The Fireplace

THE FIREPLACE A fireplace when properly built should give a fair amount of heat with ordinary attention and should not smoke.

The principal points of construction are first a properly constructed throat which should be built well to the front and directly over the center of fireplace. The width of throat indicated at "A," Fig. 63, should not be less than three inches and not over six inches in the ordinary fireplace where no damper is provided. Too frequently it is made too wide, and as a consequence, the air passes up the flue without being warmed and checks the draft. This causes smoky fireplaces, and in a great many cases of defective fireplaces a cure has been effected by simply contracting the throat. The flat ledge is built to deflect down drafts back into the warm rising air.

Each fireplace should have a separate flue; a good size being eight inches by twelve inches, and chimneys should be carried well above highest point of roof. The throat should extend entirely across the fireplace opening and should be gradu ally contracted to the flue directly over middle of fireplace, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 64. If necessary to carry flue over to one side of chimney, it should be deflected by easy bends as indicated by dotted lines.

Flues, where lined with terra cotta pipe, only require four inches of brick around same, but where unlined, should have eight inches of brick with joints struck smooth on inside—not plastered.

Flue lining is much to be preferred. Chimneys above roof should be laid up in cement mortar, one of cement to two of sand.

Back of fireplace should incline forward to throat and jambs should be splayed rather than set at right angles to face of fireplace, as this will reflect more heat into room.

Fig. 63 also shows the construction of ash dump and pit, which should never be omitted.

Fireplaces are commonly two feet six inches to three feet wide, one foot four inches to one foot eight inches deep and two feet six inches high. The arch across opening is supported on a one-half inch by two and one-half inch iron bar, slightly cambered and with ends turned up as shown in Fig. 64.

The trimmer arch consists of a one rowlock arch of bricks laid upon centering constructed by car penter, one end of which is secured to header, while the other end rests on a brick ledge corbelled out for it. A concrete filling is put over arch and brought to a level with rough flooring. On top of this tile hearth is set.

The back hearth and back and jambs of fire place opening are usually of firebrick. The front hearth and facings are of brick, tile or marble.