Chimneys & Fireplaces

Daniels, Ara Marcus, 1884-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 57K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Chimneys & Fireplaces by Ara Marcus DanielsAuthor: Daniels, Ara Marcus, 1884-,Language: English, Class: TH: Technology: Building construction, Release Date: Feb 25, 2015

Editor's review

This book is an early twentieth-century practical manual on the construction of chimneys and fireplaces. The author, Ara Marcus Daniels, explains flue principles, structural design, and masonry techniques systematically from an engineering perspective. As a free Project Gutenberg e-book, it preserves the original appearance of early technical literature on building, and has reference value for studying the evolution of residential heating facilities. Although the discussion is based on the materials and craft of its time, its basic principles concerning airflow, flue cross-sections, and combustion efficiency remain instructive. It is suitable as auxiliary reading for architectural history, vernacular dwelling research, or old-house restoration, and also for readers interested in traditional masonry who wish to browse at leisure. It is advisable to read it in comparison with modern building codes, noting that the specific dimensions and material practices in the book are no longer fully applicable to current construction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Architectural historians and vernacular dwelling researchers needing to understand early fireplace and chimney construction
Old-house restoration practitioners seeking to supplement knowledge of traditional masonry and flue design
Amateur readers interested in traditional building crafts, suitable for introductory browsing
Learners with adequate English reading ability accustomed to consulting public-domain technical literature

Not a good fit for

Engineers needing current construction codes or modern heating system design guidance
Hands-on readers expecting abundant illustrations and step-by-step diagrams
Ordinary readers who find English difficult and only want quick conclusions

Reading tips

First read the table of contents to locate the chapters on flue principles and chimney design, then consult specific construction sections as needed
While reading, compare with modern building ventilation and fire-safety codes and mark practices that are now outdated
Read alongside architectural history or vernacular dwelling research materials to understand the technical background
Masonry details need not be read word by word; focus on grasping the basic relationship between airflow and cross-section

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this book's content still be used directly for construction today?

Direct copying is not recommended. The book reflects early twentieth-century materials and craft, and its specific dimensions, masonry practices, and fire-safety requirements differ considerably from current codes. Its value lies in understanding the basic principles of flue design and combustion; construction should still follow local current building codes and professional design.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is a technical text in English with somewhat old-fashioned but generally plain sentence structures. General English reading ability suffices to grasp the main idea, and a dictionary can help with technical terms. If you only want the framework, read the table of contents and the opening paragraphs of chapters first, then decide which parts to read closely.

Does the book contain illustrations or drawings?

The available information does not confirm whether illustrations are included. As an early technical manual, such books often contain schematic diagrams, but whether the electronic edition preserves them completely must be checked by the reader; it should not be assumed in advance that the figures are complete.

Comments

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About the author

Daniels, Ara Marcus, 1884- Author · 1884

Ara Marcus Daniels (born 1884) is an author whose dates and nationality are not clearly recorded, and the publicly available information about him is very limited. Only one work by him is known, Chimneys & Fireplaces. Judging from its title, the book belongs to the literature on building construction or home building, discussing practical matters such as the construction, masonry and use of chimneys and fireplaces, and may have been intended for builders, house designers or general household readers. Works of this kind usually emphasize practical instructions and the summary of experience rather than theoretical exposition. Because biographical material is lacking, his life, education and full body of writing cannot be reliably established; for now only this single work offers a glimpse of his area of interest, and further information remains to be verified.