FAQ
Many people experience problems with the fireplace draft of the open fireplace, even when the fireplace is newly constructed. Here you can find a number of tips in order to reduce the fireplace smoke in a smoky fireplace, starting with the least drastic measures and ending with the most drastic measures.
A fireback is a beautifully decorated cast iron plate placed against the back wall of a fireplace or behind a wood-burning stove. It serves various purposes, including as a kitchen backsplash or a decorative piece on the wall.
A fireplace screen is necessary to protect people, animals, and the house from the sparks coming off the fire. Finding the perfect beautiful fireplace screen is essential, as you wouldn't want to detract from the beauty of your fireplace with a screen that doesn't complement it. Many new fireplace screens produced today lack aesthetic appeal and are of poor quality.
When the wall behind a wood stove becomes excessively hot, it poses a risk of damage or fire. Replacing the back wall with heat-resistant materials, like heat-resistant stones or a specialized wood stove heat shield, can be cumbersome and aesthetically displeasing. A simpler, more elegant solution is to use a cast iron fireback as a heat shield for the wood stove. Not only does this protect the wall, but the cast iron's slow heat conduction and radiation improve the stove's heat efficiency. The effectiveness increases with the thickness of the fireback.
An antique fireback backsplash instantly gives character to a kitchen. However many people do not look forward to safely install a heavy fireback above their stove. Unnecessary as there are several ways to safely mount a fireback backsplash. We describe them here. However it is important that the best option for you is agreed with the contractor who installs the fireback. This person should ensure that the fireback backsplash is safely mounted.
A fire in a fireplace is especially nice when the fireplace really radiates heat without you having to build a very large fire. Thanks to the heat, you can set the thermostat on your heater a good bit lower. Then wood-burning can become a sustainable way to heat in cold periods, for example, in combination with a hybrid heat pump. How do you ensure that?
How to attach a fireback to the back wall of the open fireplace? It is undesirable for a fireback to be able to fall over. First for the safety of you and your housemates, and cast iron can also break if it falls. It is therefore advisable to secure a fireback against falling with a few attachment brackets.
Cooking in the fireplace is a very cozy and fun way to prepare food. In addition, the food takes on a different, much more natural taste due to the preparation on the fire. With attention and time, you can also prepare dishes that take a long time to stew or cook. You can also make quick dishes in the fireplace, for example by grilling.
Fireplace tools are indispensable for building a fire in an open fireplace or a wood stove. You manage the fire with them, with the aim of maintaining a good and quietly burning fire. Fireplace tool sets should consist of fireplace tongs, a poker, a fireplace shovel and a blowpipe. A fireplace set is the whole of the fireplace tools, possibly supplemented by something to store them in. In addition to the functionality, a fireplace poker set is decorative. Antique fireplace sets in particular are often works of art and smithed in a way that smiths today cannot match. Plenty of reasons to devote attention to choosing a fireplace tool set.
Fireplace accessories are all items used in or for the fireplace. They generally have three functions: 1. Handling the fire in such a way that it is more pleasant, safer and more manageable; 2. Handling the fire so that it is more sustainable for the environment; and 3. A decorative function. Old and antique fireplace accessories are often beautifully made and bear witness to great craftsmanship. These works of art can beautify any fireplace, including a gas fireplace or a fireplace that isn't used.
Fireplace accessories have all kinds of functions for the fireplace. A fireback radiates heat and thus increases the effectiveness of the fire. In addition, a fireback protects the back wall of the fireplace. With fireplace tools, you can increase or decrease the fire. And andirons, together with a grate, can improve the draft in the hearth. In addition to their functional properties, fireplace accessories can also embellish the fireplace. That is what it is all about here: How do I decorate my fireplace with antique fireplace accessories so that my fireplace looks better?
The names of the most essential fireplace tools in a fireplace set are the following: the fireplace tongs, fire poker, fireplace shovel, a bellows or blow poke and something to store the fireplace tools.
The most important function of fireplace screens is increasing safety. On the one hand, by preventing sparks from the fire from getting into the room and on the other hand by preventing children and pets being able to get to the fire.
A wood-burning fireplace offers a lot of romance, but also has a number of disadvantages that a gas-fired fireplace does not have. Read these tips how to combine the romance of the wood-burning fireplace with the gas fireplace.
It is possible to light a fire on the floor of the fireplace. For thousands of years, though, fires have been lit off the ground with the help of andirons and later also with a fire basket. What is the purpose of this? First, a brief history of the andiron and the fireplace basket. The first fireplace andirons were found with the Romans thousands of years ago. They usually consisted of a single rod or block with one or two elevations. This resulted in better air circulation to the wood, and the fire remained in its place. Since the 16th century, andirons for fireplaces have been used in pairs, which greatly improved their function.
Which size of fireback fits in my open fireplace? In the search for a fireback, it is very important that the size of the fireback is appropriate. How big a fireback should be depends on a number of things described in this blog.
Hearth cooking is romantic, cosy and cool. And it does not depend on the weather, like barbecuing does. That is a big advantage. In addition, cooking on a wood fire gives the food a delicious flavor. There are different ways to cook or grill in the fireplace. These methods are derived from the ways in which, in times when there was not yet a stove, cooking was done in the fireplace. In addition, use was made of all kinds of fireplace accessories. Fireplace tools were necessary to properly regulate the fire for the preparation of the food. Fireplace accessories were also needed to prepare the food and to hang the food or the pan in front of the fire. These antique fireplace accessories can still be used for cooking in the fireplace. The advantage of antique fireplace accessories is that these accessories are often beautifully made and attest to a great craftsmanship. It is also a nice idea to build on age-old cooking methods.
Wood is a more sustainable fuel than fossil fuel. This is because wood emits less CO2 during combustion and because wood is not a finite fuel but can regrow. Burning wood nevertheless still affects the environment. In addition, there are people who are bothered by the smoke that is released from burning wood. Eco-friendly use therefore means taking into account the environment and our fellow man.
Many people who live in an old house know the phenomenon: the unused fireplace. The fireplace cannot be lit for a variety of reasons. Often, the chimney has disappeared after a renovation. And in many houses, the fireplace has been converted for the gas heater. The fireplace is then often bricked up, with a hole for the gas heater. The same fireplace remains a clear part of the room and a potential atmosphere creator. What possibilities are there to decorate this fireplace like a real fireplace?
Firebacks are made of cast iron. The great advantage of cast iron is that it conducts heat evenly and radiates heat. A disadvantage of cast iron is that it can crack or break.
Ash pans are commonly found in fireplaces from the late 19th to early 20th centuries across various countries. They are often integral to fully built-in fireplaces and are also seen in fire baskets with matching designs or as separate units placed under a fire basket.
Utilizing a fireplace grate, fire basket, or andirons with a grate significantly enhances airflow beneath the fire, resulting in better combustion and increased efficiency. Such elevation of the wood burning fire also aids in quicker chimney warming, improving the fireplace's draft. One-piece fire grates or baskets generally offer a higher elevation than andirons with a grate, optimizing this effect further.
Roasting jacks were used in the kitchen to facilitate grilling meat or other dishes on a spit in an open fire by rotating (or turning) the spit. The simplest rotating spit has been used since the first century BC. This is a turnspit in which the spit was turned by hand by means of a lever.
Andirons and fireplace grates elevate the fire off the ground, improving the fire's position and draft. This method, dating back to the Romans, enhances wood combustion and efficiency. Initially, andirons were the sole method for maintaining a fire, but fireplace grates later became popular in England and France for better wood management and safety.
The doofpot is a typical Dutch example of frugality. It consists of a pot with a lid that can be sealed as airtight as possible. The pot often stands on small legs. The burning or smoldering pieces of wood were put into this when the inhabitants left the fire. The lack of air caused the wood to extinguish and char. The doofpot was also used to extinguish peat or coal, both fuel for use in a stove.
Proper control over the fire in a wood-burning stove has many advantages. By keeping a quiet, well-burning fire going: 1. You use the wood efficiently; 2. Your wood burning is environmentally friendly, since there are less CO2 and particulate matter emissions due to complete combustion; and 3. You maintain a steady temperature in the room. A number of fireplace accessories help to control the fire: the tongs, the poker, the blowpipe, the ash shovel and the log holder. For those with small children, a fender that protects the children from the hot wood-burning stove is also a wonderful fireplace accessory.
The primary function of a fireplace screen is to prevent sparks from the fire from entering the room. Fire caused by a fireplace is still a common cause of house fires. In addition, a fireplace screen prevents children and pets from coming into contact with the fire.
Fire screens typically have a height of around 50 cm (20"), suitable for moderate fires with dry wood and at a fire height of no more than 10 cm (4"). For larger fires, consider a taller screen to match the fire's height. Ensure the screen for the fireplace fully covers the fireplace opening. Multi-panel screens, like our new handmade model based on the French design, can be extended to six panels to accommodate various sizes.
When deciding which fireplace tools are really needed, the first and most obvious choice is a pair of fireplace tongs. With fireplace tongs, you can not only shift logs but also poke the fire. This brings more air to the fire, and the fire burns well as a result. The fireplace tong is the most important fireplace tool, and you will use them the most often. You will typically place the log tongs within reach directly next to the fireplace. This gives the fireplace tongs a decorative function as well, since they are constantly visible by the fireplace.
You can stoke the fire with a fire poker. This means that by moving the poker in the fire, there is more space created between the logs, so that the flames get more oxygen and burn better. As a result, the wood burns better, and less ash remains. The fire also produces less smoke and therefore fewer particulates.
You control the ash layer in the fireplace with a fireplace shovel. You can remove the ash completely, you can partially remove it, or you can smooth out the ash layer. In the context of an eco friendly fireplace use, it is important to control the ash layer. If there is too much ash in the fireplace, oxygen cannot get to the fire, and it becomes difficult to light a good and evenly burning fire. Removing all the ash is also not advisable, since the ash provides an insulation layer for the fire against the cold of the floor. This insulation layer makes it easier to light the fire quickly and for it to burn steadily. Both are conditions for eco friendly fireplace use. This is because the wood burns better, and less ash remains. The fire also gives off less smoke and therefore fewer particulates.
There are several advantages to using fireplace andirons or fire dogs. Because the fire is lifted up, air can flow under the fire, resulting in better burning of the wood. This is important in the context of environmentally friendly burning. Another advantage is that because the fire is higher, the chimney will warm up faster when the fire is lit. This creates a better draft in the fireplace, so that the fire burns better.
An antique fireplace accessory makes a thoughtful and charming gift for those who cherish the warmth and ambiance of their fireplace.
How to use a fireback so that it works and doesn't crack due to thermoshock.
Around 1500, the first firebacks were cast. At first, this was done in a mould made in sand. The mould consisted of a sand bed in which loose objects such as a piece of rope, tools or utensils were pressed as decoration.
Pro Patria stands for the fatherland. It is one of the first political fireplace plates in the world. It originates from rebellious Holland, which in the 17th century fought for political and republican independence amidst other feudal European neighboring countries.
