Inglenook fireplaces

Inglenook fireplaces not only give you warmth and comfort, they offer you a focal point within your room, and a place to come together with family and friends. 

Traditionally the “Heart of the home” the Inglenook fireplace originally has acted as a heater, cooker and drier. Now, with modern central heating systems, in the vast majority of homes and even some with ‘green’ heating systems, Inglenook fireplaces are having somewhat of a resurgence as home owners look to instill that sense of “togetherness” and “homeliness” with a focal point for the room that can be somewhat lacking in today’s modern dwellings. There are many different designs of an open fireplace for Inglenooks from open grates for burning wood and coal, to complete free standing convector fires that are simply inserted in the fire grate space and connected in order to use the chimney. 

Whatever your design preference there are many options to suit your room, from ultra-modern to timelessly traditional. Fire surrounds are also to be considered, with many system available from brick to iron grating. Our team will be happy to support you through the decision making process for your open fire and can offer guidance regarding your fire surround, from initial concept to completion. 

You will need to ensure that the chimney you have in place is in a suitable condition with an appropriate gather and flue size that’s fits the size of the fireplace area. There will need to be adequate ventilation in place that offers a good draught up and out of the flue. If you would like to find out more about inglenook fires please visit the Camelot Real Fires website to learn more about how they can help. 

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Contemporary fireplaces are compelling additions to the modern household

There is, firstly, the warmth: the all-pervasive sense of comfort, of protection from the elements - this is the primal and most basic joy of an open blazing real fire. But the subsequent pleasures are of course equally compelling ... the random hypnotic dance of the flames, the crisp crackle that accompany them, and the flickering light that sends a deep shimmering glow about the room these all add up to create an atmosphere that we humans seem irresistibly drawn to. 

Contemporary fireplaces are compelling additions to the modern household: these can be sleek, double-sided, and ceiling-hung or glass framed ... choices truly abound. Or they can of course echo traditional values, sturdy and beautifully adorned grates for those burning embers, a nod to its importance as the focal point for any winter gathering. 

A chimney is of course a prerequisite, but these can be installed if you don’t have one, and has to meet the strict criteria of building regulations before the fire at its base can be created, let alone lit. Then the opening canopy is a critical part of the whole design too - not only is it often one of the most visible parts of the whole fireplace, and so aesthetically carries a lot importance, but it also plays a huge part in the proper functioning of the fire, drawing the smoke efficiently from the fire as well as often helping to radiate heat out into the room. 

Whilst all the various joys of summer may soon fade, those of us lucky to have real fires to stoke up come the winter have something truly wonderful to look forward to! 

To know more about real fire chimney opening canopy and contemporary fireplaces visit to website.

Getting more heat from an open fire

There are few things as satisfying as an open fire roaring away in the hearth. The sights and smells are hard to recreate with anything other than the genuine article. Some fireplaces, especially older ones or incorrectly fitted wood burning fires can sometimes be disappointing in terms of the lack of heat that they give off. If a fireplace has been designed and built poorly, or incorrect modifications have been made, much of the heat can be lost up the chimney, rather than heating the room and its occupants. People are also disappointed when a wood burning fire is too small to heat the size of room, giving off so little heat as to barely be noticed. Because heat rises, much of the heat from incorrectly installed wood burning fire will, instead of heating the room, go straight up the chimney. This leads to more fuel (coal or wood) being added to the fire in an effort to increase the heat output. Using extra fuel on a problem wood burning fireplace can prove costly, and is not good for the environment as it wastes excess fossil fuels. Not only can this be frustrating, it also has a detrimental effect on the reputation of wood burning fires, leading many people to believe that a stove is a preferable option.

Whilst stoves give out a high heat output, often they lack aesthetic beauty or desired ‘feel’ that can only be achieved with a wood burning open fire. The best of both worlds however can be achieved if you choose a convection fire such as Thermovent to enhance your wood burning fireplace. Thermovent is up to 5 times more efficient than a traditional wood burning fire in its heat output. It is designed to capture more of the heat into the metal of the convecting fire itself, this metal then heats the air that has been drawn into the system and pushes it back into the room at a hotter temperature. This raises the temperature in the room more evenly using natural convection caused by hot air rising – no need for noisy moving parts! 

A convection open fire is also great at reducing any smoke issues and leaving a cleaner fire, as the ash is contained in one area rather than able to spill out, and smoke is directed more efficiently up the chimney. It is easier to control a convection system due to baffle controls, which can be open or closed to increase or decrease the draw of the fire, and fully closed when not in use. 

To find out more about the unique Thermovent convection system from Camelot Real Fires please visit their website www.camelotrealfires.co.uk

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Case study - inglenook fireplace

A couple in West Sussex had recently purchased a thatched cottage in need of some repair, and decided to take ok the challenge of a full renovation. Among many other things in this large project, the whole cottage roof needed re-thatching and they needed a solution for their inglenook fireplace. They had their heart set on an open fire to match the aesthetic and heritage of the cottage, but many companies they approached seemed to shy away from the open fire option, as this required more specialist knowledge. Eventually they contacted Camelot Real Fires, who are UK experts in inglenook fireplaces and open fires,who were more than happy to help. The additional challenge in this case was a short timescale –the thatcher had already been booked to re-thatch the entire cottage roof. This gave Camelot a window of just four weeks, as once the thatcher had finished the roof renovation, there was no other way to access the chimney. 

After a speedy consultation, the couple chose a Thermovent open fire with a beautiful steel canopy, and bespoke dog irons and grate front to match. Because the living room of the cottage had no heat source other than the open fire, Thermovent was the obvious choice, giving them a 50%+ efficiency and a 14kW heat output. 

The couples insurance company required that any fire or stove installed in the inglenook should have HETAS accreditation for safety reasons, as non-accredited fires would potentially pose a greater risk of thatch fire. Following some research, the couple found that a Thermovent open fire in the inglenook actually meant a lower insurance premium as there is a far lower risk compared to stoves. This gave them maximum protection for their new thatched roof and allowed them to use their existing 200mm flue system. 

The project was completed in just 3 weeks,and their new open fire was installed in their inglenook fireplace with plenty of time spare before the thatcher was due to re-thatch the roof. 

"Great to find a family firm giving a truly professional service using their superior knowledge of open fires and chimneys to manufacture a perfect open fire. Our new fire is absolutely fantastic!! It is all we wished for and more. It has solved all our problems, no smoke or smells, perfect performance, warmth around the room and the added bonus of being handsome and elegant. We will be in touch with you again Paul for our next project." 

Robert and Susan, West Sussex, May 2015 Find out how Camelot Real Fires can help transform your room by visiting them at www.camelotrealfires.co.uk 

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Tips on log burning fireplaces and open fires accessories

There’s nothing quite like having a log burning fireplace in your home, the sights and smells, and the ambiance it creates is increasingly sought after. There is lots of information around on the designs and requirements of the fire or stove itself, however in order to make the most of your fire, you’re going to need to understand which open fire accessories are ‘must haves’ and which ones are going to make life that much easier! 

Perhaps the most important open fire would be a carbon alarm. This measures levels of carbon monoxide in a room and will warn you if there are dangerous levels. At Camelot Real Fires, we class these (along with fire alarms) as ‘ must haves’ when running a log burning fireplace. Another ‘must have’ is a good log store. Storing outdoor wood to keep it free from moisture will ensure it does not smoke, and storing indoor wood far enough away from the actual fire in a specially reserved area or a rack will minimise the risk of the wood catching fire before you want it to! 

Other open fire accessories that will make life easier are things like gloves, pokers, ash shovels, buckets, and tongs. The pokers and tongs will help you to start the fire and manage it whilst it burns, while the ash shovel and bucket will neatly clean up any ash residue from your log burning fireplace once the fire is out. For more tips on log burning fireplaces and open fires accessories, contact the team at Camelot Real Fires, UK specialists in real open fires. 

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Fireplace design and chimney size

The design and construction of an efficient yet aesthetically pleasing open fire is a science all in itself. Many shops selling stoves and open fires tend to direct their customers towards stoves because of the specialism involved in open fire design. Not least because it is not just the open fire involved, it is the additional elements such as the open fire cover, chimney, canopy, and the general construction of the house in which the open fire is to be installed. 

An open fire chimney needs to have a cross-section of 200 mm diameter minimum but 225 is the recommended minimum (for a relatively small opening). The chimney itself needs to be higher than 5 m and free from blockages, and be in good condition. This will ensure sufficient draw. An open fire cover or canopy is recommended in order to enhance the draw, and reconcile the difference in size between the fire and the flue to ensure the room is free from smoke. The issue with this is that often is the size of the canopy required is much much smaller than a customer initially expects, throwing the visual proportions of the open fire and the chimney out of kilter. 

Experts in open fires and chimneys, Camelot Real Fires decided to address this point by inventing the revolutionary Thermovent fire, which eliminates the link between open fire size and the chimney flue size. This does away with the need for a specifically sized open fire covers, allowing the customer to have whichever canopy looks the most ascetically pleasing. 

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Fireplace Furniture Spotlight: Canopy

There are many aspects to fireplace construction, and in this series of spotlight pieces, UK fireplace experts Camelot Real Fires will highlight the essential pieces needed for period style, but functional open fire. 

Canopies can be quite versatile in their appearance and made from a wide variety of metals including steel, stainless steel, brass, and copper. Textures and mountings can be added to enhance the design and make a truly unique piece, a trend that is growing in fireplaces in the UK

Contrary to popular misconceptions about canopies in the fireplace, they are designed not to simply ‘catch’ the smoke, but rather to create airflow up the chimney and to address the size difference between fire and flue. Sometimes this means that to get the proper flow of air and smoke up the chimney , the canopy needs to get smaller, not bigger which is contrary to what you might expect. 

In many instances, canopies are made by general blacksmiths, great at working with metals but with little concept of the dynamics of fireplace construction and creating optimal efficiency. Camelot Real Fires are experts in fireplace construction and can make a bespoke canopy to match the desired look of your fireplace and make sure it is working to its best. 

Camelot have also revolutionised fireplaces in the UK with their Themovent fire, which allows any canopy to be used because it does not need to link canopy size with fire size like with traditional canopy use. Get in touch with them to find out more about the Thermovent open fire. 

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