subject: How the Fireplace came to be [print this page] How the Fireplace came to be How the Fireplace came to be
Like most inventions, the fireplace has been remodeled over the years to suit the needs of man. From old ancient fire pits to the modern day electric fireplaces, the changes that this structure has had encountered over the years has made it one of the structural designs that are expected to be dynamic especially for interior design purposes.
Old fireplaces called ancient fire pits were very rudimentary. They were built within old American and European houses and they function mostly for heating the home and cooking food. These primal fireplaces usually vent the smoke through tiny holes in the roof. Much later, the chimney was introduced and it solved the problem of uncontrollable smoke exhausts. There are also fireplaces that were designed for outdoors, and most of these were used for cooking of food and for communal heating within a village or community. The 1600s saw the raising of the grate of the fireplace allowing airflow to improve and greatly enhancing the venting system. And during the 1700s, convection chambers and tall, shallow firebox designs were created greatly improving the efficiency and use of the fireplace.
Needless to say, the fireplace has come with a lot of improvement, but it can't be argued that although there is a lot of utility for the fireplace, its modern day counterpart, the electric heater, has replaced the fireplace in terms of heating the home comfortably. In fact, a number of modern-day homes do not sport open fireplaces anymore. Most fireplaces nowadays are used mainly for dcor and giving that comfortable and classy feel to a room.
