The parameters and characteristics of a fireplace are crucial for the most efficient utilization of its heating capabilities. A fireplace that is too large can lead to room cooling and drafts, while a fireplace that is too small may not effectively heat the room. Therefore, when constructing a fireplace or purchasing a pre-made one, it’s essential to carefully analyze the fireplace’s dimensions and inspect all its components to ensure they are suitable for each other.
Main parameters and characteristics of a fireplace
Fireplace Mantel: The mantel’s area should be 1/50 of the room’s area. The height of the mantel should not exceed two depths of the firebox.
Hearth Extension: The projection of the hearth extension in front of the mantel should be at least 50 cm, and on the sides of the mantel, it should be 21-30 cm.
Hearth Extension Plate: The hearth extension plate should extend beyond the hearth extension by 20-30 cm.
Firebox Base: The base area should be 0.7 times the area of the mantel. The firebox base can be at the same level as the fireplace hearth, 30-50 cm above it, or 40-60 cm above the fireplace hearth.
Firebox: The height of the firebox should be 3/5 of the width and 1/5 of the depth of the firebox. Excessive depth reduces the efficiency of the fireplace, while insufficient depth can lead to smoke entering the room. The side walls of the firebox should be angled at 45-60°, narrowing toward the chimney. The rear wall in the lower part should be strictly vertical, with a further inward slope at an angle of 20-22°. Inclined surfaces inside the firebox better reflect radiant energy.
Chimney Flue: The internal cross-section of the chimney flue should be 0.1-0.15 of the mantel area. A chimney flue with too large an internal cross-section will cause rapid cooling of the smoke gases, leading to condensation. The most preferable cross-sectional shape is circular (asbestos-cement and ceramic pipes), while square and rectangular shapes, which accumulate more soot in the corners, are less recommended. The total area of the internal heat-absorbing surface of the chimney flue should match the volume of the firebox. If it is smaller, heat will be wasted up the chimney, and if it is larger, condensation may occur. The side walls of the chimney flue are symmetrical and narrow toward the chimney at an angle of 45-60°. The rear wall should be strictly vertical. The height of the fireplace chimney should be greater than that of a stove chimney, and its walls should be thicker. This is because a fireplace requires a significantly larger amount of air for operation. The wall thickness of the chimney flue for a fireplace located on an exterior wall should be one brick, and for a fireplace located on an interior wall or in the center of a room, it should be 1/2 of a brick.
Smoke Damper: The smoke damper should be located in the chimney flue 20 cm above the firebox opening.
Chimney Pipe: The chimney pipe should be at least 5-6 m above the grate. The height above the roof should be 1 m. Additionally, the fireplace chimney pipe should be higher than all roof projections. The minimum height above the ridge for fire-resistant roofs is 30 cm, and for flammable roofs, it’s 50 cm. The internal cross-section of the chimney pipe should be 1/10 – 1/12 of the size of the firebox opening. In any case, the internal cross-section of the chimney pipe should not be smaller than 140×270 mm. Ideally, the chimney pipe should be strictly vertical, but in some cases, deviations from the vertical of no more than 30° are allowed.
Foundation: The foundation should have a depth of 0.5 m for a single-story house and 0.7-1 m for a two-story house.
Air Supply Channel: The internal cross-section of the air supply channel should be at least 200 cm².
Parts of a Fireplace
A fireplace typically consists of several main parts:
- Firebox: This is the enclosed area where the fire is lit and burns. It is usually made of fire-resistant materials like brick, stone, or metal.
- Hearth: The hearth is the floor area in front of the firebox. It serves as a foundation for the fire and is often made of heat-resistant materials for safety.
- Mantel: The mantel is a decorative shelf or beam that is mounted above the firebox. It can be made of wood, stone, or other materials and is often used to display decorative items.
- Chimney: The chimney is a vertical structure that extends above the roofline and is connected to the firebox. It serves to direct smoke and gases from the fire up and out of the house. A chimney typically includes a flue, which is a passage that carries the smoke and gases outside.
- Damper: The damper is a movable metal plate or valve located inside the chimney or flue. It can be opened or closed to control the airflow and regulate the intensity of the fire.
- Fireplace Grate: A fireplace grate is a metal or iron frame with bars that hold the logs and allow air to circulate beneath them. This helps the fire burn more efficiently.
- Fireplace Screen: A fireplace screen is a protective barrier made of metal, glass, or mesh that is placed in front of the firebox. It prevents sparks and embers from escaping and helps to keep the area around the fireplace safe.
- Ash Dump: Some fireplaces have an ash dump or ash pit located beneath the firebox. This is a convenient way to collect ashes for easy removal.
- Fireplace Tools: These tools, including a poker, shovel, brush, and tongs, are used to tend to the fire, adjust logs, and clean the fireplace.
- Gas or Electric Inserts (Optional): In modern fireplaces, you may find gas or electric inserts that provide a convenient way to generate flames and heat without traditional wood burning. These inserts can be controlled with a switch or remote control.
- Fireplace Surround: The surround is the decorative portion of the fireplace that frames the firebox and can extend to the mantel. It is often made of materials like tile, stone, or wood and adds to the overall aesthetic of the fireplace.
These are the main components of a typical fireplace, though the specific design and features can vary depending on the type and style of the fireplace, whether it’s traditional, gas, electric, or a wood-burning stove.
Fireplace maintenance
The firebox should be cleaned of ash residue regularly, using either a broom and trowel or a vacuum cleaner in dry cleaning mode. Some vacuum cleaners even have a fireplace cleaning function. (See Creosote Remover For Chimney Guide).
Fireplace Location
Fireplaces are usually placed against an interior capital wall. Fireplaces should not be placed against exterior walls or against walls with windows and doorways. Protect your fireplace from drafts and hypothermia. It is recommended that windows and doors be insulated to keep heat in a room with a fireplace. We do not recommend installing fireplaces, especially with an open firebox, in the hallway and near the stairs.
In a small room (the area of which does not exceed 20 square meters) fireplace is not recommended to install a fireplace, as it will not provide air flow sufficient for combustion of fuel.
Types of fireplaces by location
According to the location of fireplaces can be divided into built-in in the wall, wall-mounted and island.
Built-in fireplace
The built-in fireplace has a firebox and chimney built into the wall. Such a fireplace can be installed only in the house under construction, simultaneously with the laying of walls. A significant advantage of the built-in fireplace is that it takes up little useful space.
Wall fireplace
When installing a wall fireplace, its functional part is hidden behind a false wall, which also requires not very much space. Such a fireplace can be erected in an already built up building. Wall fireplace can be located in the corner or in the middle of the wall. In the first case, the fireplace is able to heat three rooms at once, but not very qualitatively. In the second, more preferable and the most common case, it is recommended to put the fireplace in such a way that on the sides of the fireplace there is a free space of at least 1 meter. The ideal option for placing a wall fireplace – in the middle of the wall.
Island fireplace
Island (open on all sides) fireplace has a very spectacular look, if it is organically integrated into the interior, but takes up a lot of space. Therefore, it is more appropriate to install it in large rooms. Usually island fireplaces are installed on some elevation. Convector is hanging from the ceiling on chains or springs, located directly above the furnace part of the fireplace.
The main requirement for the placement of the fireplace is open access to the portal, which should be facing the central part of the room. The fireplace should allow you to organize a place of rest near it. And what kind of rest near the fireplace, if you can not see the fire!
Features of fireplaces
The word “fireplace” comes from the Latin word for “hearth”. There is a hypothesis that from the word “fireplace” appeared the word “room”. Traditional fireplace is valuable first of all because it allows you to admire the flames thanks to an open firebox and heats the room with radiant energy in minutes. However, a significant disadvantage of the traditional fireplace is its inability to retain heat for a long time, in which it loses greatly to the household stove. Because of the open flue space of small depth and the lack of smoke circulation in the convector to the fuel comes much more air than is necessary for its maximum combustion, and the draught in the chimney fireplace is insufficient. Therefore, the fireplace does not utilize all the heat energy from the burned fuel – and most of the hot gases go into the chimney. The heating of the room is not due to heat transfer from the convector walls, which take on a small part of the heat, but due to the radiant energy coming from the burning fuel Thus, the fireplace heats while the fuel is burning. The efficiency of a traditional fireplace with an open firebox is on average 10-15%. All this makes the fireplace popular in the city, but completely useless in the countryside.
The heat output of the fireplace can be increased to a maximum of 20-25%, resorting to the help of various additional devices, such as a smoke tooth, electric smoke pump, deflector. Modern imported fireplaces are also equipped with a heat-resistant fire door made of quartz glass, in the lower part of which there are special levers that allow you to adjust the strength of the draught. Such fireplaces have the efficiency of a household stove (75-85%). But they also cost accordingly.
The simplest way to get a fireplace with high efficiency is to build a stove-fireplace, which is a household stove with a built-in fireplace. A fireplace stove heats the room quickly (due to the fireplace), but also keeps the heat for a long time (due to the stove).
History of the fireplace
In the past, wood, peat and kindling were the only fuel, and therefore, to start a fire and keep it burning continuously, you had to spend a lot of time. Up until the invention of matches in the nineteenth century, the firebrick and flint used to produce sparks, and rubbing, which consisted of bark, dried leaves, ferns, and other plant materials, were carefully guarded.
When keeping the fire burning required such effort, hearths were few. People warmed their frozen fingers by the only source of heat in the main hall and often slept right next to it.
As dwellings expanded, elaborate chimney systems were developed and the fireplace wall became a major load-bearing element in the structures. In pre-Reformation Europe, the papal tax on chimneys meant that no one wanted to build chimneys, but after 1529 the number of elaborately decorated brick chimneys and magnificent fireplaces depicting biblical subjects, hunting scenes and various gods increased. Plastering had its advantages, which sixteenth-century craftsmen instantly adopted – the mold could be made once and then repeated, and the material itself was relatively cheap and readily available. The plasterer had a book of samples that the customer could examine and choose a design they liked.
The rapid spread of fireplaces created a degree of comfort in homes, but heat, especially in overcrowded wooden buildings, was associated with danger. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed much of the city. But this disaster had positive consequences – the city was rebuilt and the streets, mostly of stone, became wider. The new city became the capital of the trading world, depriving Antwerp of that role. In New England, fireplaces were huge and heated with wood uneconomically. Over time, they became more elegant and functional.
The only element of the fireplace that has undergone minor changes since the Middle Ages are the fireplace tools (tongs and poker, scoop, wood stand and fire grate). They remain the same tools that a medieval resident would still feel at home with today.
Wood-burning fireplaces dominated until the early 1990s. The market share of wood-burning fireplaces was about 70%. Since 1997, gas fireplaces have taken over the leadership – their share was about 60%. And now a new type of fireplace has taken over the market – decorative electric fireplaces.
The future of fireplaces
The future of fireplaces in the interiors of residential homes remains relevant, although their role has evolved over the years. While they may not be as essential for heating as they once were, fireplaces still have a place in modern interior design for several reasons:
- Aesthetic Appeal: Fireplaces add a warm and cozy ambiance to a room. They often serve as focal points in interior design, providing a sense of comfort and luxury. Many people appreciate the visual appeal of a fireplace, even if it’s not their primary heat source.
- Architectural Interest: Fireplaces can enhance the architectural character of a home. They come in various styles and materials, allowing homeowners to choose one that complements the overall design of their space.
- Flexibility: Modern fireplaces are available in various forms, including traditional wood-burning, gas, and electric options. Electric fireplaces, in particular, are convenient and low-maintenance, making them a popular choice for homeowners.
- Heating Efficiency: While fireplaces are no longer the primary source of heating in most homes, they can still contribute to warmth and reduce heating costs when used strategically. Gas fireplaces, in particular, offer good heating efficiency.
- Year-Round Use: Electric and gas fireplaces can be used throughout the year, providing the ambiance of a fire without the need for actual wood burning. They can create a cozy atmosphere even in warmer months when heating isn’t required.
- Resale Value: A well-maintained fireplace can enhance the resale value of a home. Many potential buyers view fireplaces as desirable features, which can make a property more attractive.
However, the popularity of fireplaces can vary by region, climate, and individual preferences. In areas with milder climates, fireplaces may be more of a decorative feature than a functional one. In colder regions, traditional wood-burning fireplaces can still serve as valuable heat sources and are often cherished for their nostalgic appeal.