DESIGNING YOUR FIREPLACE

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 14

DESIGNING YOUR FIREPLACE

Open Fires Are Cheap And Cheerful No matter how many heating appliances are marketed each winter, many people consider an open fire the cosiest and cheapest form of heating. They are prepared to overlook the draughts and low efficiency for the comfort and appearance of well-being and cheer that an open fire provides.

Unlike so many other amenities, fireplaces have not been standardised in New Zealand. Mostly, the details are left to the builder or bricklayer, who may not be experienced in chimney design.

Best heating results will be obtained from a fireplace designed for the kind of fire you have in mind. If you have the fuel for a big log fire, don’t expect good results in a big fireplace with a tiny fire.

The heat is transmitted to the room by radiation only and the larger the hot surface, the greater the heat transmission. Therefore, the back and sides of the fireplace need to be close to the fire.

The hearth should extend a minimum of 15 inches from the front of the grate and nine inches each side of the inside of the chimney.

Fireplace design has become more daring in recent years, and bricks, although still popular, have been replaced by tiles and even intricate stone work. Some large fireplaces are made of coloured Summerhill stone, which provides an effect of great solidarity.