The fireplace is often found in homes where the weather is chilly, especially during winter or cold days. A fireplace is usually made of brick or sometimes a metal structure that is used to hold fire. Fireplaces have various uses, typically for heating, and sometimes it is also used for cooking.
The Innuits also have their version of a fireplace. The Innuits used a kudlik, soapstone dishes filled with seal blubber, to provide light and warmth in their cold arctic environment. There was no wood in the artic, so the seal-oil and whale blubber is an excellent alternative. The kudlik is very important for the Innuits, and they use it for a variety of purposes, including heating, lighting, cooking, melting snow and drying their clothes.
In the early 1900s, many homes had fireplaces, which were the source of heating for their occupants. But in the mid-1900s, other types of heating sources were used. The use of electric, gas and oil heaters became widespread, so fireplaces were used less frequently to heat homes. With the general use of alternative house heating, some homes built in the late 1900s have no fireplaces. Fireplaces are normally found in the living room and bedroom but recently more homeowners are incorporating fireplaces in their bathrooms, designed and installed by bathroom renovators Newcastle.
Essential Components of a Fireplace
The fireplace is an essential part of a home, especially in the winter months where the weather can be freezing. There are two general types of fireplaces: factory build or prefab fireplaces and masonry fireplaces. A masonry fireplace typically has a firebox made of bricks and a chimney on the roof.
A factory build or prefab fireplace has a firebox of refractory cast panels and metal all around. Instead of a brick chimney, these prefab fireplaces have a round metal chimney.
How often can you use a fireplace, and how long before you clean them?
A fireplace is a valuable tool during the cold months and can be used daily during the winter season. But of course, its usage and availability will depend on several factors. If it’s a wood-burning fireplace, it will depend on the availability of wood in your area. In some places where a lot of dry wood is available, the fireplace can be used daily in heating the house. If you are using a gas fireplace, expect to have a higher gas bill if you will use it daily.
But it’s essential to use well-seasoned hardwood. Newly cut wood creates sticky soot and creosote deposits that can quickly build up in the chimney. Before using the fireplace daily, it is also necessary to check once a year by a professional chimney sweep. Aside from the firebox, the chimney should also be thoroughly inspected for deposits that have accumulated. The Chimney Safety Institute of America has advised that an open masonry fireplace be swept when there is a 1/8 inch soot buildup.
It is also essential to check modern gas-burning fireplaces and their chimneys. Sometimes the vents are blocked by debris such as birds’ nests, especially during the summer when you do not use them. So before using the fireplace during the winter, make sure you check the flue. The flue is a pipe or channel for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace or furnace.
