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History of Fireplaces

We will discuss, not the modern fireplace as we know it, but rather the well-known and old style, authentic fireplaces, made of brick, mortar and stone. These original fireplaces were known from old Bronze ages, about 2500 years before Jesus Christ. They were originally from the Alps region and we consider them to be forerunners of fireplaces we have today. Basically, the design stayed the same for thousands of years, until the invention of the chimney.  Chimneys were originally found in Italy (about 10-th century) for the first time and continued evolving until about the 14-th century.

fireplaces, brick fireplace

Fireplaces as we know them today

Fireplaces, as we know them, have been used from about the second half of 19-th century. These fireplace were the main source of heat for the homes.  They were generally built in the middle of the home and were made with large openings.  The way they were able to heat there home was radiant heat.  The walls of the inside of the fireplaces were made of brick or stone.  Usually these walls were angled towards the back at approximately a 45 degree angle.  This way the bricks and stones heat up and radiant the heat into the room.

Why do modern fireplaces not heat the home?

Today people are looking for convenience.  If it fast and easy, it sells.  The same is with fireplaces.  To build a real fireplace that heats the home, one that is made from brick and mortar, requires more time and money.  So to reduce the time in building fireplaces, and hence the cost, there now exist per-fabricated metal fireplaces.  These are metal boxes that are set into place and built around.  The metal is not nearly as good of a material to absorb and reflect the heat back into the home.  So today many people try to heat there home with metal fireplaces, but it just doesn’t work.  The best thing to do if you have a metal fireplace and want to heat your home with wood, is to install a wood burning fireplace insert stove.  The fireplace insert is designed to give you heat.  Fireplaces that have an insert installed, are required to be attached to an insulated stainless steel chimney liner.

 








    *Note: If you have a terra cotta clay chimney
    flue lining, be sure to measure the true length and width of the
    inside of your chimney flue space.

    *If there is a terra cotta clay flue liner, does it protrude out of
    the top of the chimney at least 2 inches? If there are at least 2
    inches and the terra cotta clay is in good condition, you will use
    our stainless steel, terra cotta top plate that has a 1 1⁄2inch edge
    that goes all the way around (like a shoebox lid).

    *If your terra cotta clay flue is in bad shape at the top, you may
    need to just take a hammer and tap all around that terra cotta,
    taking it away to make the surface flat at the top of your chimney.
    In that case, you will simply use the flat top plate that comes with
    our liner kit.



    *Note: If you have a terra cotta clay chimney
    flue lining, be sure to measure the true length and width of the
    inside of your chimney flue space.

    *If it is on the back of the stove, is it parallel with the back of the stove or is it at an angle, like 45 degrees?

    *If it is at an angle you will use an insert stove adaptor (an insert liner kit) rather than a two-part tee with cleanout cap.


    Usually pellet stoves have an exhaust hole id of 3 inches. However, if you are going up more than 15 feet to the top of your chimney you need to use a pipe and/or flex liner that is 4 inches diameter.





    If you are only venting a hot water heater then the exhaust hole diameter is probably 3 inch diameter. If it is 3 inch diameter and you are going up more than 15 feet to the top of your chimney, you must use a 4 inch diameter flexible liner or ridged pipe for proper draft. We also suggest to go ahead and use a 4 inch diameter flexible liner or ridged pipe even if the total length is 15 feet or less.


    Not the depth or any other dimension inside your fireplace.

    Most gas log fireplaces require an 8 inch liner kit or rigid kit. But do not assume that is the case for the gas log fireplace kit you are installing. Obey the requirements for that specific unit that are in your installation/instruction manual.

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