Fireplaces in Alexandria, VA

Fireplaces, in Alexandria, are the structures that contain a fire for heating and/or cooking. Because of the comforting flames and crackling sounds, fireplaces are considered to be a central household feature, even when those not needed for heating or cooking purposes. Interior decorators focus on Fireplace mantels.

The basic structure of a fireplace consists of: a foundation, a hearth, a firebox, a fireplace mantel, an ash-dump door, a chimney crane, a cleanout door, a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, an over-mantel, a chimney breast, a damper, a smoke chamber, a throat, a flue, a chimney chase, a crown, a cap, a shroud or a spark arrestor.

According to the material that these are made of, fireplace may be of 2 types:

Masonry, which are made of brick or stone & Manufactured fireplaces manufactured with sheet metal fire boxes. These fireplaces can be fueled with wood, natural gas, biomass and propane fuel sources. Another type of fireplaces based on fuels, include the Vent-less/ ductless/ room-venting fireplaces are fueled by gel, liquid petroleum, bottled gas or natural gas.

Fireplaces are divided into 3 categories: Masonry – brick or stone-made chimney with or without tile lined flue, Reinforced concrete chimneys & Metal-lined flue: Double or triple walled metal pipes running up inside a new or existing wood framed or masonry chase.

Fireplace heats up a room & the objects surrounding the fireplace mostly by radiation, while some of this heat is transferred to the air. Some fireplace units in Alexandria incorporate a blower for transferring more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more homogenously heated interior and a lower heating load on the fireplace.