Wood-burning fireplaces are traditionally considered a symbol of warmth and comfort in the country, because nothing compares to the quiet crackle of firewood in the hearth and the warmth of an open fire. Wood-fired fireplaces are also deservedly popular because they do not require connection to the power grid, gas pipeline, or the purchase of expensive fuel - any firewood, pellets and briquettes from woodworking waste are suitable for their fire.
Wood burning fireplace in the country
Content
Varieties of wood-burning fireplaces and their features
Wood-burning fireplaces for summer cottages can be divided into two large groups:
- brick fireplaces;
- metal wood-burning fireplaces (cast iron, steel or other alloys).
Both of them can be extremely simple in design, with an open firebox and a direct chimney, and combined, with a furnace firebox, hob and other additional functions. Let's try to figure out which wood-burning fireplace is better to install in the country?
Brick fireplaces with one fire chamber and a direct flue are intended for fast warming up of air in the room. Heat transfer in such a fireplace occurs mainly when the nearest layers of air and the bricks of the furnace are heated by an open flame. Most of the heated smoke flies into the chimney in the truest sense of the word: strong draft does not allow the flue gases to linger and heat the smoke channel.Because of this feature, the efficiency of such fireplaces is low and is only 15%, and they give off heat only as long as they are heated. The advantages include simplicity of design, low material consumption and a wide selection of shapes and sizes - they are wall-mounted, corner, and also located in the center of the room. Brick fireplaces go well with traditional cottage style and wood trim.
Brick fireplace sample
Brick stoves-fireplaces have greater versatility: having built such a stove, you can not only enjoy the view of a live fire, but also heat the house for a longer time due to the furnace firebox with a winding chimney. Passing through it, the flue gases warm up the brick, which continues to give off heat to the room for several hours after the end of the firebox. If you install a hob above the stove, then on such a device you can cook food, heat water, dry mushrooms, berries and vegetables.
Wood burning stove
Cast iron and steel wood-burning fireplaces are made of metal and have a firebox open or closed with a door, a smoke box, a chimney, as well as other elements that improve operation: a firewood box, an ash pan, a decorative portal. The metal of the furnace has a significant thickness or is made in the form of a ribbed surface - this improves the conditions for heat transfer. The efficiency of metal fireplaces is much higher, especially for models that use the long-burning mode, and reaches 85%. There are many models on the market with different thermal power, design style and functionality.
Cast iron stove
Metal fireplace stoves are a little more versatile and are usually complemented by a hob on the top of the firebox.With the help of such a stove, you can both heat the house and cook food. For the installation of home heating systems, a number of models are equipped with a water or air circuit.
Metal stove-fireplaces
Wood burning fireplace: fold or buy?
This question is asked by all summer residents who decide to install a hearth with an open fire in the house. In addition to personal preferences, to choose a fireplace, you need to know the features of their installation.
1. Base under the fireplace
A brick fireplace must be placed on a foundation or on reinforced concrete reinforced floors. If we are talking about the construction at the construction stage, then this issue is easy to solve. If the house is already standing and all the floors have been laid in it, the floors have been laid and the fine finish has been completed, in this case you need to try a little more and work carefully, because otherwise the repair can be started from the beginning.
Unlike a brick fireplace, a cast-iron stove can be installed even on wooden floors, and this can be done at any time without resorting to expensive alterations and repairs. It is only necessary to carry out a fire-resistant finish of the floor and walls at the installation site.
Installing a cast iron fireplace
2. Masonry work
It's no secret that laying stoves and fireplaces is a painstaking job that requires knowledge and skills, as well as special care and accuracy. There are many nuances, from the composition of the mortar to the processing of bricks. At the same time, if you do not have experience, the result may unpleasantly surprise you - poor traction, smoking during the combustion process, destruction of masonry and other troubles await an inexperienced stove-maker. And the work of professionals costs a lot of money.
Gorgeous brick fireplace
Installing a cast iron or steel fireplace is extremely simple: you just need to level the floor or base and connect the chimney correctly. The draft is provided by the design of the furnace. Companies selling ready-made ovens usually provide installation services, you just have to accept the finished work.
3. Chimney device
Smoke removal is a prerequisite for a wood-burning fireplace, which is why the correct design of the chimney is so important. In brick models, a brick pipe is usually used. Under the influence of water vapor and flue gases, weakly concentrated acids are formed in the pipe, which eventually destroy the brick. On the roughness of the masonry, soot settles faster, and you will often have to clean the chimney.
Cast iron stoves and fireplaces are usually installed using modern stainless steel pipes. Soot settles on them less, and acids of sulfuric and nitrogen compounds are not afraid of them.
Chimney device
4.Ease of operation
A well-built brick fireplace is just as comfortable as a quality steel fireplace. It can also be equipped with glass doors to increase safety and prevent soot, soot and sparks from entering the room. With the correct implementation of the smoke box and the smoke channel, the draft will be good and there will be no problems with kindling in either case.
5.Efficiency
As already noted, metal fireplaces more efficiently give off heat to the room and have a higher efficiency. However, if you plan to heat it only on cool summer evenings, then it is not intended for heating the entire house during the cold months, you will not notice much difference.
6.Appearance
A brick wood-burning fireplace looks more solid and traditional, while cast-iron and steel stoves often resemble an improved potbelly stove. This is probably why most summer residents prefer to install brick hearths, despite the difficulties associated with this. Nevertheless, there is a very convenient way out: you can make a base and a portal for bricks, and install a cast-iron firebox inside by connecting it to a modern heat-insulated chimney, thereby easing the load on the floors and protecting the house from fire.
Brick-lined iron fireplace
The choice of a particular design depends on your preferences, and now that we have told you in detail about the features of different types of wood-burning fireplaces, it will not be difficult for you to fold something out of bricks with your own hands using our recommendations or to purchase a cast-iron stove with wide functionality that suits you. .
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