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A smoke canopy is a device hung over a fire to gather the smoke and vent it through a wall or roof.
Hanging Chimneys and Smoke Canopies
Residential heating appliances
A smoke canopy is a device hung over a fire to gather the smoke and vent it through a wall or roof.
Fireplace
A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design.
...
s were not used during much of the Middle Ages, because there were no chimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
s, which were not invented and popularized until the 12th century. Most fires for heating were placed on hearths in the middles of rooms, and the smoke was allowed to rise to vents in the roof or high in walls. Smoke canopies provided an alternative, gathering the smoke above a fire and venting, usually through a wall clearing the living area from harmful chemicals.
Most of the pictures we have of medieval smoke canopies show them being used in kitchens. They usually appeared over hearths that were placed against stone walls. Some were over freestanding hearths, but this required special venting of the smoke.
Fire canopies are used to this day, especially in summer houses and mountain lodges as an alternative to expensive fireplaces.
See also
*SeeExhaust hood
A kitchen hood, exhaust hood, extractor hood, or range hood is a device containing a mechanical fan that hangs above the stove or cooktop in the kitchen. It removes airborne grease, combustion products, fumes, smoke, heat, and steam from the ai ...
for modern stove hoods
References
{{reflistHanging Chimneys and Smoke Canopies
Residential heating appliances