Ondol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ondol | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
An Ondol, also called Gudeul, in Korean traditional architecture, is underfloor heating which utilizes direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor. In modern usage it refers to any type of underfloor heating, or a hotel or sleeping room in Korean (as opposed to Western) style.
The main components of the traditional Ondol are a firebox or stove (agungi; 아궁이) accessible from an adjoining (typically kitchen or master bedroom) room, a raised masonry floor underlain by horizontal smoke passages, and a vertical, freestanding chimney on the opposite exterior providing a draft. The heated floor is supported by stone piers or baffles to distribute the smoke, covered by stone slabs, clay and an impervious layer such as oiled paper.
 high exhaust vents jutting sideways |
 Chimney for fumes |
 Chimney |
 Exhaust vents as sideways-oriented pipes |
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Earliest Trace
The earliest trace of Ondol was found in an archaeological site in present-day North Korea. A Bronze Age archaeological find, circa BCE 1000, discovered in Unggi, Hamgyeongbuk-do, in present-day North Korea, showed a clear vestige of Gudeul(Korean: 구들) in the Excavated Dwelling (Korean:움집 Chinese:竪穴住居) unearthed at the archaeological site. [1]
[edit] Etymological Origin
The term Gudeul has been colloquially spoken for over two thousand years, while the term Ondol has shown up in modern times, around the end of 19th century.[2] According to a Korean folkloric historian Son Jintae(1900 - missing during the 1950-53 Korean War), Gudeul has been originated from guun-dol(Korean), which means heated stone, and its pronuciation has undergone some change from Gudol or Gudul to finally take the form of Gudeul. Ondol was coined in Chinese characters by modern-day writers who boasted of their knowledge of Chinese literature and culture.
[edit] Modern Evolvement
Ondol had traditionally been used as an exclusive living space for sitting, eating, sleeping and pastimes, in most Korean homes, until housing styles were westernized to enjoy modern comfort. The traditional type of Ondol was heated by mainly rice paddy straws, agricultural crop waste, biomass or any kind of dried firewood. For short-term cooking, rice paddy straws or crop waste was preferred, while long hours of cooking and floor heating needed longer-burning firewood. Unlike modern-day water heaters, the fuel burning was either sporadically or regularly done( 2 to 5 times a day), dependent on frequency of cooking and seasonal weather conditions.
With the traditional type of Ondol, floor spots closer to the furnace were normally warm enough with warmer spots reserved for elders and honored guests. The conventional Ondol had issues to be addressed, such as overheating of specific floor spots, carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from burning coal briquette, irregular distribution of heat on the floor, and environmental pollution. For these reasons most modern Korean homes started to have modern versions of Ondol floors heated by circulated hot water from water heaters, or an electrical heating system of dielectric heating or induction heating since 1960s. Currently, Ondol is exclusively used for home heating, except for some remote areas tucked away from modern housing cultures.
[edit] See also
- Korean architecture
- List of Korea-related topics
- Culture of Korea
- Hypocaust
- Kang bed-stove
- Masonry Heater
