admin Have you been considering the addition of an oak beam fireplace in your living room? A fireplace constructed using oak beams is the perfect fixture to keep your home warm while at the same time makes a great added feature that increases the value of your property. Oak beams have naturally occurring twists and splits that look beautiful and give your home a traditional, warm atmosphere that is hard to match. Oak beams are ideal for fire places and work well whether you want a modern design or a more aged look.
Fireplace Construction Through the Years
Styles of grates and mantelpieces have changed with the passage of time but basically, a fireplace’s basic structure has not changed radically for centuries. In early times, the combination of large brick or stone with chimneys built over it evolved from the rising of smoke. Basically, a stone or brick enclosure forms the foundation of a fireplace. Known as the builder’s opening, the recess or the fireplace opening, this is built into the room or set flush with the wall which forms the breast of the chimney. Through the height of the house, the chimney breast rises and emerges to from the chimney stack through the roof. To carry smoke up the chimney, at the top of the opening the flue and gather combine.
If many different fireplaces share a chimney, these could contain more than a single flue. A brick arch or a lintel supports the masonry over the opening of the fireplace. Massive oak beams are traditionally used by Old inglenook fireplaces. Earlier brick arches were supported by strong iron straps. Later, an angle iron supported a straight arch which a lot of fireplaces used to have. By the 20th century, the norm became cast concrete lintels. For this reason if you really want your fireplace to stand out, using old oak beams brings back an aged, traditional and antique ambiance that is hard to match nowadays. Not only will this add tremendous value to your home, you won’t have to search hard for a conversational piece the next time guests come for a visit.
Even if fireplace mantels are made of cast iron, wood, marble, slate or stone, the surrounding walls can use oak wood paneling as finishing. For a classic Victorian sitting room feature, mirrored over-mantels became popular in the late 18th century and you could use this as your room theme as well. However, this type of look just does not compare to the grand, old fashioned beautifully built oak wood beams that create a fireplace.
There is Nothing Like It
When you have an oak beam fireplace, you can stay indoors for winter and roast marshmallows in the hearth with the kids. Share stories of times passed as you enjoy the warm fire it emanates. Without a doubt, there is nothing that compares to the cosy, warm appeal of a gorgeously constructed fireplace made with beams of oak. This is particularly true when you construct your fireplace using beams that have natural grain cracks on the surface and have been dried for years, each one seemingly individually picked and unlike any other.