Product / Published on February 9, 2022
Share to
RENAISSANCE FIREPLACES, the prestige of Quebec
With the collaboration of Dan Bonar, vice president at ICC
Since its creation in 1991, ICC (Industrial Chimney Company) has been the leader for chimneys in Quebec and Canada. Over time, the company gradually evolved into a fireplace manufacturer after falling in love with the British Columbian company RSF. Following their takeover, ICC quickly moved production to Quebec. In 2008, the company started the design and production of prestige fireplaces. We then witness the birth of Renaissance.
Dan Bonar, the current vice president, and son of one of the founders, Ray Bonar, gave us some of his valuable time to tell us more about this award-winning brand and its history.
The little story of a large fireplace
Good business opportunities often arise from the real needs of consumers. While Ray Bonar was building his property, he couldn’t find the perfect fireplace to match its luxurious decor. What he was looking for was a huge central fireplace with a sealed door that would function well within his energy-efficient home. However, at that time, no product on the market met his expectations.
Faced with this disappointment, the businessman decided, with his team, to develop a perfect fireplace for more affluent customers who wish to install a device with a sleek design, offering the possibility of choosing between the door or the screen in an integrated system, and without necessarily having high heating needs. The Rumford 1000, a large fireplace with a design described by Mr. Dan Bonar as “dynamic and innovative”, was born.
Without any surprises, as soon as it was put on the market, the Rumford 1000, the first fully prefabricated fireplace of its kind, received numerous accolades, including the first “Clean Air Awards” in history awarded to a fireplace by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and an award from the IIDEX (international design exhibition).
Luxury without complications
At the heart of a luxury property, the fireplace is a key element that greatly contributes to the rustic charm and comfort of the spaces. Huge, Renaissance fireplaces blend in perfectly with high ceilings and wider walls, thereby respecting the proportions of the open areas. Moreover, the style is not forced, the designer or the commissioned architect is free to finish the front of the fireplace as he wishes so that it matches the desired ambiance.
Before ICC getting into this market, customers who wanted to have such a fireplace installed had to hire a mason who would build the whole thing by hand. Taking longer and being more expensive, this process was not suitable for everyone. Renaissance fireplaces, on the other hand, are much lighter and can be installed anywhere, even directly on wood, without the architect having to consider the weight or the addition of a foundation. Also, it does not require any safety clearances. This way, all that remains is to fix the finishing materials, combustible or not.
With certified specialists, the installation of a Rumford takes just one day, while for a masonry’s fireplace, the construction time can exceed two months. Even as homes get more and more complex, don’t be afraid to place the fireplace where inspiration tells you. A Renaissance will perform well no matter what situation they find themselves in, and whether the chimney is short or long (12″ to over 40″). “These are huge benefits for architects,” says Bonar.
Presentation of the Renaissance fireplaces
The dual expertise of ICC put to good use
The first comment designers give us is, “If I’m going to install a wood-burning fireplace, it has to work, there has to be no smoke in the house. “[…] And that is not easy to do with an open fireplace.
Indeed, who says wood fireplace says fine particle emissions. Historically, most manufacturers and retailers of this type of apparatus claimed that it was impossible to achieve a clean open fireplace. ICC proved them just the opposite by winning a “Vesta Awards” as part of a Hearth & Home competition to build such a product.
As Bonar mentions, the company has succeeded in creating a product that features an extremely efficient combustion chamber. Indeed, the guillotine door, integrated directly into the structure, can be opened or closed as we see fit, and without affecting the performance, even if the house is completely airtight. This functionality is linked to the large (10 “- 12”) high performance chimney signed ICC.
The company realizes that the typical buyer doesn’t want their home to be filled with smoke, they want their fireplace to be easy to light and reliable. A Renaissance is a “spectacle” fireplace. It aims to produce light, warmth and a soft crackle that helps relaxation. Mr. Bonar told us about the typical use by an owner.
A typical Renaissance customer will light the fire before dinner. He will enjoy it throughout the evening, then he will close the door and go upstairs to bed. Gradually, the fireplace will go out on its own because it is not meant to heat. The fire will last for 3 to 4 hours, but while it is lit it will give all the ambiance the customer was looking for.
A modern, unique and secure fireplace
Aware of the trends and the market, the company constantly seeks to diversify its offer and listen to the demands of its customers. Today, more geometric, rectangular and linear shapes are in vogue with the predominance of the contemporary style.
Aware of the trends and the market, the company constantly seeks to diversify its offer and listen to the demands of its customers. Today, more geometric, rectangular and linear shapes are in vogue with the predominance of the contemporary style.
A Quebec ambassador
These technological and environmental advances greatly contribute to the pride of the company and to its international success. Recently, ICC completed a massive project on Fogo Island (Fogo Island Inn) in Newfoundland, one of the most high-class locations in Canada. Other major projects, such as installing Renaissance fireplaces in the world’s largest log home in Montana, are incredible accomplishments that Dan Bonar and his team could not be prouder of.
In the future, the Renaissance team would like to make an outdoor fireplace since consumers and designers are asking for it a lot, according to Dan Bonar. In the meantime, he and his team invite you to discover the other models they have developed for you on the Renaissance or Coval site, the Quebec distributor. You will find, among other things, a site for designers with the specifications of each Renaissance, videos, as well as technical drawings (AutoCAD) ready to use.
Article written by Megan Deslongchamps,
with the collaboration of Félix Gaspar (Coval) & Dan Bonar (Renaissance).
