All About Fireplaces
The fireplace was traditionally developed as a means of providing heat to rooms by making use of an open fire. The earliest types of fireplaces were hearths, recessed into the walls of buildings, having short outlets that went up to the open air. Much like just about everything else, the fireplace has gone from simply serving its long established purpose of bringing in warmth to an area to being structures and elements of interior design. The appearance has gone through specific morphologies as well- from the age old design of burning holes in house walls to the ventless gas fireplaces to the virtual fireplace.
The earliest use for the fireplace was not just for bringing heating to a room; these pits in the walls was also utilized for cooking, was used to provide illumination and even served as protection from wild animals. Through times, these specific uses decreased and fireplaces became valued more according to their appearance than their ability to provide heat.
Before any innovation, traditional wood burning fireplaces were prevalent. By tradition, fireplaces were hearths flanked by bricks on three sides with a chimney or flue at the top for taking in the smoke and bringing it out of the house. To promote air circulation under the fuel (common fuels are coal, coke, charcoal an wood), a or a pair of metal supports called firedogs or andirons is located on the hearth.. Grates are used for fuels like coal, coke, and charcoal while andirons are used for wood.