[Greenbuilding] HELP: need opinions on Rumford fireplaces

[Jeannie]

I grew up in a turn-of-the-century house with a central fire place.  The
house actually had 5 fireplaces originally (counting the upstairs/downstairs
connected fireplaces as two) so I guess that does not speak well for their
efficiency!  Only one of the fireplaces is in the middle of the house (and
indeed in the middle of an open area, forming the boundary between living
and dining room), and it seems to do a very good job heating that wing of
the home.  It is a brick fireplace, and continues to give off heat long
after the fire burns out.  

The SafeCrete blocks we manufacture are often used for Rumford style
fireplaces.  (In fact www.rumford.com gives us a link.)  SafeCrete blocks
are lightweight, highly insulating, and offer excellent fire resistance.
They are also very workable, in case you want to carve, sand, rasp, etc. for
a very custom look.  Here's a link to a photo of one such fireplace,
constructed with SafeCrete blocks but finished to look like Italian marble:

http://www.safecrete.com/30.htm

The one above is probably designed for aesthetics rather than maximum
efficiency, but there's no reason you cannot have both.  

Please note that if you use SafeCrete blocks to construct a fireplace, it is
still necessary to line the actual firebox with some other material.
SafeCrete takes the heat, but it is a soft material (until plastered) and
will demonstrate flame erosion after a time.  You can also use the SafeCrete
blocks for the chimney.  With the highest fire rating of any material on the
market, SafeCrete chimneys help to prevent roof and attic fires.

Sincerely,

Jeannie Babb Taylor
www.SafeCrete.com
706-965-4587