Fireplaces for the Country House: A Classification

The owners of country houses have an advantage over the owners of city apartments: the chance to install a real fireplace. There are many ways to design a fireplace. We will try to describe some of them and offer practical recommendations for putting them into practice.

WHERE TO START?

Ideally, a real fireplace is planned at the design stage of the house itself. That makes it possible to account for all the rules of its installation and use, dictated not only by aesthetics but also by considerations of function and safety. It also lets you choose the type of fireplace you like most or that suits your budget. Building a fireplace in an existing house is far more difficult; here you can't avoid modifications. In this article, we won't dwell on the finer points of design; we'll consider only the features of fireplaces according to their location in the house.

Most often, fireplaces are installed against a wall. But there are other options as well.

• Island designs suit large halls, especially circular ones. Because they are visible from every side, they look particularly striking. The heat from the fire spreads evenly throughout the room.

• A fireplace built into the wall is suitable for heating adjacent rooms. It is a great space-saver.

• A double-sided fireplace is rare. It serves more of a decorative function than a heating one. The see-through fireplace has no sloping wall to direct heat into the room, and much of the heat energy simply escapes up the chimney. A double-sided fireplace can be placed in the middle or to the side of a room, built into a wall between two rooms, or set against the end of a wall.

• A wall fireplace can be either flush-fronted or placed in a corner.

The choice of type is based on the laws of physics and the architectural features of the house. For example, fireplaces are not placed in a draft, because moving air masses interfere with the draw. Smoke would enter the room from the chimney. Any heavy design requires a reinforced base. Putting a fireplace on the first floor means strengthening the foundation. Installation on the upper floors of a house is done only after calculating the load on the floor structures between stories. Yes, there are many rules and regulations, and it's important to know and follow them, for your own safety. There is an international standard for the safe installation and operation of fireplaces, the DTU, along with numerous standards for the installation of fireplaces and chimneys.

WHICH FIREPLACE TO CHOOSE: WITH OR WITHOUT A CHIMNEY?

The answer to this question depends primarily on the function of the fireplace. So decide for yourself right away: will the fireplace serve purely as an aesthetic element of the furnishings, or will it be tasked with providing additional heating for the room? Wood-burning fireplaces (using logs, coal, or briquettes) and gas fireplaces (including gas-fired infrared models) produce heat and release combustion products into the air, and therefore require a means of removing them.

If you need such a design, first assess the options for installing it. If the house is still being built, the chimney is included in the project based on the choice of a location for the fireplace that suits every parameter. Installing a fireplace requires preparing the supporting base, and installing the chimney requires selecting the material and precisely calculating its dimensions and weight. In addition, wood-burning fireplaces must always be provided with an air-supply channel to the room.

In a house that is already finished, only a specialist can handle the question of installing a fireplace with a chimney. To do so, the structure of the house is studied carefully, and then the necessary changes are made.

Fireplaces that don't require a chimney come in a wide range today. There are three main types:

• the tiled stove;
• the electric fireplace;
• the bioethanol fireplace.

Electric units can heat rooms, but only very small ones. To improve their efficiency, special convection channels are built to move the heated air. If you have no way to install a gas or wood fireplace, an electric fireplace may suit you.

Tiled stoves are fitted with electric or water heaters. Inside the tiled stove there is an electric heater or a water circuit. The tile increases heating efficiency by storing heat. But it's still not quite a fireplace, and besides, such structures are very expensive.

Bio fireplaces are the most modern type of chimneyless design. Although the flame in them is "live," it is the result of burning a special fuel, bioethanol, which gives off little heat and is completely harmless to people. Such fireplaces serve more as decoration.

CAN YOU HEAT A WHOLE HOUSE WITH A FIREPLACE?

If you've decided to install a fireplace for heating, it's better to choose a model with a closed firebox. The fact is that an open firebox is the reason for extremely low efficiency (about 20%). Fireplaces with a closed firebox have much higher efficiency, up to 70%. You can change the characteristics of a fireplace that has an open firebox by installing a special insert. In effect, this is a closed firebox for the afterburning of flue gases.

As for full-fledged heating from a fireplace, it is possible if the house is small. However, keep in mind that a wood-burning fireplace will have to be stoked constantly, otherwise the heat supply will be unsteady. Of course you can upgrade the fireplace, but in the end you'll have an ordinary stove, one that many craftsmen have tested through experience. In addition, bear in mind that:

• each 4 square meters of heated space requires 7 kW of fireplace output;
• each kW of output requires 10 cubic meters of air per hour (it should arrive through the ducts);
• the room where the fireplace is installed for heating must be at least 40 cubic meters in volume;
• a fireplace "tied" into the heating system can't be lit in the summer!

There are two proven ways to create a heating system based on a fireplace.

• Connecting the fireplace to a water loop.
• Connecting it to an air loop.

The air loop is formed by a system of metal (aluminum or steel) pipes that run through the house in the walls or floors. This option is designed for two or three rooms and requires forced air circulation by means of a pump.

To install a water loop, you'll need a special fireplace with a double-walled firebox (a water jacket). Heated water circulates between the walls, and its temperature can be adjusted manually or by automatic thermostats with a pump. The water flows into the piping and radiators by gravity or with the help of a small pump (this system is more expensive).

Note that the efficiency of fireplaces with a water loop still doesn't reach that of a conventional heating boiler. So in cold regions it's better not to count on such an option, or to use it only in a very well-insulated house.

In addition, professional builders mention the possibility of creating an underfloor heating system based on a fireplace, but so far few such projects have been built, and we can't give precise data on their effectiveness.

Pros and cons of heating with a solid-fuel fireplace

First, the pros:

• in modern fireplaces you can burn wood, coal, or pellets, as you choose;
• a beautiful appearance;
• heating that doesn't depend on electricity (with a water circuit).

Now the cons:

• the cost of a fireplace with a water loop is slightly higher than that of a solid-fuel boiler;
• an air circuit won't heat a large house;
• efficiency is not very high compared with conventional heating boilers;
• the fireplace must be kept under constant supervision, with fuel added at least two or three times a day.

PROS AND CONS OF THE GAS FIREPLACE

Pros:

• Gas fireplaces are smaller and lighter and don't require as substantial a foundation as solid-fuel fireplaces;
• the price is lower;
• there's no soot or smoke of the kind inherent in wood-burning models.

Cons:

• A gas-line connection is required, as well as a permit from the gas authority, which doesn't come cheap.

PROS AND CONS OF ELECTRIC FIREPLACES

Pros:

• The flame in the fireplace looks very much like a real one;
• low-maintenance and lightweight;
• no noise;
• no need to prepare wood or coal;/li>
• no chimney needed;
• the heat output can be regulated.

Cons:

• Not suitable for large rooms;
• consume a lot of energy — impractical for heating;
• dry out the air.

PROS AND CONS OF BIO FIREPLACES

Pros:

• portability and ease of installation;
• safety and easy maintenance;
• they release no harmful substances into the air;
• they require no chimney.

Cons: bioethanol fireplaces aren't capable of full heating; they are used as a supplementary heat source and as interior decoration.

SUSPENDED AND WALL-MOUNTED FIREPLACES

For us, the suspended fireplace is a relatively new type, although it has been known in the West since the 1960s. It is also called a "floating" fireplace, because it literally hangs in the air. It is made of steel, and sometimes of cast iron or stainless steel. It comes in various shapes and is usually small. Suspended fireplaces are convenient because they can be placed anywhere in a room, weigh little, run on various fuels, and create a special atmosphere around them. They are not suitable for heating.

Wall-mounted electric fireplaces consume less energy than floor-standing ones. Many models come with remote controls. Some work on the principle of infrared radiation. Although manufacturers claim 100% efficiency for such units, the output of a wall-mounted fireplace doesn't exceed 2.5 kW. Clearly, that's very little for heating a large room. So a wall fireplace serves more of an aesthetic function.

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE A FIREPLACE'S OUTPUT?

Heat output is the most important quality assessed in a fireplace. It depends not only on the type of fuel but also on the type of firebox and the material the fireplace is made of. Finished units come with the manufacturer's documentation, which states the unit's output. It is measured in kW and given for different operating modes, from average to maximum (peak). Beyond output, the heat-retention properties of the fireplace material are also taken into account. Steel, for example, heats up quickly but cools down just as quickly. A cast-iron firebox, and especially a tiled one, will heat the room much better. The heating area of a particular model is calculated roughly as follows:

• The average output of the fireplace is multiplied by 10, provided the ceiling in the room is no higher than 2.5 meters. If the ceiling is higher, use the special calculations based on volume. You can find them in specialized literature or on relevant websites.

IS IT WORTH HEATING A HOUSE WITH A FIREPLACE?

Many experienced builders advise against using a fireplace as the main source of heat, even with an air or water system. The reasons are as follows.

Fireplaces last much less long than solid-fuel and gas boilers, except for fireplaces with a cast-iron firebox. Solid-fuel fireplaces are not self-contained, can't be left unattended, and are more dangerous to operate than traditional boilers. Fuel consumption over the winter will be very high, up to 12 cubic meters of wood. Drawing up a sound heating scheme based on a fireplace is quite difficult; only an experienced engineer can manage it. As for material costs, they will be higher than the cost of traditional heating, because of the price of the fireplaces and of the materials for their safe installation. That said, if you compare the cost of installing both a fireplace and a separate heating boiler, heating with a fireplace alone will of course be cheaper.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE DESIGN?

A fireplace is a set of several components: the cladding, the firebox, and the chimney. The chimney and firebox carry the functional load. The cladding is the element responsible for the overall look of the fireplace. It is its style that you choose.

• Country. This style embodies the idea of homey comfort and is distinguished by its simple lines. The surrounds in such designs have a "P" shape, and the fireplaces look massive, so they are best suited to spacious rooms. Country style calls for the use of wood, but the fireplace can also be fired by gas. The cladding includes artificially aged brick, coquina, and sandstone, and massive wooden beams are used in the construction.

• Chalet is a romantic style, a little rough and also simple. The materials chosen are natural, mostly stone. From the outside, a chalet-style fireplace looks like a simple stone stove.
• Provence is a style full of naturalness and calm. The cladding is made of ceramic or natural stone in light, antique-looking shades. The firebox is open and trimmed with wrought iron grilles.
• Empire, Baroque, and other classical styles are characterized by carved elements, engraving, natural marble, and semiprecious stones. Venetian plaster and stucco molding may be present. An essential requirement is a room with a high ceiling and good lighting.

• For rooms in the English style, a fireplace is a must. As a rule, it is located in the center of the room, and all the furniture is arranged facing it. The design is U-shaped, with straight corners and lines, no elaborate decorative elements, and a small firebox and surround; there are elements of wrought iron and decorative tiles. The classic shades are wood tones, white, and beige.
• Baroque is a style filled with luxury and excess. Asymmetry and finishes that lend grandeur and even pomp are acceptable: wrought iron, and natural or artificial marble. It calls for a large space.
• The Scandinavian style is the most restrained and understated. It is built from clear geometric shapes in stone, metal, and wood, with a fireplace in cool shades and a smooth surface.
• The Russian style is more familiar and intuitive to us than the others. Cladding with tiles is a nod to the centuries-old traditions of Russian craft. Such a fireplace is the central place in the home, complemented by numerous decorative elements: lace doilies, a samovar, and others. A fireplace in the form of a Russian stove is distinguished by the white color of its arched surround and the support beneath the ceiling. The cladding can be made of clinker in a stove style (brick-look), or of majolica, and the fireplace can be decorated with paintings.

WAYS TO COMBINE A FIREPLACE WITH THE INTERIOR

Fireplaces in the classical style are paired with massive columns and furniture, heavy velvet drapes, and crystal chandeliers. The fireplace itself can be decorated with statues of lions and sphinxes and with gilding. Above the fireplace there are stone shelves, and above that, panels or stained-glass windows. The area around the fireplace is lit by wall sconces.

Wooden furniture, natural fabrics, and a collection of weapons on the walls are an ideal complement to country style. The fireplace's chimney breast is decorated with wooden panels, which can be painted in warm shades.

A Scandinavian interior with a fireplace is rather cool, so it's best to liven it up with bright "spots" of color in the accessories. The design itself isn't weighed down with a lot of furniture, and it shouldn't be heavy. The room's windows are large and bright, and the fireplace is more often placed in a corner. The ceiling is plastered and whitewashed, sometimes with wooden beams, and the wall above the fireplace is faced with gray stone.

Modern interiors are complemented by fireplaces in a minimalist style, with a strict design and no decoration. The fireplace is closed off by a false panel that completely hides the chimney, and it is faced with ceramic or stone tile. The colors are as neutral as possible.

All the techniques and styles we've listed are the basics; in fact, there are many more. An experienced designer can help you choose the right fireplace style for your interior.