A brick or stone enclosure forms the basis of the fireplace. Variously known as the fireplace opening or recess or builders opening, it could be set flush with the wall or built out into the room, forming a chimney breast. This chimney breast rises through the height of the house, emerging through the roof to form a chimney stack. At the top of the opening the gather and flue combine to carry the smoke up the chimney. If the chimney is shared by numerous fireplaces on different floors, it may have more than one flue Go to this page .
The masonry over the fireplace opening is supported by a lintel or a brick arch. Old inglenook fireplaces made use of huge oak beams, whereas a strong iron strap usually supports an early brick arch. Later on, fireplaces may have a straight arch supported by angle iron, and by the twentieth century cast concrete lintels were the norm.
A hearth, constructed from non-combustible products such as stone or tile-faced concrete, projects out into the room to protect the floor from falling ashes. In the majority of old houses, the hearth was set flush with the floor, although in some cases, a superimposed one was used to raise the level. The space within the fireplace opening, known as the back hearth, is usually level with the hearth itself. A dog grate for burning wood or coal can be placed on this back hearth. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, the mass produced cast-iron register grate which filled the opening, had ended up being the fashion.
To finish the assembly, a mantelpiece, or mantel, or fireplace surround, as it is frequently called today, is fitted to frame the grate or fireplace opening. The mantel could be constructed from stone, slate, marble, wood or cast iron. The walls around it may be finished with wood paneling, or more typically with plaster, and sometimes, the mantel extends upwards to form an impressive chimneypiece. Mirrored overmantels were introduced in the late eighteenth century, and these ended up being the classic feature of Victorian sitting rooms.
Within this fireplace, an open fire burning wood or coal is a joyful sight, but, if it is your only source of heat, as it was for centuries, this charming image can quickly fade, particularly if the fire does not burn correctly. Getting a fire started and keeping it alight then ends up being a challenge, if not a chore. For wood and coal fires to burn well, a good supply of air is required under the grate, as well as a means of escape for the hot gases and smoke. With the fuel safely contained within the fireplace opening on a grate, free circulation of air is possible and waste ash can fall through the grate so the fire is not suppressed. If the chimney is inadequate, or the flow of air is obstructed, the fireplace will not function properly.