A Fireplace is often mistakingly used to describe a Fire surround or Mantel. A fireplace is a structure used to contain a fire for heating or for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue directs gas and particulate exhaust to escape. Fireplaces are still and have always been a central household feature bringing comfort and relaxation from the flames and crackling sounds, even when not necessary for heat or cooking. Fireplace mantels are a focus for interior decoration.
Types of fireplace / Chimney
A fireplace may have: a foundation, a hearth, a firebox, a fireplace mantel (also known as a fire Surround, or incorrectly termed a 'Fireplace'), an ashdump door, a chimney crane, a cleanout door, a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, overmantel, a breast, a damper, a smoke chamber, a throat, a flue, a chimney chase, a crown, a cap, a shroud, or a spark arrestor.
- brick or stone fireplaces and chimneys with or without tile lined flue. Note: unreinforced masonry chimneys do not stand up to earthquakes well.
- Reinforced concrete chimneys. These chimneys had Fundamental flaws, bad designs caused heat expansion which resulted in cracks appearing in chimney flues, this error in design bankrupted the US manufacturers and obsoleted the technique. This type of chimney often shows vertical cracks on the exterior of the chimney which worsen as the internal rebar rusts.
- Manufactured Fireplaces also known as "prefab" (Prefabricated) or Preface. A Fireplace with sheet metal fire box and double or triple walled metal pipe running up inside a new or existing wood framed or masonry chase with a chase cover, a cap, and spark arrestor at the top to keep small animals out and sparks from exiting the chimney cavity. This type of fireplace is very popular for new construction for ease of installation and is very cost effective. This type of fireplace is currently being made for wood, natural gas and lp/propane fuel sources.
- Preface
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Fireplace History
The first indoor Fireplaces were simple fire pits that were built into the ground in the center of a hut or dwelling, through the natural way that heat rises the smoke escaped through a hole in the roof, however on windy days the smoke often blew back into the room. it was much later that basic chimneys somewhat fixed this problem allowing smoke to vent outside.Key Dates in History of Fireplaces / Chimneys
- 1678 'raised' grate invented which improved the airflow and venting system
- 1700's Ben Franklin developed a convection chamber which greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and Woodstoves
- 1700's Count Rumford developed a Fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which greatly improved the efficiency of drawing the smoke up and out of the chimney, this design is the foundation of modern fireplaces.
Fireplaces were in decline through the 80's and 90's due to
their inefficiency, being replace by Central heating or Electric heaters. Open fires have become more restricted due to partial government bans and policy governing the burning of solid fuel due to air pollution. Prefabricated fireplaces are becoming popular due to their construction costs and safer, more reliable operation.
The first basic mantels originated in medieval times designed to hang over a grate to cathe the smoke. The term has evolved to include decorative framework surrounding the fireplace and is now widely known as a Fire Surround or Fireplace surround, although regionaly still referred to as a Mantelpiece. For many centuries the Fire surround was the most ornamental and artistic feature of a room but as fireplaces have become smaller, and modern methods of heating have been introduced, its artistic and practical use had diminished, however the last decade has seen a revivial in fireplaces and once again we are seeing their prominence in home decor design. The choice of material for the mantel includes such rich materials as marble, limestone, or fine woods. Certainly the most luxurious of materials is marble.
History of Mantels / Fire Surrounds
The most prolific modern designer of Fire surrounds was G. B. Paranesi who published a large series from which the French 'Empire' style was based.
17th Century: The English fire surrounds of the 17th century had Italian style and were extremely simple in design, often comprising only of the Mantelpiece , architraves and shelf, with the chinmey breast being panelled or left as brick with no ornate mouldings or carvings. Latter 17th centuray styles saw the arrival of bolder and more effective molding in which the shelf was ommited.
18th Century: Architects returned to the classic type, but influenced by French work which created sculptures, generally represented by graceful figures on either side of the Fire surround and used to hold the Mantel shelf. Ornate frames were introduced above the Mantel which were used for the family portrait. Towards the end of the 18th centuray the design created by the Adams Brothers superceded all others and are the most widely used styles in use today.
Where does the term 'mantelpiece come from?
In 1834 Gideon Algernon Mantell (1790 - 1852), was given a sandstone block containing Iguanodon bones. This was nicknamed the 'Mantell-Piece'.
Up until the 20th century and the invention of mechanized contained heating systems, rooms were heated by an open or central fire. A modern fireplace usually serves as an element to enhance the grandeur of an interior space rather than as a heat source. Today, fireplaces of varying quality, materials and style are available worldwide. The fireplace mantels of today often incorporate the architecture of two or more periods or cultures such as the combination of Neoclassical and Greek Revival.
Material details: MARBLE
Marble is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, this metamorphic process causes a complete recrystallization of the original rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite, aragonite and/or dolomite crystals. The temperatures and pressures necessary to form marble usually destroy any fossils and sedimentary textures present in the original rock. It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications. The word "marble" is colloquially used to refer to many other stones that are capable of taking a high polish. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often due to serpentine resulting from originally high magnesium limestone or dolostone with silica impurities. These various impurities have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of the metamorphism.
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