Types Of Fireplaces

A fireplace or woodstove offers security and peace of mind, as many of them do not require electricity to function. In the event of a winter emergency or disaster, even if the power goes out, natural gas is typically available for many hours.
If you have a wood-burning stone or brick fireplace  you may even be able to cook your food on a wood fire, transforming a potential catastrophe into a family adventure. It's like looking back on a bygone era when wood heat and candles would have been the normal way of life.
The addition of options for propane, electric and natural gas fireplaces has expanded the number of residential hearth choices so that some form of working fireplace is a realistic option for nearly every home. With more energy-efficient, well-insulated houses that provide effective moisture and air barriers, it has become ever-easier to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature without using massive amounts of fuel, whether wood, gas, or electricity.
Like any other household appliance, a fireplace or fireplace insert comes with its own set of potential dangers and necessary safety precautions. The keys to safe and successful fireplace ownership and operation are always good planning, careful installation and proper maintenance. Proper location of a fireplace ensures good heat coverage of the area that you want to warm, as well as visibility of the hearth for the sake of providing an attractive viewing experience for your family and friends.

Michigan Brick Fireplace

Having a properly built fireplace is critical to ensure ventilation  and reduce risk of chimney fire.
Finding a Masonry Contractor  to construct a new brick fireplace or brick BBQ  may seem challenging at time but we can find a Michigan bricklayer for any masonry project

For a long time, fireplaces were simply a necessity. People knew how they were built, it was done a certain way, and it just worked as well as could be expected. In the 18 th century, fireplaces began to become more than a simple necessity – they began to become the centerpiece of a home, an aesthetic as well as a practical fixture. In this time period, new materials and methods of construction and manufacturing were being discovered. Abraham Darby established new methods of smelting, making newer, stronger metals – thus, iron was discovered. Since iron is so large and heavy, it must be heated to very high temperatures and poured into a large mold or cast and allowed to harden - hence the name "cast-iron". Fireplaces made with this material were more resilient than the previous stone or plaster fireplaces, and they radiated heat more easily because of the metal's ability to absorb large amounts of heat energy without cracking or chipping.

 Fireplace Inserts

Invented in 1869 by Joab R. Donaldson of Oliphant Furnace, Pennsylvania,  The fireplace insert is a device inserted into an existing masonry or prefabricated wood fireplace.
Fireplace inserts are made from cast iron or steel and now have self-cleaning glass doors that allow the flames of the fire to be viewed while the insulated doors remain closed, making the fire more efficient. Joab was a 59-year-old coal miner and father of fourteen at the time of his patent. He came upon the idea as a means of using coke (a fine particle sized coal) and incorporating the use of an electric blower to improve the efficiency. The selection of coke and coal tailings as a primary fuel enabled low income families to heat their Appalachian homes with small-size coal that they could easily dig for themselves in their own back yards.

Today, many manufacturers also augment the operation of fireplace inserts by offering state-of-the-art features such as fans and thermostatic controls depending on the fuel type. Typically air enters through vents below, circulates around the main chamber, heats up, and exits through vents on the top of the unit. Fireplace inserts are categorized primarily by the fuel burned for operation (natural gas, propane, EPA-certified wood, pellet and coal).