A chimney breast is a portion of a chimney which projects forward from a wall to accommodate a fireplace.[1] Typically on the ground floor of a structure, the masonry extends upwards, containing a flue which carries smoke out of the building through a chimney stack.[2] Chimney jambs similarly project from the wall, but they do so on either side of the fireplace and serve to support the chimney breast.[3] The interior of a chimney breast is commonly filled with brickwork or concrete.[4]
The construction and appearance of a chimney breast can vary according to function and style. English and American builders more often treat the chimney breast and fireplace as distinct architectural features, whereas French buildings have gradually trended towards concealed construction.[5]
- ^ Jack Stroud Foster; Roger Greeno (2007). Structure and Fabric. Prentice Hall. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-13-197094-6.
- ^ Burkinshaw, Ralph; Parrett, Mike (2003). Diagnosing Damp. RICS Books. p. 55. ISBN 9781842190975.
- ^ Stephen Emmitt; Christopher A. Gorse; Robin Barry (2005). Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 562. ISBN 1-4051-1055-4.
- ^ Hugh Chisholm (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica (11 ed.). p. 527.
- ^ Semes, Steven W. (2004). The Architecture of the Classical Interior. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 149–152. ISBN 9780393730753.