Masonry Magazine December 2004 Page. 25
BIA Rumford Fireplace
THE BRICK INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (BIA) has developed a
design for a Rumford fireplace that is based on the original
Rumford design from the late 1700s. The BIA Rumford
Fireplace is a scaled-down version of the original Rumford
design. The BIA design is smaller and lighter than the origi-
nal Rumford, and it requires fewer bricks to construct. The
BIA Rumford Fireplace requires around 1,100 brick. This
translates not only into a material savings, but also a labor
savings since there are less bricks to lay.
Firebox
LIKE THE ORIGINAL RUMFORD, the firebox is shallow measuring only 15 inches deep, bringing the back wall closer to the front of the fireplace. The side walls of the firebox are also angled, though not quite as much as on the original Rumford design. By having a less shallow angle for the side walls, there is room to accommodate a modern amenity- a small gas log insert - if desired. The opening for the fireplace is about three feet wide by 2'3" high. While not rounded like the original Rumford, an eight-inch throat between the top of the fireplace opening and the damper helps contain smoke and prevent it from spilling out into the room. A sloped damper also helps to facilitate smoke movement.
"Eliminating the rounded throat was really an issue of trying to work with available materials," says Clark. "Constructing curved surfaces with a tight radius is difficult without using special brick shapes." In addition, the curved throat was not required by the building code in order to qualify as a Rumford. Consequently, the BIA Rumford Fireplace does not include a rounded throat.
Smoke Chamber
THE SMOKE CHAMBER is assembled from cut pieces of clay flue tile liner. Two 12-inch by 16-inch flue tile liners can be cut on or off-site. They are then fitted and mortared together on-site to achieve the proper smoke chamber configuration. The damper door is located slightly off-center from the chimney flue with its door swinging toward the back of the assembly. A rotary controlled damper door can be used as an added feature to adjust the damper door when the fireplace is in use.
Chimney
THE CHIMNEY is comprised of 12-inch by 16-inch clay flue tile liners. Modular brick surround the flue liner to create a chimney that measures two-feet by 1'8". The compact chimney assembly once again conserves bricks by requiring only nine modular brick for each course.
Specification
THE SPECIFICATION lays out the sequence of construction and quantities of materials required for the job. If a taller chimney is needed, it stipulates that 81 face brick and one flue tile liner are needed for each additional two feet of height.
Traditional Design Meets
Contemporary Options
WHILE A RUMFORD FIREPLACE is a very simplistic design, the BIA interpretation can be used as a template that can be adapted into alternative styles, such as a freestanding, corner or multi-sided version.
"It could be used in a lot of different ways," Clark explains. "What we show on the BIA web site is just the more traditional approach as a part of an exterior side wall, but it can be easily adapted to meet specific client or design needs."
Finally, the lighter weight and smaller dimensions of the Rumford may also be an added bonus in not only retrofits, but also new construction.
"Large national builders are looking to squeeze every square inch they can get out of a floor plan while providing the features homeowners desire," Clark says. "The smaller footprint and reduced weight are positive aspects for both new contemporary and retrofit construction."
For more information and plans for the BIA Rumford design, as well as other fireplace and chimney designs, visit the Brick Industry Association's web site located at www.gobrick.com.
FIRE Magic
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Rumfords
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