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Question re: Fireplaces

Lounieus

Greetings,

I've got a simple question.

If a house has two stories, and there is a fireplace on the Ground Floor, will there be a chimney stack obstructing part of the second storey?

Here are some images of a house called The Breakers in the US.

This first photo shows the house's Music Room on the Ground Floor. On the far right opposite the piano is a fireplace:

Now I would expect that to have a Chimney Stack on top of it, on the upper floor.

This photo shows the Ground Floor plan of the house. On the far right, on the wall left of the Curved Wall (where the piano is), seems to be the outline of this fireplace.


Now this is the part I don't understand:

Below is the image showing the plan of the Second (bottom) and Third (top) storeys of the house.


At the far right, at the place that should be directly above the Music Room, is "Mrs. V's" Bedroom.

I don't understand why there is no "Chimney Stack" right in the middle of the entrance to this bedroom, when this entrance seems to be RIGHT ON TOP of the Fireplace below.

Could anyone explain this to me?

I live in a tropical country so I don't really have any idea about these things.

Thanks much and hoping to read your comments.

Regards,

Lounieus

 
Jun 27, 17 11:51 pm
Volunteer

The house has many more fireplaces than external chimneys so I would imagine duct work serves to combine the output of several fireplaces into one chimney. Given the height of the first floor ceiling there is certainly enough room. For what its worth Vanderbilt was terrified of fire and had the house made of steel framing with minimum use of wood.

Jun 28, 17 7:16 am  · 
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Chimney flues can be offset, and the height of that great room allows for that easily.

Jun 28, 17 8:13 am  · 
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On the fence

Yup

Jun 28, 17 9:41 am  · 
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Lounieus

Thank you for your replies!

As I understand it, it's possible that multiple fireplaces can be connected to a Roof Chimney through non-vertical "pipes" running through walls, thus negating the need to end up having chimney stacks extending to the upper floor?

Thanks again.

Jun 28, 17 10:55 am  · 
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mightyaa

What is probably going on is think of a rectangular masonry flue.  Old buildings typically used a multi-wythe load bearing wall.  So, it’s probably buried in the wall as an 8x12 clay liner (basically you just need a 18-20” wall).    

The other possibility is properly engineered drafting.  It’s a mostly lost technology.  If the designer knew what the hell he was doing, you can route the flue all sorts of direction if you have draft setup correctly.  There are examples of historic buildings elsewhere in the world where the draft is strong enough to route through the floor and scavenge the heat coming off the flue to warm rooms.  An example of this affect you could google is a rocket fireplace that drafts horizontally.   All you need is to get warm air flowing at the chimney exit to start ‘sucking’ the air through the fireplace opening.  I remember seeing Korean architecture, something Russian, Scandinavian and some Renaissance mansions that pull the smoke down (like the rocket), horizontally, then up through the chimney on the other side of the room. 

Jun 28, 17 11:44 am  · 
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SneakyPete

I once had a fun conversation with one of the technical folks at Rumford. He went on at length explaining how architects had forgotten how to design fireplaces, and the one in graphic standards was all wrong, even for a non-Rumford.

Jun 28, 17 2:42 pm  · 
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On the fence

See technical bulletin 19

Jun 28, 17 4:42 pm  · 
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On the fence

http://www.gobrick.com/Technical-Notes

Jun 28, 17 4:42 pm  · 
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To design a good fireplace you need an old mason. Unfortunately there aren't many left from the days when fireplaces were functional.

Jun 28, 17 6:07 pm  · 
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mightyaa

I designed a Rumford last summer for a gazebo type folly... even did the draft calculations and used clay flue. And the owner put a gas log kit in "for convenience" :/

Jun 28, 17 8:11 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

You live in Marin? Nice area, lousy commute, timewise.

Jun 29, 17 11:50 am  · 
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SneakyPete

I have to every month to move the car so they can "sweep the street"...

Jun 29, 17 12:15 pm  · 
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SneakyPete

I guarantee your place is bigger than mine. I don't even have a yard.

Jun 29, 17 12:36 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

A diversion I recognize, but I can't help but comment that I think we should bring back His and Her bedrooms.

Jun 28, 17 2:54 pm  · 
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mightyaa

lol.. considering my wife has marked 99% of our bathroom as "her space" and don't get me started on closet space... it isn't a bad idea.

Jun 28, 17 8:07 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

I have my own room.

Jun 29, 17 5:13 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

I wouldn't go so far as to have separate houses. Too much cleaning and maintenance. I've been having this discussion of having his and her quarters with two of my architect friends IRL and we are determined to make it popular. There is a stigma against it for stupid reasons. But all the couples I talk to about it are all for it. People have different work schedules and sleeping schedules for one. 

Jun 29, 17 11:35 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Well you are high maintenance.

Jun 29, 17 2:02 pm  · 
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Lounieus

I happen to be interested: are "marital beds" older than the "separate bedroom" idea?

Jun 29, 17 10:27 pm  · 
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mightyaa

Oh.. I do have a setup that could work.  My house has a grandmother's suite and loft area up in the master bedroom floor.  It would be fairly easy to convert and put a his (change the suite) and hers bathroom (existing masterbath) flanking either side of a large walk through closet (convert half the loft) and add the rest to the master bedroom and open the entire wall to the long balcony with a nanawall to create indoor/outdoor bedroom.  Damn you guys....  

oops this was supposed to reply to the his/hers bathroom sub-discussion..

Jun 29, 17 11:48 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Let me know if you want me to help draw plans, m'k?

Jun 29, 17 12:28 pm  · 
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