Traditional Korean Architecture
History underfloor heating begins with pre-Christian times. One of the first heated floors were used by ancient Romans. In the fourth – fifth centuries BC, the heating system with underfloor heating has been widely distributed on the Korean peninsula, where it was called 'ondol'. Ondol, literally translated, means "warm stone." Ondol consists of three elements: fire, which was also used for cooking, horizontal channels in the floor and vertical flues to provide traction. Warm air from the fire passed through the winding channels in the floor, giving its heat, and exits through the exhaust pipe. For efficient operation of the system, it is necessary was to find a middle ground between the two conflicting conditions. On the one hand, the horizontal channels in the floor must have been tortuous and not very wide, so that warm air does not go outside, and gave his heat in the room.
On the other hand, to ensure good fuel combustion, the warm air was necessary as soon as possible outputs. Save data about the unique ancient ondol room, heating system which it was incredibly effective. One of kindling the fire was sufficient to maintain a comfortable floor temperature for 45 days. Unfortunately, in the early 1950's, during the Korean War, the room was completely destroyed. In 1982, room has been restored and is now very popular among tourists. After a single kindling fire, the floor remains warm for ten days in spring and spent three days in the winter. Traditional ondol rooms north part of the Korean peninsula different from those that were found south of the country. In the north, the kitchen and living room were not separated wall, and heat is supplied and from the floor and directly from the fireplace, making the heating system more effective.
In the south, kitchen and living room walls were divided so that the smoke from the fire did not get into the living room. Floor in a room heated by ondol, heated unevenly. The larger the path passed the air, the less warm became the floor. Respected people, the elderly, the guests are usually seated in the warmer areas of sex, which was considered a manifestation of respect. Nowadays, the traditional heating system ondol is extremely rare. Instead, we use modern technology – water and electric underfloor heating
Comments Off on Traditional Korean Architecture