Well, since your response was so overwhelming--meaning there were no questions, I'm going to go into the next article, and that is on chimneys.
The chimney and fireplace that you have in your home serve four very important functions. First of all, they serve as a source of heat for your home, as well as a cooking area, clothes dryer and a gathering place for the family.
The next thing, and just as important, is that the chimney is where Santa brings me my presents. My wife says that there is no Santa, but I reassured her by telling her that I saw him just last week at the mall. And as I sat on his lap, he said that I was a good little salesman and that I would get...
Actually, the fireplace that you have in your home has changed little over the past few hundred years. There are two major styles of fireplaces. The most common one has a deep firebox and a lowered lintel, to prevent smoke from getting into the home. The second was developed by Count Rumford in the 1700s, and has a shallow box and a high lintel, which allows more heat to be reflected into the room. This style is becoming more popular as it is, in my opinion, a more effective fireplace design.
There were other major advances in fireplace design as well. In the late 1950s, we started selling a metal firebox, and still do to this day. There are two major manufacturers of this type of unit, the Heatform by Superior, and one by Fire Magic. The mason would build the fireplace around the box, saving much time and money in the construction. Later on came the zero-clearance unit. This was a metal box and had a metal chimney system. You would basically build it and then frame around it with wood. This unit is being sold today under many different names, but the concept is the same.
The basic fireplace consists of the box area, where the fire is, then there are heat exchangers, usually found in the metal fireplace box. These are tubes that the fire and hot rising air heats up and then the warm air blows into the room. Above the tubes is the smoke shelf. This is where any type of smoke that is blown back towards the firebox is trapped, and carried back upwards. The chimney is lined with clay tile, usually surrounded by masonry or brick, and the unit is capped on the top.
Now, what is the purpose of these next articles? I want to show you how to properly maintain your fireplace, where common problems are and how to repair or maintain them yourself--aIso ways to improve your fireplace and chimney system. So let's get going.
If you want to examine your fireplace and chimney, go through the following checklist and write these problems down, if you have any, and we will address them in future articles. Get a ladder and look at the cap. Are there cracks showing there, and has the masonry cap pulled away from the clay liner? Are there any cracks showing up in the masonry? Get a flashlight and look at the clay liners. Are there any broken liners, and what is the condition of the chimney? Does it need to be cleaned? Look at the firebox and see if there are any cracks in the metal box. Also what is the condition of the metal? Is it warped or is it in good shape? Do you have any insulation showing? Is the door of your fireplace secure? What is the condition of the glass? Reach above the heat exchanger pipes and see if there is any creosote in the smoke shelf. Have you had any rain leaking on the fireplace floor?
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, don't worry-you'll be able to fix them up in no time. If you have any questions about them, call either of our offices (Grants Pass, 479-1323 or Medford, 773-4575), and one of our staff can help you out.
Next week, we'll talk about how to clean your system. Until then, see ya'!
Originally published in the Daily Courier December 16, 1999