook fireplaces made use of large oak beams, whereas a strong iron strap usually supports an early brick arch. Later, fireplaces may have a straight arch supported by angle iron, and by the twentieth century cast concrete lintels were the norm.

A hearth, constructed from non-combustible materials such as stone or tile-faced concrete, projects out into the room to shield the floor from falling ashes. In many old houses, the hearth was set flush with the floor, although sometimes, a superimposed one was used to raise the level. The space within the fireplace opening, referred to as the back hearth, is usually level with the hearth itself. A dog grate for burning wood or coal can be placed on this back hearth. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, the mass produced cast-iron register grate which filled the opening, had become the style.

To complete the assembly, a mantelpiece, or mantel, or fireplace surround, as it is typically called today, is fitted to frame the grate or fireplace opening. The mantel might be constructed from stone, slate, marble, wood or cast iron. The walls around it may be finished with wood paneling, or more commonly with plaster, and in some cases, the mantel extends upwards to form an impressive chimneypiece. Mirrored overmantels were introduced in the late eighteenth century, and these ended up being the classic feature of Victorian sitting rooms.

Within this fireplace, an open fire burning wood or coal is a joyful sight, however, if it is your only source of heat, as it was for centuries, this romantic image can soon fade, especially if the fire does not burn properly. Getting a fire started and keeping it alight then becomes a challenge, if not a chore. For wood and coal fires to burn well, a good supply of air is required under the grate, in addition to a means of escape for the hot gases and smoke. With the fuel securely contained within the fireplace opening on a grate, free circulation of air is possible and waste ash can fall through the grate so the fire is not stifled. If the chimney is inadequate, or the flow of air is restricted, the fireplace will not function effectively.


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