Providing outside or “make-up” air directly to a masonry heater is a modern technique to ensure that the firebox receives the air it needs for efficient combustion and does not compete with other appliances such as kitchen exhaust hoods for adequate venting. Please note that the ASTM standard does not make a mandatory requirement but […]
This article complements the Masonry Heater Foundation Details article by providing real-world process examples. All framing is placed 2″ beyond the heater footprint to meet clearance requirement. Only the subfloor bridges across that clearance (since it is a membrane that can dissipate heat and is necessary practically in construction). Although pink board was used in
The 5-Run with Oven (5RO) is a versatile, symmetric, top-venting masonry heater design. The post includes an overview of the design, drawings of possible bench additions and provides basic dimensions for planning.
“Welcome to the 21st century–what was old is new again! We wanted an environmental fireplace for our home after learning that traditional fireplaces actually consumes your home’s oxygen and heat. Investing in a masonry heater has been one of the best decisions we ever made. A warming system used in ancient Europe, has become a
“We are sooooooo happy with our stove, the way it regulates the temperature in the room all night and even the next day. So far we have only had to build one fire at night, we do get quite a bit of solar gain during the day from an attached greenhouse, the two work well
A synopsis of codes and standards for masonry heater construction, including information regarding their efficiency for home owners and building officials.
Local Willamette Valley Basalt Ledge Stone with Soapstone Slabs & Tile Idaho/Montana Ledge Stone with Blue Stone Slabs & Cap Montana Bitterroot Ledge Stone with Granite Slabs All of these projects are functional masonry heaters putting out 10-20,000 BTU/hr over 24 hours based on one or two 38 lb. firewood loads a day. Learn more
We are currently developing a modular approach to custom masonry heater design and construction where the firebox, the heat exchange design, and options like adding an oven are independent of each other so that each can be developed and documented separately and then combined for each specific project. One important aspect is that it focuses
This year’s Masonry Heater Association (MHA) Annual Meeting held in April in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, continued the tradition of bringing heater builders together from North America and around the world to share in the techniques and processes of masonry heater and wood-fired oven construction. Here are some highlights of the innovative work and great
Conceptual Plans The basic pattern of this heater is called a Contraflow which sees the combustion gases leaving the firebox and splitting into two symmetric downdraft channels before joining in a manifold in the bottom courses and making there way to the chimney. We made a custom 4″x8″ pivoting damper to allow for an operable
Here is an email that I recently received from a client that explains a situation that other new masonry heater owners may experience: Hi Max This thing happens that I want your advice on. Occasionally when we fire the stove, we get a lot of smoke in the room during the first 10-15 minutes of
Although a bit outdated, here is a comprehensive firing guide for masonry heaters put out by the Masonry Heater Association of North America:
