Each of us from time to time dreams of a cozy hearth, which can not only keep warm in cool day but also to meditate, looking at the flames. Today this pleasure has become available to everyone. But before you mount the fireplace at home or even in the usual city apartment, it should provide some important details.

It is known that fireplace, with all its beauty and comfort is a source of danger.

In the “guidelines for the prevention of fires in houses with oven heating”, approved by EMERCOM of the Russian Federation in 2007, said that before a fire, is required to confirm the presence of draft in the chimney. You should regularly take care of the hearth, cleaning it and the chimney from combustion products — at least once per quarter during regular use. In winter, the chimney need to remove the snow and ice. Do not add wood or biofuels in the immediate vicinity of the fire. The room must have a serviceable fire extinguisher, you must also provide fresh air.

In addition, at the time of the installation of a wood burning fireplace should be done around it fireproof floor. If the ember or spark will take off, it will fall to the refractory material. They can be sheet metal, ceramic tile or natural stone. But in any case not wood or laminate.

As combustion is strongly kindles the walls of the fireplace and chimney, it is very important to regularly inspect them for cracks and other damage. Through the openings of the sparks may fall on the adjacent wall, attic floor or roof, that will lead to tragedy. For this reason, the chimneys do not make holes for cleaning on the sections that pass through attics, and places of contact with walls and floors thoroughly isolated.

All of this is important because cracks, gaps and flaws in the design of the fireplace is able to steal the warmth of your home, especially in those moments when it doesn’t work.

The nuances of furnace case

Creating high quality and safe fireplace — it is not only time consuming but requires special skills and knowledge. The skill of the setter depends on how much heat will bring the fireplace into your home, and how long he will last. Therefore it is better to cope with the problem by an experienced professional. You will have to ensure that all safety requirements are strictly observed them.

One of them, especially for wood-burning fireplaces, is a solid Foundation that can withstand the weight of the structure. The fireplace and chimney put with refractory bricks refractory mortar. The inside walls should be smooth, so they will be less soot to settle.

There are other vital rules:

• between the base of the fireplace and the Foundation of the house leaving a gap (5 cm) and covered it with sand or other non-combustible material;
• between the masonry fireplace and resistant to high temperatures and fire walls and floors must be fire-resistant insert (interlayer) of non-combustible material in walls, they should match the height of the fireplace, the walls width is not less than 100 mm;
• distance from chimney to combustible wall attic space shall be not less than 1.3 metres;
• all materials must be safe, and heating and burning does not allocate toxic substances and acrid smoke;
• and most importantly, even a well-built fireplace require high-quality insulation.

Insulated and insulated

It allows the insulation to make the fireplace are not only beautiful decoration but also reliable, and most importantly, safe source of heat. This also applies to wood-burning, gas, and electric varieties of furnaces.

Quality insulation will allow hot air to “leak” through the gap, street heat, and send it into the room, creating a desirable microclimate. Even if you have not provided it on the stage of construction of the fireplace or want to update the one that was before, is to sacrifice some amount of time and Finance, because the result is worth it. And if you choose the right material, in one step, you can solve several problems at once.

Take, for example, famous and popular all over the world stone wool, which is produced from natural stone. It has several unique properties that solve multiple tasks simultaneously. As a derivative of the stone, this material is durable, not afraid moisture, chemical and thermal effects. But it is especially important that stone wool is non-combustible material. Fiber material can withstand temperatures up to 1000°C, respectively, and the insulating layer itself will remain intact and will not spread the fire further.

Due to the fact that the thin fibers of rock wool in slabs are located randomly and there is much in the air, the material holds heat well. The combination of these qualities contributes to the fact that the heater is actively used even in industrial environments where working around the clock to huge and high-temperature furnace.

Major manufacturers rock wool, such as ROCKWOOL, and produce versatile materials, and specialized products that easily solve a specific problem. For example, stoves, FIREPLACE BATTS are designed just for warming fireplaces or stoves in saunas and steam baths. The material is provided with a layer of aluminum foil which reflects heat.

For insulation decorative boxes, inside of which is a source of high — temperature steel furnace body is required to set the frame of steel profile, fill it with plates, glue the joints with self-adhesive aluminium tape, then secure to the frame gypsum plate, and perform a decorative finish.

By the way, the foil layer must be send to the heat source. If the frame of a box made of metal profile plates installed vraspor between the rails. Top hat box decorated with stone or any other material. Similarly insulated and chimney, and where he is in contact with the slab.

Regardless of the material from which made the pipe, or what area of the roof it is derived (skate, skate), it has several “zones of risk”:

• the condensation that forms from temperature changes and causes the destruction of the chimney;
• fire — tube may be heated and through invisible cracks — fly sparks;
• heat losses — they occur in places of passage of the pipe through the roof;
• wicking moisture or snow.

Therefore, the ground tube passes through the structure, it is desirable to make a special insulated box. This is especially important if the roof or ceiling was already insulated with rock wool and the integrity of the vapor – and moisture-layers to break isn’t too helpful.

In this case, before you cut a hole for the chimney, cut crosswise layers of steam, heat and hydro, stick box and fixed on its outer walls formed corners thermal insulation of the roof or ceiling. Inside the box the space is filled with stone wool. The thickness of the protective structures should be selected based on the requirements of the building regulations. According to the norms of the thickness of cutting in places of passage of the pipe through the ceiling shall be in exposed structures at least 500 mm, at protected — not less than 380 mm. in addition, from brick or concrete pipe to combustible structures of the roof the distance should be at least 130 mm from the ceramic tubes — 130 mm heat insulation to 250 mm — without it.

The outside of the chimney to protect from falling rain by a metal apron, in many roofing systems provides for convenient mounting and functional elements, which also do not spoil the design of the roof.

Competent insulation and fire safety of the fireplace will significantly improve the microclimate of housing, make home cozy and safe. And ease of installation and reliability of rock wool, most likely come across the idea of insulation and sound insulation of other building structures, if they are still not done. The convenience of this environmentally friendly and durable material that it is used in the construction and renovation of buildings, extending their life and saving on utility bills.

In the end, the house and the fireplace it is a favorite meeting place for all family members or a reason to invite company guests.