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 […]
Masonry Heater Foundation Construction Sequence Read More »
This post hosts PDFs of a full design overview of the 5-Run with Oven as well as step-by-step installation instructions.
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5-Run with Oven (5RO) Design Read More »
“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
Beautiful Sculptural Custom Masonry Heater Read More »
“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
The River Rock Masonry Heater Read More »
A synopsis of codes and standards for masonry heater construction, including information regarding their efficiency for home owners and building officials.
Codes & Standards for Masonry Heater Construction Read More »
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
Stone-Faced Masonry Heaters Read 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
Custom Masonry Heater Design System Read More »
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
MHA 2023 Annual Meeting Workshops Read More »
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
Compact Contraflow Masonry Heater Read More »
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
Troubleshooting a Smokey Masonry Heater Read More »
Although a bit outdated, here is a comprehensive firing guide for masonry heaters put out by the Masonry Heater Association of North America:
Masonry Heater Firing Instructions Read More »
The impetus of this project is to create a single unit that combines a functional cookstove with immediate heat production with an efficient firebox for prolonged masonry heat storage. We will draw from medium-sized “batch-box†development and use bypass dampers as switches to significantly alter the flow through the heater depending on the output desired. An important part of the project will be to experiment with an open-source flow for project development. This project is being developed in the context of a hands-on workshop that will be realized at the Masonry Heater Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting.
Cookstove + Masonry Heater Hybrid Read More »
