Fireplace design Consulting
Jones Brick & Stone
Generations of Experience
Studies have revealed that your fireplace is the one element of your home that is least likely to ever change or be modified; so it is definitely best to build it right the very first time.  Benjamin Thompson was born in Woburn Massachusetts in 1753. Before
his death in 1816 at the age of 61 he will have become made Count
Rumford by the German aristocracy. He holds the distinction of
designing the world's best fireplace.
Count Rumford was an active and prolific inventor, developing
improvements for chimneys and fireplaces and inventing the double
boiler, a kitchen range, and a drip coffeepot.
Perhaps his greatest design is the Rumford fireplace. This innovation
in thermodynamics is a much more efficient way to heat a room than
earlier fireplaces, and first created a sensation in London when he
introduced the idea of restricting the chimney opening to increase the
updraught. He and his workers changed fireplaces by inserting bricks
into the hearth to make the side walls angled and added a choke to the
chimney to increase the speed of air going up the flue. It effectively
produced a streamlined air flow, so all the smoke would go up into the
chimney rather than lingering, entering the room and often choking the
residents. It also had the effect of increasing the efficiency of the
fire, and gave extra control of the rate of combustion of the fuel,
whether wood or coal. Many fashionable London houses were modified to
his instructions, and became smoke-free. Thompson became a celebrity
when news of his success became widespread.
Today nothing much has changed. The common elements of a modern day
Rumford fireplace allow the firebox to be extraordinarily shallow,
thereby bringing the majority of the fire's heat into the room rather
than allowing the btu's to escape up the chimney. Authentic Rumford's
are a true measure of a masons ability to blend the elements of earth
and fire in your home creating a truly functional art for lasting
generations. At Jones Brick & Stone we pride ourselves in building
the very best Rumford fireplaces that can possibly be built.
Hire a pro! At Jones Brick & Stone we specialize in designing and building the highest quality chimneys, fireplaces, wood burning bake ovens, and other masonry projects.
Gary Jones 603 323 7182 .
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