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Weston Bros., Inc.
Fireplace Division

FIREPLACE BASICS

Why purchase a fireplace or stove for your home

Enjoy the benefits of a modern gas hearth product
  • Safe & Efficient
  • Add Value to Your Home
  • Fire at the Touch of a Button
  • Many Styles to Choose From
  • No More Buying, Storing & Moving Wood
  • No Messy Cleanup or Smoke
  • No Chimney Required
  • A Warm Place to Gather for Family & Friends
  • Make Your Dreams Become a Reality While Adding Heat & Ambiance To a Room
Fireplaces and stoves are indeed an investment in the value of your home, but their true value comes from the great enjoyment and comfort they will add to your lifestyle!
Selecting the hearth product for you
The way you plan to use your new hearth product will influence which type you choose. Some products are designed to be efficient heat producers, others will have more of a decorative look and some will provide the best of both. The layout of your room, any physical space constraints and interior design style will all play a part in your decision. A fireplace will become a natural focal point in most rooms, so think of it as a major piece of furniture that should complement your décor.

Anatomy of a Chimney

Cap: The cap keeps foreign objects from going down the chimney.
Chimney & flue: A chimney is lined with a flue, which is made of insulated stainless steel. In some cases a chimney and flue are the same thing. As smoke from a fire rises, it is vented up a chimney through a flue.
Mantel: A shelf above the firebox opening that is used for decorative purposes.
Throat: The throat is an opening above the firebox where flame, smoke and gases pass into the smoke chamber just below the flue.
Smoke shelf: The smoke shelf keeps down drafts from getting down the chimney and blowing smoke back into the room.
Damper: The damper is a steel door that opens or closes the throat. It is used to regulate drafts and to prevent heat loss up the chimney, when the fireplace is not in use.
Firebox: The firebox can be made of steel or firebrick, a specially made heat-resistant brick; it is the place where the fire is built. The walls and back of the firebox are generally angled in to radiate heat back into the room.
Hearth: The inner hearth is made of firebrick or steel, and holds the burning fuel. The outer hearth protects the floor from heat and sparks.

Two types of heat

Fireplaces and stoves produce two different types of heat - radiant and convection. Radiant heat is the transfer of heat to solid objects in a room. Radiant heat does not heat air space, but just the objects themselves. Convection heat is produced by heating the air and circulating it around the room. Some convection fireplaces, known as heat circulating models, use a blower to circulate the warm air.

Direct Vent Technology
Direct Vent fireplaces have an air tight firebox that draws air for combustion from outside your home, never stealing the warm air from inside, yet radiates and convects heat into the room. These fireplaces can be vented either from the top or the rear. This gives the homeowner more options to where the fireplace can be located.