Masonry Magazine October 2007 Page. 17
WHILE FIREPLACES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MAINSTAY IN
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, these optional systems are becoming highly prized for increasing resell and perceived value for many types of real estate and building projects, from single-family homes to outdoor retail plazas. At the same time, fireplaces are becoming more efficient and offering better air quality.
"All of the new fireplaces burn more efficiently and cleaner," says Deidra Darsa, public relations and media relations manager for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) in Arlington, Va. Fuel options for the fireplaces include wood, pellets, electricity and, the most popular, gas.
Tom Stroud, senior manager of codes and standards for HPBA, says the industry is creating standards for cleaner burning masonry fireplaces.
"The goal is to improve the outdoor air quality," Stroud says. "By doing that, more often than not, you're improving indoor air quality."
Part of maintaining optimum air quality is having the proper size, shape and height for the chimney. "The biggest thing mason contractors need to make sure of is that the chimney is built tall enough to draw properly," Darsa says. "Making sure of the height requirement on the roof and how far to stay from the neighbor's house are important."
Darsa says most gas fireplaces now have a direct vent, rather than a full chimney going through the roof. The fireplaces vent outdoors through a wall, which reduces installation costs.
Healthy, efficient masonry heaters
PROBABLY no wood burning system is more efficient than the masonry heater. Masonry heaters have been popular in Europe for centuries and are now in growing demand in North America.
"Masonry heaters burn a brilliant, hot fire in the firebox, while hot gases circulate through channels in the masonry mass, storing heat," says Dann Carnes, owner of Fireplace Editions in Chapel Hill, N.C. "Warmth radiates throughout your home long after the fire is out. Healthful and clean, masonry heaters are regarded as the ultimate in efficient and environmentally sound wood burning."
Carnes says after burning a one to two-hour fire, the homeowner feels warmth for 12 to 24 hours.
"You want a very intense blast for one to two hours," he says. "After that, the fire dies out. While you're burning it, it's like an inferno: very mesmerizing flames."
"The heaters are great for large, open areas with tall ceilings," Carnes continues. "Unlike forced air convection heat that rises quickly to the ceiling, radiant heat warms the floors and the people who occupy the lower portion of rooms."
Jerry Frisch, president of Lopez Quarries Masonry Heaters Firecrest Fireplace Corp. in Seattle, says homeowners appreciate the functionality of the heaters.