Wood burning fireplaces: types and styles

For many millennia, hearths and fireplaces have been decorating and warming our homes. The crackling of firewood and the play of flames fascinate and create an atmosphere of coziness and relaxed relaxation, set you in a romantic mood. Although now invented electric fireplaces, infrared and gas, but it is the wood-burning hearths that are very popular. This is a classic, proven over the centuries.

Today there is a huge variety of types and models of wood-burning fireplaces and accessories. They can be bought ready-made in a store or made to order, or you can build them yourself and decorate to your liking and desire.

A real wood-burning fireplace has the following advantages and functions:

• able to heat a room with an area of ​​20-25 m2;
• some models can be used for drying food and wet items;
• serves as a decoration for any interior and creates a unique atmosphere of comfort in the house;
• easy to maintain and operate;
• able to work on different types of fuel
• helps ventilation of the room.

He also has disadvantages:

• is only an additional heating method;
• due to the fire hazard, requires caution in use;
• there is a need for a supply of fuel and a special place for storing them in the house;
• correctly installing or laying out a fireplace is a laborious and costly business;
• it is necessary to constantly clean the chimney.

A fireplace is a stove, only with a firebox open to the side of the room. It consists of a portal that frames the fireplace and performs a decorative function, a firebox in which firewood is burned, a chimney into which smoke is drawn. To remove gases and fumes, the stove is equipped with a smoke collector and a chimney - a special vertical pipe that removes combustion products from the furnace to the street using a chimney pipe.

Despite the simplicity of the design, there is a wide variety of types of wood heating systems. For fuel, you can use all combustible material, for example, firewood, cardboard. Wood pellets are made especially for fireplaces.

The hearths differ at the place of installation for outdoor and domestic ones. The first ones are mounted on the street and are used for cooking in the barbecue area, heating water and, of course, for decorating the area in front of the house. The second are internal for installation in rooms.

The division also goes according to the method of placing the furnace in the room. Island structures are placed in the middle of the room at a distance from corners and walls. This method is considered the most laborious, but such an island looks impressive, it is often double-sided and heats a much larger area than other species. A hanging fireplace looks unusual, the fire portal of which can be either glass or open.

Corner fireplaces fully justify their name and are placed in the corner of the room, usually they are floor-standing, built-in ones. They give less heat than island ones, but they create a real corner for relaxation and look very elegant. It is easier to lay out such an oven than a free-standing one.

The wall version is the easiest to perform. Such a fireplace is built into a wall, most often a load-bearing one. It saves room space, but part of the heat goes into the wall, so its thermal efficiency is lower than that of other types. Hanging models are also placed on the wall, wall-mounted or portable models against the wall, which can be installed in any safe place in the room at the request of the owner.

By the type of execution, indoor fireplace structures are divided into several groups:

• Classic performance. This is a stove made of traditional natural materials according to the standard technology proven over the centuries. Its furnace portal is rectangular or square in shape.
• A model in a modern design with various shapes of fireboxes and made of metal, glass and other original materials.
• The specific D-shape with a wooden beam at the top looks impressive and reliable.

By the way of use, fireplaces differ, which, in addition to their main decorative function, also perform additional household tasks:

• a fireplace-stove, on which there is a hob on top and you can cook food;
• fireplace-boiler, which is used as a boiler, water heater;
• heating type of the stove, almost smokeless, which is the main heating element in the room. Ready-made stoves with the ability to connect a heating circuit, pellet-wood boilers are produced.

Furnaces are made with two types of furnaces - open and closed. The first option is very popular because of the sensation and aroma of an open flame, the second is safer, in which the flame is covered with fireproof glass.

The principle of operation of the fireplace is similar to that of a conventional stove. Firewood or other solid fuel is placed in the firebox. Firewood burns, emitting radiant heat energy in all directions. The temperature of the burning layer is 800-850 degrees. Some of the heat goes into the room, and some gets to the back wall and sides of the fireplace, then it is reflected from the walls and enters the room, but in a smaller amount, the indicators are reduced by about half. Heat is released while the combustion process is in progress.

To prevent by-products and harmful combustion products from entering the room through the open front part of the firebox, a special air stream is created that enters the furnace through the blower and goes further into the smoke collector. Smoke and gases that are formed during combustion, as well as part of the heat, are drawn into the chimney with the help of traction and removed to the street through the chimney. To maintain combustion, air is drawn directly from the room, natural ventilation occurs.

For the manufacture of fireplaces, both traditional natural materials, the use of which has a thousand-year history, and modern innovative ones, invented recently, are used.

The choice of material is determined by its special properties, which are necessary for safe and efficient work:

• thermal conductivity, heat transfer;
• vapor permeability and gas permeability;
• heat resistance, heat capacity;
• shrinkage, change in volume with jumps in temperature and humidity;
• incombustibility, fire resistance, fire resistance;
• strength;
• plasticity and elasticity;
• chemical resistance when exposed to alkalis, acids, gases.

Traditional materials such as refractory fireclay bricks and stone have excellent characteristics for use in laying furnaces for various purposes. Finnish fireplaces are made of volcanic talc magnesite. Mammoth stone, as it is also called, has excellent thermal conductivity and natural beauty.

Of modern materials, the most often used is refractory tempered glass, which is used to close the furnace portal so that the flame can be seen. Manufacturers offer glasses that work steadily at temperatures of about +750 degrees.To obtain such properties, heat-resistant glass is additionally tempered. There are quartz glasses with a temperature limit of +1000 degrees. They can be laminated and tinted at the request of the client.

Steel fireplaces are a worthy alternative to stone and brick ones. This material has the following advantages:

• Compactness and light weight compared to other types. Such furnaces can be installed without a foundation, moved from place to place.
• High heat transfer rates. A room with a steel fireplace will quickly become warm, but such a fireplace will also cool down quickly.
• Ease of maintenance. Metal is easy to wipe, can be washed with special products.

Artificial stone imitates natural counterparts, but is more affordable. They are faced with portals of classic fireplaces. Whole walls and panels framing the stoves can be laid out of artificial stone.

Decorative stoves and wood-burning fireplaces come in a wide variety of sizes and be huge stone, with a panel and a chimney to the ceiling, which are undoubtedly an impressive center of the entire interior. The rest of the decor and furniture are formed around them.

If the footage of the room does not allow accommodating a large structure, you can choose models that are more compact, portable or suspended, wall-mounted. Such views do not clutter up the space and look easy in the interior. Even mini fireplaces are sold, usually they are mobile and create a corner of relaxation and comfort anywhere at the request of the owners.

The shape of the fireplace is determined by the features of its design. The firebox and chimney dictate the shape of the stoves, extended to the ceiling, built into the wall or in the corner. Round fireplaces look super modern and stylish; they require placement in the center of the room and visibility from all sides. Such structures are placed or suspended in spacious rooms. Today it is possible to make the most bizarre and exquisitely decorated hearths.

Classic rectangular fireplaces are usually of solid dimensions and with all their appearance are designed to emphasize the impressiveness and monumentality of the hall or hall in which they are located. They can be recessed into a niche or protrude from the wall.

Cylinder ovens are often located outdoors, in a recreation area, and are used for barbecuing.

Any fireplace is undoubtedly the central object of the interior, and it is he who determines the overall style of the room. If a cottage, living room or study is already ready and has its own unique style, then a huge variety of stove models will allow you to choose a suitable design and harmoniously fit the fireplace into the overall composition.

Traditionally, in private houses, fireplaces are installed in the style country or rustic... These fireplaces are faced with natural or artificial stone and wood. They often have a niche for storing firewood. Mantelpieces are decorated with family photos in cute frames, vases, and decorated in a rustic style.

Rectangular firebox, columns or bas-reliefs in decoration, marble or stone cladding - all these are elements inherent in classics. Such solutions will look great in the same classic environment.

Various antique heroes and mythical animals, vegetable bas-reliefs, white marble and columns create a luxurious and sophisticated style empire Furniture, curtains and room decor should be in harmony with such an original fireplace.

Modern characterized by the use of unusual shapes and non-standard combinations of materials in decoration, for example, wood, steel, glass. These fireplaces are amazing and give the room a modern and trendy look.

Style high tech is directed to the future and combines clarity of lines and geometric correctness of forms.Refractory innovative materials used in the decoration of such hearths attract attention and fit perfectly into high-tech or minimalist interiors. Steel and glass give the structure transparency and lightness, leaving a feeling of open space and airiness in the room.

Along with well-known European manufacturers with a century of history, whose fireplaces are in the best houses in Paris and London, new manufacturers are entering the arena, whose products are not inferior to the masters of the field in terms of quality and reliability. Russia is an active consumer of the products of these companies. Polish company Kratki, italian Palazzetti, french Supra, spanish Fugar give warmth and comfort to people and offer a wide selection of fireplaces for any, even the most demanding taste.

There are also companies in Russia that deservedly occupy a leading position in the market and receive excellent reviews from customers who have been using stoves for many years.

Company Vesuvius specializes in the production of cast iron and steel fireplaces in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. These hearths are designed in different styles and are available both with a closed firebox and with an open one made of fireproof tempered glass. All products are tested before being sold, which gives customers confidence in the reliability and durability of Vesuvius fireboxes and stoves.

Company "Meta" has been working on the domestic market for 20 years. Experts use the most modern technologies for production and guarantee high reliability of their fully certified products. Buyers note the comfort in using and caring for the models of this company. The Meta Group also produces accessories and components for ovens.

In a modern high-tech living room, the fireplace is the main object of decor and is located in the center of a spacious room. Thanks to the glass screen and open firebox, the flame can be contemplated from any corner of the room. The hearth enlivens the cold geometric interior and gives it a warm touch.

The entire living room is designed in antique style. Columns of white marble, ornamentation and shape of the chairs emphasize the sophistication and luxury of the interior. A wonderful fireplace, faced with the same marble, and the columns repeat the details of the walls and furniture. The hearth firebox is recessed into a niche, in front it is covered with a glass screen. The design of the chimney is in harmony with the overall style of the room and creates a wonderful ensemble.

Lovely country house lobby. The closeness of nature and fresh air, the forest behind the huge windows, natural materials in the decoration of the room and in the center of the composition - a huge stone fireplace with mantel shelves, benches, decorative elements. The flame energizes and gives a feeling of blissful warmth and comfort.

For how wood-burning fireplaces work, see the next video.