Fireplace History

Fireplaces have been used for centuries, since the beginning of civilization. At that time pits were built in the ground in the centre of a hut and the smoke escaped through holes in the roof.

It was thousands of years later that fireplaces were moved to the outside of the house structure, but they were still vented horizontally and smoke was blown back into the room. The invention of the chimney helped to solve this problem blowing the smoke up and out.

In the 1500's Prince Rupert, the nephew of Charles I, improved the venting system by raising the grate of fireplaces.

The 16th century was an important century for the development of the fireplace. Benjamin Franklin who needs no introductions, developed a convection chamber that improved the efficiency of fireplaces and stoves, and by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area at the top he improved the airflow.

But it was towards the end of the century that Count Rumford, also known as Benjamin Thompson, designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was much better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. Rumford's design is the foundation for contemporary fireplaces. 

Nowadays we have fireplaces of all sorts and sizes. Period and contemporary fireplaces made from various materials, burning all sorts of fuels from traditional wood logs to natural gas; but all have the same principle of generating heat to a designated room.

The Fireplace industry has evolved a lot in the past decades; new materials, new designs and today they are used as a decorative items as well as generating heat. All these factors have played an important role in the continuing evolution of the industry.

Alongside with this evolution, certain regulations and standards were created towards the construction and use of fireplaces. So when purchasing your next fireplace, make sure it meets your with your local building regulations to avoid any problems in the future and to guarantee the safety of your house and family members.