A History of the Fireplace
Life cannot exist without fire. It cooks our meals and keeps us warm. Even though they were ancient, the first fireplaces ever constructed kept the fire inside dwellings to provide much-needed warmth and heat for cooking. In contrast to the fireplaces we enjoy gathering around today, they were essential for survival.
It wasn’t until the fifteenth century that the fireplace and chimney as we know them now became commonplace in traditional homes. Only the more giant castles and palaces had some of these fireplaces, and in some still-standing examples of these structures, such as Penshurst, the antique fireplace still stands in the center of the great hall’s floor with its huge iron-linked andirons supporting the logs. The alternative to this was a peat or charcoal brazier made of iron. The smoke managed to escape in whatever way it could, most frequently through a hole in the roof, a gap in the thatch or tiling, or any apertures such as door or window gaps.
The roof’s timbers developed soot coatings, and if the thatch roof had a leak, black water spilled down. Even though the smoke from wood or peat is more bearable than the smoke from coal, the living circumstances must have been uncomfortable by today’s standards. They resembled those of the ancient Britons who lived in the circular huts, of which there are still remnants, in that they likewise had a central fire hearth and sleeping spaces all around, with the sleepers lying with their feet in front of the fire.
Fire pits weren’t replaced with fireplaces and moved to the exterior wall until two-story structures were constructed, making it possible to install a fireplace on each floor. They were first horizontally vented outside the house, but since smoke naturally rises, it kept entering the rooms. The famed chimney, which produced a draft to evacuate the smoke upward, was quickly developed.
The original fireplaces had numerous problems, but the industrial revolution brought forth extensive housing expansions, which also led to the standardization of fireplaces. The surround (mantelpiece and side supports) and an insert, which was often made of cast iron, made comprised the majority of fireplaces today. Famous fireplace designers at the time, The Adam Brothers created a fireplace that needed less room and used higher-quality materials. During this time, people began to value fireplaces for their aesthetic value in addition to their practicality.
The first factory-built fireplace system, created by Heatilator in the middle of the 20th century, did away with the requirement for onsite brick fireplace building. Factory-built fireplaces quickly gained popularity due to their lower cost and simpler installation within a short period of time. Then, in the 1980s, Heat & Glo developed direct vent gas technology, which transformed the sector by enabling secure fireplace installation almost anywhere in the house.
Never before have there been as many options available for enjoying fireplaces in the comfort of our homes. Numerous households continue to like fireplaces. Additionally, they come in a broad variety of fuels, styles, and materials that will complement any building design. Just be sure to maintain them with professional Local Chimney Cleaning Jackson assistance.
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