,,making ,a                             
,,fireplace                             
,by ,,henry ,h4 ,,saylor                
,,author ,,of                           
,,bungalows1 ,,making ,a ,,rose         
,,garden1 ,,etc4                        
,illustration                           
,,new ,,york                            
,mc,b,r,i,d,e1 ,,nast  ,,company        
#aiac                                   
,copyright1 #aiac1 by                   
,,mcbride1 ,,nast  ,,co4                
,published1 ,january1 #aiac             
,illustration3 ,the fireplace of long   
ago1 made large enough to               
accommodate most of the kitchen's pots  
and pans beside the fire                
,,contents                              
,,page   ,,introduction                 
#a    ,,construction                    
#g    ,,miscellaneous ,,odd ,,forms     
#bb    ,,facings ,,and ,,mantels        
#be    ,,mending ,,poor ,,fireplaces    
#ca    ,,fireplace ,,accessories        
#cf    ,,building ,,the ,,fire          

#de                                ,,the
 ,,illustrations     ,,the ,,fireplace  
,,of ,,long ,,ago                       
,frontispiece                           
,,facing ,,page   ,,an ,,english        
,,basket ,,grate ,,in ,,brass           
#d    ,a ,,modern ,,english ,,fire      
,,corner ,,in ,,contrasting ,,tiles     
#d    ,,an ,,inglenook ,,with ,,stone   
,,hearth                        #bb     
,,caen ,,stone ,,mantel ,,for ,,the     
,,formal ,,type                 #bf     
,,an ,,informal ,,fireplace ,,in ,,field
 ,,stone                  #cj    ,,the  
,,modern ,,colonial ,,type ,,with       
,,brick ,,facing ,,and   ,,white ,,wood 
,,mantel                                
#ch    ,a ,,craftsman ,,type ,,in       
,,brick ,,with ,,copper ,,hood          
#df    ,a ,,recessed ,,fireplace ,,in   
,,brick ,,and ,,rough ,,plaster         
#ej                                     
,,introduction   ,in a book of this kind
 there is no particular need for        
dwelling at length on the desirability  

of having a fireplace4 ,that will be    
taken for granted4 ,it is enough to say 
that in these days a home can scarcely  
be considered worthy of the name if it  
does not contain at least one hearth4   
,there is some inexplicable quality in a
 wood fire that exerts almost a hypnotic
 influence upon those who eagerly gather
 about it4 ,the smoldering glow of the  
logs induces a calm and introspective   
mood that banishes all the trivialities 
and distractions of the day's work and  
gives one an opportunity to replenish   
his store of energy for the coming day4 
,the open fire1 unlike most of the      
comforts that we demand in a modern     
home1 has been associated with the race 
as far back almost as the home itself4  
,at first1 of course1 it was as a       
necessity and the development from that 
to a luxury has been an exceedingly slow
 one extending over the years down to   
the present time4  ,there are two forms 
of the open fire--a possible third one1 
the gas log1 being a subject on which   

the less said the better4 ,we have1     
therefore1 a choice between the open    
fireplace designed for wood and the     
basket grate in which to burn coal1     
preferably cannel coal4 ,this latter    
fuel is not nearly so well known in this
 country as in ,england where the       
scarcity of wood necessarily makes coal 
the more commonly used fuel4 ,with our  
own abundance of wood1 however1 there   
will perhaps be little hesitancy in     
choosing the open fireplace rather than 
the basket grate for coal1 although in  
certain cases1 for example an apartment 
where the flue has been built too small1
 or in a house where an available       
chimney offers only a small flue area   
for fireplace use1 the basket grate will
 prove a welcome solution of the        
problem4 ,of course there is no excuse  
whatever for building a modern home with
 a chimney too small for the sort of    
fireplace you want1 but where the       
chimney has already been built without  
this provision it may possibly be found 

that a small terra cotta flue lining may
 be inserted in the larger flue without 
seriously damaging the latter's power of
 draft4 ,in that event the addition of a
 basket grate fireplace to an old house 
would be an interesting possibility4    
,however fully we may appreciate the    
desirability of some sort of fireplace1 
there seems to be a rather widespread   
impression that the attainment is       
largely a matter of chance4 ,too many   
home-builders have instructed their     
architects to provide a fireplace or two
 in the fond hope that the matter was   
then practically closed--a mere matter  
of time until they might be sitting     
before the fire's cheerful glow4 ,too   
frequently the result has been a        
disappointment when the first few trials
 introduced into the room more smoke    
than heat or cheer4 ,the reason for this
 is that there is a scientific basis for
 fireplace building which is frequently 
ignored absolutely by an over-confident 
and stupid mason4 ,where the work of    

building the home has been entrusted to 
an architect's hands the latter usually 
appreciates the fact that the building  
of the fireplaces is liable more than   
any other part of the house to be taken 
into the mason's own hands with1 if he  
is not watched1 disastrous results4     
,undoubtedly every mason would resent   
most strongly any insinuation as to his 
lack of knowledge regarding fireplace   
construction4 ,each mason not only      
thinks that he knows how a fireplace    
should be built1 but it is almost as    
general a rule that he feels that his   
particular method is the only correct   
one4      ,illustration3 ,one of the    
best forms of the basket grate in       
brass4 ,the splayed sides send out more 
heat      ,illustration3 ,a modern      
,english fire corner4 ,facing and hearth
     have been worked out in a rather   
startling contrast of tiles   ,in view  
of this it might be well for any man    
building his own home to give some      
attention to the matter of his          

fireplaces1 to insist on knowing how    
they are designed and to follow their   
construction throughout so that there is
 no chance for a blunder2 and this      
chance is not so slight as might be     
supposed4 ,in a house in which the      
author had carefully shown every detail 
of construction in the drawings1 it was 
found when the building was nearly      
completed that the cast-iron throat     
flues1 which ordinarily prevent any     
possible mistake of construction on the 
mason's part1 had been put in reversed  
and it was necessary to tear down the   
whole face of the chimney breast in each
 case to replace them properly4  ,the   
matter of construction is not at all a  
complicated affair1 as the next chapter 
will aim to show4                       
,,construction   ,the chief difficulty  
in attaining a successful fireplace     
design does not lie in securing an      
abundant draft4 ,in fact it is an easy  
matter to make a fireplace draw if the  
flue is large enough and the opening    

from the fire chamber into the flue     
unobstructed4 ,there will never be any  
question of getting a roaring blaze the 
moment the fire is lighted4  ,this is1  
in a way1 the type of fireplace that our
 ,colonial ancestors built--great       
cavernous openings and generous flues1  
with the result that the more wood was  
piled upon the blaze the more they      
blistered their toes and at the same    
time chilled their backs4 ,for it is    
evident that when we secure such a      
strong1 unobstructed current of hot air 
up the chimney1 enough cool air to take 
its place must be drawn into the room   
through every opening and crevice4 ,the 
result is a mighty draft that rushes    
past those unfortunate enough to be     
sitting about the fire and carries      
rapidly up the chimney almost all of the
 heat of combustion4  ,in the fireplace 
of our ,colonial ancestors probably     
ninety per cent4 of the heat was        
entirely lost1 being carried up the     
chimney4 ,however1 cord wood was then to

 be had for the cutting4  ,we want a    
different sort of a fire in these       
days--one that will burn with a steady1 
constant blaze or glow1 conserving most 
of its heat1 which the back and sides of
 the fire chamber will reflect out into 
the room4  ,such a fireplace will not   
necessarily be a large one4 ,it is      
amusing to hear how universally the     
demand goes up for large                
fireplaces--great big fellows that will 
burn full cord wood4 ,it is hard to see 
just why this is4 ,it may be based on   
the assumption that if a small fireplace
 is desirable a large one is more so4   
,this is a fallacy that the architect   
and fireplace builder find it hard to   
dispel4 ,there is no objection whatever 
to a large fireplace in a summer camp or
 informal shack of that sort4 ,in fact a
 small one would in such a place be     
ridiculous1 but when we come to our     
year-round living-room or dining-room or
 den1 where the walls of the room are   
tight and the whole atmosphere quieter  

and more restrained1 a large fireplace  
would be distinctly a disturbing        
element4 ,such a room as this1 unless   
very poorly built1 would not permit the 
in-take of sufficient air for the draft 
of a big fireplace1 whereas in our slab 
cabin or log bungalow the conditions are
 quite different4      ,illustration3 ,a
 section through the fireplace and      
chimney4 ,the     broad cross-hatching  
represents brickwork  ,for the ordinary 
room1 therefore1 a fair average size for
 the fireplace opening is three feet in 
width by two and a half feet high1 with 
a depth half the width4 ,from such a    
fireplace it is possible to get a       
maximum of heat with a minimum of draft4
  ,there are two vital principles that  
should be observed in the design of any 
fireplace4 ,one of these is the relation
 between the size of the opening into   
the room and the size of the flue       
itself4 ,a cross-section of the         
flue--which incidentally should be kept 
the same throughout its extent--should  

be one-tenth of the area of the opening 
into the room4 ,the second vital        
consideration is the introduction of    
what are known as a smoke shelf and a   
smoke chamber4 ,the reason for          
constructing a fireplace with these two 
features will appear more readily by    
reference to the diagram4 ,this is drawn
 to show that when a fire is kindled on 
the hearth the warm air current1 which  
is generated immediately1 begins to rise
 through the throat 7the opening between
 the fire chamber and the smoke chamber7
 and at once induces a down-draft of    
cold air4 ,if the back of the fireplace 
were on the same continuous plane with  
the rear side of the chimney flue1 this 
downward current of cold air would      
strike directly upon the fire itself and
 force smoke out into the room4 ,the    
smoke shelf is built just where it will 
prevent this action4 ,the sectional     
diagram does not perhaps make quite     
clear the shape of this smoke chamber1  
but the accompanying perspective outline

 sketch will indicate the fact that the 
throat and the smoke chamber at the     
bottom must extend across the full width
 of the fire chamber4 ,this width in the
 smoke chamber immediately diminishes in
 rising until it joins the flue at the  
flue's own area4  ,the sectional diagram
 indicates a cast-iron damper built in  
the throat4 ,this is not necessary1 for 
it contributes nothing to the efficiency
 of the fire itself4 ,its one great     
advantage is that by furnishing the     
mason with an unalterable form1 it      
forces him to build the throat properly 
rather than in one of the wrong ways    
that his own judgment might dictate4    
,such a cast-iron damper also forms a   
support for the flat arch of brick over 
the opening if bricks are used4 ,if the 
damper is not built in1 it is necessary 
to use an iron supporting bar to carry  
this flat arch4 ,then too1 in case the  
damper is not used1 there is lost the   
advantage of being able quite readily to
 close the throat entirely1 which is    

highly desirable in the summertime and  
frequently in the winter when the       
fireplace is acting too strenuously as a
 ventilator4 ,if the cast-iron throat is
 not used1 therefore1 it will be well to
 lay an iron plate on the smoke shelf in
 such a way that it could be drawn      
forward across the opening to close it4 
,illustration3 ,perspective view of the 
fireplace1 showing the     shape of the 
various parts as built without a        
cast-iron throat     damper  ,there are 
other types of dampers1 most of them    
patented and all of them aiming to      
provide an adjustable opening in the    
throat in some way4 ,one or two of these
 have a knob or handle projecting       
through the brickwork of the arch1      
permitting the convenient adjustment of 
the damper from outside4 ,as a general  
principle1 however1 it is well to choose
 the simplest possible device that will 
secure the desired result4  ,the terra  
cotta flue lining which is shown in the 
sectional diagram is not absolutely     

necessary1 of course1 as it is a rather 
modern introduction and unnumbered      
fireplaces have served their purpose    
without it4 ,there is no question1      
however1 regarding its worth1 for it    
provides a flue with smooth1 regular    
sides that will not clog nearly so      
readily as an ordinary brick flue4      
,besides that1 it has the advantage of  
permitting a thinner wall for the       
chimney4 ,it is dangerous to build a    
chimney with a single four-inch         
thickness of brick between the flue and 
whatever may adjoin the chimney4 ,of    
course no wood should be allowed to come
 within an inch or two of the brickwork 
in any event1 but with a single         
thickness of brick1 unlined1 there is   
always the danger that the mortar will  
crumble from a joint and leave an       
opening through which it would be an    
easy matter for sparks or flame to do   
considerable damage4 ,the introduction  
of a flue lining1 however1 into the     
chimney built in this way makes it      

entirely safe1 provided the joints      
between sections of flue lining are     
carefully filled and made smooth with   
cement mortar4  ,the sectional diagram1 
it will be noticed1 indicates a         
difference between the main back wall of
 the chimney1 eight inches thick1 and   
the brickwork laid inside the fire      
chamber to form the hearth and the back4
 ,the reason for this separation is that
 the rough brickwork of the chimney is  
always laid first as simply as possible1
 leaving the fire chamber with its      
sloping back and sides and the hearth to
 be filled in later with a better grade 
of brick or perhaps another kind4       
,frequently1 also1 tile will be combined
 with the brick finish as a hearth or   
facing4      ,illustration3 ,a          
cross-section showing the construction  
of a     large stone fireplace with     
slightly arched opening  ,a support for 
the hearth is usually obtained as       
indicated--by bringing what is called a 
row-lock or trimmer arch between the    

foundation masonry of the chimney and a 
pair of floor joists set out at the     
proper distance1 depending upon the     
desired width of the hearth4 ,while this
 is the customary method1 occasionally a
 support is secured in some other way1  
such as corbeling out from the masonry  
foundation1 or by extending two short   
projections of this masonry from the    
bottom up at either end of the hearth   
and throwing an arch across between     
these4 ,upon a bed of cement the hearth 
bricks themselves are laid1 usually     
flush with the floor1 although          
occasionally enough higher to permit a  
beveled molding strip to cover the joint
 between brick and floor more closely4  
,in some cases the hearth itself is     
raised the full thickness of a brick    
above the floor1 as in one of the       
photographic illustrations shown4  ,the 
width of the hearth is ordinarily made  
about sixteen or eighteen inches beyond 
the face of the opening with the average
 size fireplace1 twenty inches or even  

more with larger ones4 ,this width      
should be increased1 of course1 if the  
opening is made considerably larger4    
,the question of materials for the      
hearth and facing will be discussed in  
the next chapter4  ,the chimney itself  
should extend at least a foot or two    
above any nearby roof ridge and it      
should work without any cowl1 whirligig 
or other device of that type on the top4
 ,there is no great objection to having 
the opening a horizontal one at the top 
of the chimney1 although in that case if
 the flue is nearly straight throughout 
its course1 some rain will find its way 
down to the hearth in a hard storm4 ,in 
most cases there is enough bend in the  
flue to prevent this1 and if not it may 
be avoided by covering the top of the   
chimney with a stone and having the     
openings vertical ones on all four sides
 just under this4  ,all of the brickwork
 throughout chimney and fireplace should
 be laid in first-class cement mortar   
which consists of one part ,portland    

cement to three parts clean1 sharp sand4
 ,although lime mortar was used in all  
brickwork up to recent years1 it is not 
durable1 particularly in the vicinity of
 heat4                                  
,,miscellaneous ,,odd ,,forms   ,there  
are many unusual forms of fireplace with
 which we are not particularly          
concerned4 ,for example1 one sees       
occasionally an opening shaped like an  
inverted heart or like an ace of spades4
 ,it is possible to make a fireplace of 
this kind work satisfactorily1 but it is
 by no means certain that this result   
can be accomplished at the first trial  
nor that the fire will continue to work 
properly under all conditions4 ,it is   
safer always to adhere to the           
established type of rectangular opening1
 or to depart from this only to the     
extent of having the top an arch of     
large radius4 ,whenever the top is      
permitted to vary more than a slight    
extent from the horizontal there is the 
danger of having the smoke escape into  

the room at the top4      ,illustration3
 ,the inglenook seldom fails as a       
dispenser of home     cheer4 ,frequently
 the seats are placed too close to the  
fire  ,there is one other type that     
deserves special mention and that is the
 double fireplace1 where two openings in
 adjacent rooms are served by a single  
flue between them4 ,the only way in     
which this affects the two vital        
principles mentioned above is that the  
cross-section area of the flue should be
 one-tenth of the combined areas of the 
openings4 ,the throat will in this case 
be in the middle of the chimney with the
 smoke shelf on either side of it4 ,it  
is essential in a fireplace of this kind
 that there be no disturbing draft      
tending to pass through the opening from
 one room to the other4  ,still another 
type which is even more rarely seen is  
the open fire in the middle of a room1  
such as may be desired occasionally in  
the lounging room of a large club4 ,such
 an apparent anomaly could be secured by

 suspending a metal flue and hood from  
the roof1 so that the lower edge of the 
truncated pyramidal form at the bottom  
would form the upper side of the        
fireplace opening at a convenient height
 above the hearth of brick1 stone1 tile 
or concrete4 ,it is conceivable that an 
effective and thoroughly practical      
fireplace could be thus devised1 having 
the flue and hood of wrought iron or    
copper1 suspended and steadied by chains
 or bars from the ceiling and           
surrounding walls4 ,in such a form the  
same principle of a fixed ratio between 
opening 7here the entire perimeter of   
the hood multiplied by the distance     
above the hearth7 and cross-section of  
flue would have to be observed1 and here
 also it would be well to provide as    
fully as possible against the presence  
of disturbing drafts4                   
,,facings ,,and ,,mantels   ,there is   
not a particularly wide choice of       
materials available for the finish of   
the hearth and fireplace4 ,stone1 brick1

 cement and tile exhaust the            
possibilities1 although with            
combinations of these we have all the   
variety that we could wish4  ,stone is  
suitable only in certain                
environments--the informal shack or log 
cabin chiefly1 though of course it is   
impossible to make any hard and fast    
rule in the matter4  ,brick is almost   
never out of place4 ,perhaps it is the  
association with the fireplaces that    
have been built by our fathers and      
grandfathers1 or perhaps it is the      
inherent worth and fitness of the       
material itself that puts it forward as 
a first choice4 ,undoubtedly the        
practical consideration that it is      
easier and more economical to build has 
something to do with the matter4        
,concrete is a newcomer in the field of 
fireplace facing and as yet it cannot be
 said to have shown any particular      
reason why it should displace the other 
materials4 ,with the ordinary heat      
developed in an open fire of wood there 

is no likelihood of cracking the        
concrete facing if the material has been
 properly mixed and applied1 although   
there seems to be a vague impression    
that this might be a real danger4 ,the  
color of concrete gives it no particular
 recommendation1 for it is one that     
remains unchanged by fire1 though not   
unstained by smoke4 ,brick1 on the other
 hand1 and tile1 have the very closest  
possible association with fire in the   
making1 which gives them a peculiar     
fitness for this purpose4               
,illustration3 ,caen stone or its clever
 representation in cement     serves    
well for the more formal type of mantel 
and facing  ,tile1 the last of the four 
materials1 gives more latitude in design
 than any of the others1 sometimes too  
much latitude we feel4 ,if              
understandingly used1 nothing could be  
more appropriate and attractive1 but    
tile has been used so carelessly that   
somehow we have a feeling that the tiled
 fireplace is for show rather than for  

use4 ,in any case1 there is no question 
whatever regarding the unfitness of the 
glazed tiles which have made horrors of 
thousands of pseudo fireplace openings4 
,it is only the mat-glazed or unglazed  
tiles that have any right to be used in 
such a place4  ,since this little volume
 has for its subject the fireplace      
rather than the mantel1 little need be  
said regarding the latter outward form1 
though there is no doubt that a whole   
book on the subject might profitably be 
written4 ,to touch upon the subject as  
lightly as space will permit1 we can    
probably do no better than to suggest   
the obvious type of mantel for one or   
two of the more common architectural    
styles1 and recommend that in other     
styles the architect be allowed         
sufficient latitude in design and       
expense to distinguish this important   
feature of hall1 living-room1           
dining-room or library with the         
characteristics of the style he has     
worked out for the house itself4  ,the  

modern home along ,colonial lines is    
perhaps the commonest problem1 and      
incidentally the easiest1 for the old   
models of delicately detailed           
white-painted wood mantels are so well  
known and so universally admired that   
modern reproductions along good lines   
and reasonable cost are easily obtained4
  ,for the ,english plaster or          
half-timber house the architect will    
doubtless design a special mantel1 in   
scale and in harmony with the dark      
paneling and other architectural        
woodwork1 probably with a paneled       
over-mantel if the cost is not too      
rigorously held down4  ,in a house which
 breaks away from the historic          
architectural styles1 as so many of the 
stucco buildings of the day do1 the     
mantel treatment offers particularly    
interesting possibilities4 ,frequently  
the mantel is done away with entirely   
and the chimney breast treated          
independently as a whole4  ,with the    
very informal type of summer home where 

a rough stone for facing and chimney is 
employed1 the mantel treatment can      
hardly be kept too simple and           
unobtrusive in its rugged strength4 ,a  
heavy log1 planed to a smooth top       
surface and resting on two projecting   
stone brackets1 is frequently used with 
good effect4 ,the chimney breast may be 
stepped back at the shelf height to form
 a narrow stone ledge1 or the breast    
left without any shelf4 ,many simple    
variations with the informal brick      
chimney breast will occur to everyone4  
,in general1 with these summer shacks or
 bungalows1 the fireplace is the chief  
architectural feature of the living-room
 and for that reason will stand a       
moderate amount of embellishment1 but   
this latter should take the form of a   
slightly better finish of the materials 
used throughout the room rather than the
 introduction of more elaborate and     
costly ones4      ,illustration3 ,a     
fireplace and chimney breast of field   
stone1     chosen with care and laid    

with more than average skill            
,,mending ,,poor ,,fireplaces   ,it is  
well enough to say just how a fireplace 
should be built so that it will work    
satisfactorily1 but that does not go far
 in helping the man who has a fireplace 
that will not work4 ,frequently it is   
possible without any very great expense 
and trouble to correct a fireplace that 
has been improperly built4 ,if one has  
in mind a clear comprehension of the few
 elementary principles of fireplace     
construction it will usually be an easy 
matter to determine the reason why a    
fireplace smokes or fails to draw4  ,the
 cross-section area of the flue is      
likely to prove the most common         
difficulty4 ,usually this cannot be seen
 from inside the fireplace1 because of  
the narrow throat and the smoke chamber 
which in some form may be above the     
shelf4 ,if1 therefore1 the apparent     
essentials--such as shape of opening1   
narrow throat across the whole width1   
and preferably the slanting back--have  

been followed out it would be well to   
determine the area of the flue itself4  
,to do this it will be necessary to     
reach the top of the chimney and1 by    
lowering a weight on a line1 find which 
flue leads to the fireplace in question4
 ,its area at the top will in all       
probability be its area throughout4 ,if 
the flue happens to be the only one in  
that particular chimney it may sometimes
 be determined more easily by counting  
the bricks in its two horizontal        
directions and in this way estimating   
what would probably be the inside flue4 
,this conclusion is by no means sure1   
however1 since the chimney may be built 
with eight-inch walls or it may be      
simply a four-inch wall with the flue   
lining4 ,to one with a knowledge of     
bricklaying1 however1 the way in which  
the chimney is laid up will usually     
indicate the size of the flue4  ,having 
determined the size of the fireplace    
opening and the cross-section area of   
the flue itself1 it will in many cases  

be found that the latter is too small   
for the former4 ,the easiest way to     
remedy this difficulty naturally would  
be to decrease the size of the opening  
in the face of the fireplace4 ,in order 
to check up the diagnosis1 however1 it  
would be well to fit a pair of thin     
boards to wedge fairly tightly into the 
opening at the top1 one of which boards 
could be drawn down past the other one  
so that the fireplace opening may be    
decreased anywhere from six to twelve   
inches in height--using two six-inch    
boards4 ,by testing the fireplace in    
action in this way it will be readily   
determined by what amount the opening   
must be decreased4 ,the boards then     
being removed1 a wrought-iron curtain or
 decorative projecting hood of wrought  
iron or copper may be fitted permanently
 to the front4  ,it is possible1        
however1 that the opening of the        
fireplace and the flue area are properly
 related1 in which case it may be found 
that the trouble is due to the lack of a

 narrow throat and smoke shelf4 ,this   
too could be constructed in the         
fireplace without disturbing anything   
outside1 such as the mantel or chimney  
breast1 unless the fireplace is not     
large enough to permit the addition of  
four inches of brick at the back4 ,if it
 is not1 it will be well to examine     
carefully the thickness of the wall at  
the back of the fireplace and if this is
 sufficient1 part of it could be taken  
away where the slope of the back joins  
the upright wall--about a foot above the
 hearth surface--and the sloping back   
built in from there up to form the      
throat4 ,or1 to make perfectly sure of  
the result1 the mantel itself could be  
removed--this is usually merely nailed  
to the plaster--and enough of the       
chimney breast taken down to permit the 
introduction of a cast-iron throat      
damper4                                 
,,fireplace ,,accessories   ,just as a  
turkey dinner depends largely for its   
success upon the fixin's1 so the        

fireplace is in itself incomplete       
without its andirons and tools4 ,to     
begin with the most nearly indispensable
 appurtenances1 we must name the        
andirons--or1 if the fuel is to be coal1
 then the basket grate4 ,i have wondered
 sometimes why the philosophers have not
 hit upon the andiron as a particularly 
fitting subject for pleasurable         
rumination4 ,there are so few things    
which combine to such a degree the      
purely utilitarian with the eminently   
decorative qualities4 ,most things which
 do combine the two in any real measure 
have been developed on the side of one  
at the expense of the other quality4    
,take man's dress coat1 for example1 the
 cut-away front of which1 with the two  
buttons at the back1 was designed to    
permit the gentleman to loop the skirts 
up to his waist when he mounted his     
horse4 ,or1 take the modern lighting    
fixture with its little pan still       
waiting to catch the drip of the tallow 
beneath the flame1 which has long since 

been displaced by gas tip or            
incandescent filament4 ,how few things  
there are1 after all1 which ages        
ago--probably through a long            
evolution--were designed to meet a real 
need in the best possible manner and    
which still meet that need and combine  
true beauty with their usefulness4 ,the 
wrought-iron shoe of a horse occurs to  
us1 perhaps a ship's anchor1 a          
string-bow or an axe helve4  ,some      
support is needed to raise the fuel so  
that the air may find a clear passage   
under and through it to the flames1 and 
nothing could well be devised to serve  
the purpose better than the pair of     
horizontal wrought bars1 each with its  
single rear foot and its steadying      
front1 the upper continuation of which  
serves to hold the burning logs in      
place4  ,one is not likely to go wrong  
in making a choice of andirons for any  
given type of fireplace4 ,the simply    
turned brass patterns belong so         
obviously to the ,colonial brick opening

 with its surrounding white woodwork2   
the rougher wrought-iron types are so   
evidently at home in the craftsman      
fireplace or the rough opening of       
stonework1 that misfits are hardly      
possible4  ,fortunately the old brass   
andirons of ,colonial days have proven  
themselves fitted to survive1 and many  
of them are still to be found in old    
cobwebby attics or in the more          
accessible shop of the dealer in        
antiques4 ,one of these confided to me  
his way of distinguishing the really old
 andirons from artificially aged        
reproductions3 the old ones have the    
turned brass of the front post held in  
place by a wrought-iron bar that        
attaches to the horizontal member by a  
screw thread on the bar itself2 on the  
modern examples this upright bar is     
drilled with a threaded hole into which 
an ordinary short screw engages through 
a hole in the horizontal member4        
,illustration3 ,the good old dependable 
,colonial type1 with its     simple     

brick facing framed by the delicately   
detailed white wood     mantel  ,next   
after the andirons in importance are the
 tools--the three most nearly essential 
ones being the poker1 tongs and shovel4 
,there is no need of saying that these  
should harmonize with the andirons and  
preferably be of brass if they are of   
brass2 wrought iron if the andirons are 
of wrought iron4 ,there are two ways of 
taking care of them--the ordinary method
 of using a stand which1 if the tools   
are bought together1 will probably come 
with them2 or in some of the fireplace  
types where the whole chimney breast is 
of brick1 concrete or stone1 sometimes a
 combination of three or more hooks is  
wrought in the same metal as the tools  
and fixed securely in the chimney breast
 at the side of the opening4  ,a brush  
for the hearth1 although not so         
frequently seen1 is exceedingly useful  
in sweeping back the ashes and small    
embers4 ,then there is the time-honored 
bellows1 now hardly more than an        

ornament1 for with a scientifically     
built fireplace it should never need to 
be called into action4  ,a screen of    
some sort comes nearer to being classed 
with the necessities than with the      
merely decorative accessories1 for it is
 hardly safe to leave a fire or even the
 smoldering embers without some         
protection against the damage that is so
 quickly caused by sparks4 ,the usual   
type of screen is the woven wire one in 
several forms4 ,probably the most       
convenient type is that made up of a    
number of flat sections which fold upon 
one another into a compact mass which   
will not be in the way when not in use4 
,in recent years1 however1 there is     
another sort of screen that is coming to
 be regarded with very high favor and   
that is the screen made up of glass in  
combination with other materials4 ,there
 is the simple ,french screen of glass  
panes in a gilded frame1 and there are  
wonderful possibilities for the         
employment of the craftsman's skill in  

combining with plain or lightly tinted  
glass more decorative features in the   
way of stained glass and leading or in  
the combination of glass and metals4    
,the design of a fire screen depends1 of
 course1 on the purpose it is intended  
to serve4 ,if it is desired to secure a 
screen that will cut off the heat but   
not the light of the fire1 the craftsman
 will work with larger areas of clear   
glass4 ,on the other hand1 it may be    
felt desirable to make a nearly opaque  
screen to cut off both light and heat4  
,these1 of course1 are usually small    
rectangles on some sort of a pedestal   
and are not intended to take the place  
of spark screens4  ,a wood receptacle of
 some form is a convenient accessory1 as
 one will avoid the task of carrying    
fuel up from the cellar or in from the  
woodpile whenever a fire is desired4    
,there is a broad field from which to   
choose--brass-bound boxes of many sizes 
and forms1 sturdy baskets and the metal 
wood baskets which are made for holding 

the logs themselves4 ,there are those   
who prefer not to encumber the vicinity 
of the fireplace with these rather bulky
 receptacles1 but who find it convenient
 to have a box built in near by in the  
form of a window-seat or perhaps as a   
part of built-in bookcases4 ,two or     
three houses that ,i have known had a   
very simple rough dumbwaiter running    
from the cellar up into a window-seat4  
,this could be loaded with fuel1 hoisted
 into position and locked there until   
the fuel was needed4  ,there are two    
other fireplace accessories that we must
 not overlook1 and these are the crane  
and the trivet4 ,the crane is a very    
picturesque feature in a fireplace that 
is large enough to hold it comfortably1 
but it does seem unfortunate that in a  
great many fireplaces the crane is      
dragged in with the idea of making it a 
decorative feature but without any      
expectation of putting it to practical  
use4 ,there are fireplaces--in a summer 
camp1 for example--where a crane could  

be put to good use4 ,used elsewhere it  
is too often merely an affectation4     
,the trivet is not nearly so well known 
as the crane and yet it might be put to 
use in a modern fireplace much more     
frequently4 ,in ,england it is found in 
various ingenious forms1 most of which  
show1 however1 some form of low stool   
which is stood upon the hearth1 as near 
as may be convenient to the fire1 to    
keep warm a teakettle or perhaps even a 
plate of toast4 ,there are some rather  
interesting antique brass trivets to be 
found in many of the larger antique     
shops4                                  
,,building ,,the ,,fire   ,i have no    
doubt that the majority of the readers  
who have patiently found their way thus 
far through this little book will feel  
like closing it with a sigh of          
impatience at the sight of the chapter  
heading above4 ,who doesn't know how to 
build a wood fire8 ,we might as well    
seek instruction as to the most approved
 method of striking a match6 ,but if you

 will bear with me for a moment ,i would
 say most emphatically that as a matter 
of fact very few people really do know  
how to build a fire4 ,it is easy enough 
to assemble a bunch of newspapers1      
twigs1 kindling and logs so that it is  
possible to start a fire1 but perhaps   
you have noticed that while many fires  
are kindled few burn out4 ,if you are   
seeking for the greatest amount of      
comfort and enjoyment from your wood    
fire you will secure it only by sitting 
at the feet of that greatest of all     
teachers1 experience1 or perhaps more   
quickly by experimenting a bit with one 
or two of the simple expedients which ,i
 shall try to show are based on the wood
 fire's way of working4 ,while there are
 those who would not for worlds give up 
the pleasure of tinkering with the tongs
 and poker while the fire burns1 it will
 perhaps not detract from this enjoyment
 if the tinkering is not actually the   
result of necessity to keep the logs    
burning4 ,fire-mending is a delightful  

recreation only when it is not imposed  
upon us by becoming an alternative to   
having the glowing embers become        
discouraged and give up the fight4      
,illustration3 ,there is a splendid     
opportunity for home     craftsmanship  
of a high order in making the copper    
hood for an     example of this type    
,first of all1 there is the need of     
having fuel that is really dry4 ,it is  
not essential that the woodpile be kept 
indoors1 but it should at least have    
shelter above it and on three sides4    
,the woodsheds of ,new ,england         
farmhouses offer a practical and        
efficient solution of the problem4      
,usually you will find these as an      
extension to the house1 a shed open only
 to the south1 in which the cord wood is
 piled neatly to the roof with sawn ends
 to the front4 ,two long logs are laid  
on the floor or ground1 at right angles 
to the firewood1 so as to encourage a   
circulation of air for drying4  ,in     
addition to the heavier logs which are  

cut to fit the fireplace opening1 there 
should be almost an equal quantity of   
twigs1 brush and smaller pieces1 or else
 split kindling1 to serve as starting   
fuel4  ,to lay a fire on the hearth1    
select first a heavy log which should be
 placed close against the back of the   
fire chamber on the hearth and not on   
the andirons4 ,this is the traditional  
backlog4 ,it will serve through several 
fires and is intended mainly as a       
protection of the back brickwork4 ,stand
 the andirons with their rear ends close
 up against the backlog1 and if the     
latter is of the best size its top will 
be well above the horizontal bars of the
 andirons4 ,now select a smaller        
log--preferably not a split piece--and  
lay it across the andirons4 ,if a big   
fire is desired1 keep this log--the     
forelog--well to the front1 just back of
 the andiron upright posts1 leaving     
plenty of space between backlog and     
forelog for the main body of the fire4  
,the distance between these two logs    

will govern the size of the fire4 ,in   
this space put a few crumpled sheets of 
newspaper1 some of the lighter twigs and
 small branches1 and one1 two or three  
logs or split pieces1 as may be required
 to fill the space4 ,the diagrams will  
make clearer this arrangement for a     
small fire or a large one4              
,illustration3 ,section showing the     
arrangement of andirons and     wood for
 a large fire 7at the left7 and a       
smaller one  ,as the central portion of 
the fire burns away1 keep the forelog   
pushed back against it1 unless a less   
active fire is desired4 ,it is well to  
remember that where one isolated log    
will not burn1 two close together       
probably will1 and a pyramid of three   
will do still better4  ,many fireplaces 
show a tendency to smoke only when first
 lighted2 this is probably due to a cold
 chimney1 and can usually be prevented  
or made less objectionable by burning a 
newspaper just under the throat1 thus   
starting the proper action of the up and

 down drafts4  ,if it is possible for us
 to choose between various kinds of wood
 for our open fire fuel there is opened 
up one of the most interesting phases of
 the whole subject4 ,to most people     
probably a wood fire is a wood fire1    
whether the logs be of cherry wood1     
pine1 hickory or anything else4 ,for the
 wood fire connoisseur1 if we may call  
him by that name1 there is no difficulty
 whatever in telling with a glance at   
the fire just what wood is burned4 ,the 
crackle and explosive nature of hickory1
 the hiss of pine1 the steady flame from
 cherry1 the hot and rapid              
disintegration of sycamore1 and the     
steady and thorough combustion of soft  
apple wood soon become familiar         
characteristics to those who have the   
opportunity to lay the fire in variety4 
,then there is1 of course1 the          
fascination and the weird coloring in a 
driftwood fire--most spectacular of all 
but unfortunately denied to most of us4 
,illustration3 ,a simple and exceedingly

 effective recessed     design in brick 
and rough plaster4 ,the hearth is raised
 above     the floor  ,finally1 the most
 important factor of all in the         
management of a wood fire is an ample   
bed of ashes for its foundation4 ,it is 
impossible for anyone who has not       
actually tried fires both ways to       
appreciate the immense advantage that a 
bed of wood ashes gives4 ,it            
unquestionably doubles the fire's       
efficiency in throwing heat out into the
 room1 it halves the care and attention 
needed to keep the fire burning1 and it 
increases beyond measure the beauty of a
 wood fire1 when it is nearing its end1 
by rekindling itself with the embers and
 keeping alive for a long time the      
quiet1 dull red glow4 ,stop your ears to
 the importunities of the over-zealous  
housekeeper and steel yourself against  
the pricks of the conscience of         
cleanliness4 ,if need be1 fight for the 
retention of that bed of ashes4 ,you can
 scarcely get it too large or too deep4 

,the accumulation of two years is a     
priceless treasure4 ,one of my own      
fireplaces has a bank that has to be    
depleted about twice a year to make room
 for the fire4 ,a peck or two of the    
fine white powder is then carried out to
 bring joy to the rose garden4  ,to one 
who loves a wood fire and knows its     
possibilities the mention of such a     
thing as an ash-drop is as a red flag to
 a bull4 ,peace be to the ashes of the  
man who invented this easy method of    
robbing the hearth of half its charm4   
,may he be forgiven it4                 
,,the                                   
,,house  ,,garden                       
,,making                                
,,books   ,it is the intention of the   
publishers to make this series of little
 volumes1 of which ,making a ,fireplace 
is one1 a complete library of           
authoritative and well illustrated      
handbooks dealing with the activities of
 the home-maker and amateur gardener4   
,text1 pictures and diagrams will1 in   

each respective book1 aim to make       
perfectly clear the possibility of      
having1 and the means of having1 some of
 the more important features of a modern
 country or suburban home4 ,among the   
titles already issued or planned for    
early publication are the following3    
,making a ,rose ,garden2 ,making a      
,lawn2 ,making a ,tennis ,court2 ,making
 a ,water ,garden2 ,making ,paths and   
,driveways2 ,making a ,poultry ,house2  
,making a ,garden with ,hotbed and      
,coldframe2 ,making ,built-in           
,furniture2 ,making a ,rock ,garden2    
,making a ,garden to ,bloom this ,year2 
,making a ,garden of ,perennials2       
,making the ,grounds ,attractive with   
,shrubbery2 ,making a ,bulb ,garden1    
,making a ,garage1 ,making and          
,furnishing ,outdoor ,rooms and         
,porches2 with others to be announced   
later4