﻿36 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  January, 
  1907 
  

  

  L 
  l 
  

  

  

  / 
  SMOK£ 
  CHAMBER 
  \ 
  

   t 
  THRO 
  A 
  T 
  \ 
  

  

  

  

  \ 
  

  

  

  

  

  FIG. 
  8. 
  - 
  ELEVATION. 
  

  

  n 
  

  

  ..SPUr 
  

  

  FIG 
  3. 
  -PLAN. 
  

  

  6 
  — 
  Constructional 
  Details 
  of 
  an 
  Ideal 
  Fireplace 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  fallacy 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  your 
  chimney 
  top 
  needs 
  cov- 
  

   ering, 
  or 
  your 
  chimney 
  smokes 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  unprotected. 
  The 
  

   more 
  open 
  and 
  unobstructed 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  flue, 
  the 
  better. 
  

   A 
  properly 
  constructed 
  flue 
  and 
  fireplace 
  need 
  neither 
  cowl, 
  

   cap, 
  nor 
  hood. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  practical 
  to 
  build 
  fireplaces 
  of 
  the 
  inglenook 
  

   type. 
  They 
  are 
  meant 
  for 
  tremendous, 
  big 
  halls. 
  The 
  

   design 
  and 
  heat 
  are 
  generally 
  out 
  of 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  cham- 
  

   ber. 
  In 
  old 
  English 
  examples, 
  as 
  for 
  instance 
  in 
  Bramall 
  Hall, 
  

   the 
  enclosure 
  was 
  practically 
  a 
  small 
  room 
  in 
  itself; 
  you 
  

   could 
  seat 
  yourself 
  on 
  benches, 
  "inside 
  the 
  fire." 
  The 
  high 
  

   and 
  narrow 
  openings 
  of 
  the 
  Italian 
  Renaissance 
  period 
  were 
  

   likewise 
  meant 
  for 
  chimneys 
  having 
  very 
  different 
  flues 
  and 
  

   construction 
  from 
  ours. 
  

  

  In 
  building 
  your 
  fireplace 
  the 
  endeavor 
  should 
  rather 
  be 
  

   to 
  construct 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  view 
  of 
  throwing 
  the 
  heat 
  out 
  into 
  

   the 
  room. 
  You 
  may 
  easily 
  have 
  a 
  huge 
  fireplace 
  opening 
  and 
  

   a 
  splendid 
  draft, 
  but 
  every 
  bit 
  of 
  heat 
  may 
  be 
  sucked 
  up 
  the 
  

   chimney 
  instead 
  of 
  radiated 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  chamber. 
  Build 
  the 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  opening 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  open 
  into 
  the 
  room, 
  wider 
  

   in 
  front 
  than 
  behind. 
  A 
  splay 
  of 
  two 
  inches 
  to 
  the 
  foot 
  on 
  

   each 
  side 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  satisfactory. 
  More 
  important 
  is 
  the 
  

   building 
  of 
  the 
  back. 
  It 
  should 
  have 
  a 
  section, 
  A-A', 
  as 
  in 
  

   illustration 
  6. 
  This 
  will 
  cause 
  the 
  heat 
  to 
  be 
  thrown 
  forward 
  

   and 
  out 
  rather 
  than 
  upward. 
  

  

  The 
  materials 
  of 
  your 
  front 
  hearth 
  and 
  back 
  hearth, 
  of 
  

   your 
  linings 
  and 
  facings, 
  are 
  many 
  and 
  varied. 
  The 
  back 
  

   hearth 
  and 
  linings 
  must 
  always 
  be 
  of 
  materials 
  that 
  resist 
  

   the 
  heat. 
  A 
  glazed 
  tile 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  rear 
  

   hearth, 
  as 
  it 
  certainly 
  will 
  "craze" 
  or 
  crock. 
  The 
  old 
  fash- 
  

   ioned 
  soapstone, 
  used 
  in 
  slabs 
  from 
  1 
  inch 
  to 
  1 
  1-2 
  inches, 
  is 
  

   excellent 
  both 
  for 
  linings 
  and 
  rear 
  hearth. 
  It 
  takes 
  up 
  very 
  

   little 
  room 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  slabs 
  are 
  carefully 
  selected 
  they 
  should 
  

   last 
  from 
  twenty 
  to 
  thirty 
  years. 
  Hard 
  burned 
  bricks, 
  or 
  the 
  

   real 
  firebrick, 
  or 
  Roman 
  shaped 
  bricks, 
  laid 
  in 
  herring-bone 
  

   or 
  fancy 
  patterns, 
  are 
  among 
  the 
  most 
  serviceable 
  linings 
  and 
  

   back 
  hearths. 
  For 
  their 
  use 
  one 
  naturally 
  needs 
  four 
  inches 
  

   of 
  additional 
  space 
  all 
  around 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  fireplace. 
  

   Where 
  economy 
  of 
  space 
  is 
  the 
  great 
  consideration, 
  iron 
  

   linings 
  are 
  imperative. 
  Select, 
  however, 
  an 
  "extra 
  heavy" 
  

   iron 
  lining 
  and 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  angles 
  are 
  tightly 
  filled 
  with 
  

  

  cement 
  after 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  put 
  together. 
  The 
  thin 
  lining 
  

   sold 
  at 
  the 
  "ordinary," 
  will 
  often 
  crack 
  with 
  the 
  first 
  bright 
  

   fire. 
  

  

  The 
  front 
  hearth 
  and 
  facings, 
  which 
  are 
  more 
  ornamental 
  

   than 
  structural, 
  should 
  be 
  considered 
  in 
  conjunction 
  with 
  the 
  

   design 
  of 
  your 
  mantel. 
  Marble, 
  stone, 
  brick, 
  tiles 
  of 
  all 
  

   colors, 
  sizes 
  and 
  designs 
  are 
  alternately 
  used. 
  The 
  French 
  

   scarcely 
  use 
  any 
  other 
  facing 
  than 
  an 
  elaborately 
  curved 
  cast 
  

   iron 
  one, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  English 
  bedrooms 
  one 
  finds 
  pretty 
  in- 
  

   variably 
  an 
  ornamented 
  tile. 
  If 
  a 
  marble 
  facing 
  is 
  used, 
  the 
  

   slab 
  should 
  be 
  7-8 
  inches 
  thick. 
  It 
  should 
  naturally, 
  as 
  also 
  

   a 
  tile, 
  conform 
  in 
  color 
  to 
  the 
  papering 
  or 
  wall 
  covering. 
  If 
  

   you 
  are 
  uncertain 
  when 
  you 
  are 
  building 
  your 
  fireplace 
  what 
  

   you 
  may 
  later 
  select 
  for 
  wall 
  covering, 
  a 
  white, 
  unglazed, 
  

   "velvet" 
  tile 
  is 
  always 
  the 
  safest, 
  especially 
  in 
  bedrooms. 
  If 
  

   you 
  select 
  a 
  stone 
  facing, 
  select 
  preferably 
  a 
  limestone 
  which 
  

   resists 
  the 
  heat, 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  use 
  it 
  in 
  blocks 
  less 
  than 
  four 
  

   inches 
  thick. 
  Even 
  if 
  you 
  select 
  a 
  brick 
  facing 
  and 
  build 
  the 
  

   bricks 
  in 
  an 
  arch 
  above 
  your 
  opening, 
  do 
  not 
  trust 
  to 
  its 
  sup- 
  

   porting 
  the 
  masonry 
  above. 
  Carry 
  this 
  by 
  a 
  concealed 
  iron 
  

   lintel 
  well 
  bedded 
  in 
  the 
  masonry 
  on 
  the 
  sides. 
  Provide 
  your 
  

   throats 
  with 
  dampers 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  closed 
  when 
  the 
  fireplace 
  

   is 
  not 
  in 
  use. 
  Project 
  your 
  hearth 
  at 
  least 
  16 
  inches 
  into 
  the 
  

   room 
  and 
  far 
  enough 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  opening 
  to 
  catch 
  

   stray 
  sparks. 
  

  

  Unless 
  you 
  know 
  precisely 
  what 
  you 
  want, 
  selecting 
  the 
  

   mantel 
  itself 
  becomes 
  almost 
  as 
  difficult 
  as 
  choosing 
  a 
  wife. 
  

   Certain 
  rules 
  should 
  govern 
  every 
  one 
  in 
  its 
  design 
  and 
  selec- 
  

   tion. 
  If 
  the 
  mantel 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  wood, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  similar 
  to 
  

  

  7 
  — 
  A 
  Hooded 
  Renaissance 
  Fireplace 
  

  

  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  trim 
  of 
  the 
  room 
  ; 
  it 
  should 
  further 
  be 
  in 
  

   scale 
  with 
  the 
  room, 
  of 
  good 
  proportions 
  and 
  ornamentation. 
  

   Papier 
  mache 
  ornaments 
  will 
  in 
  nine 
  out 
  of 
  ten 
  instances, 
  

   where 
  the 
  mantel 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  painted, 
  serve 
  your 
  purpose. 
  If 
  you 
  

   are 
  not 
  limited 
  by 
  the 
  cost, 
  carve 
  your 
  decorations. 
  

  

  