Journal - Patterns for Fire

This is the best place to keep up on our work. our blog includes the latest information from the Firespeaking team and is the best way to stay in touch. You’ll find an in-depth look into our work with masonry heaters and wood-fired ovens. Make sure also to join our mailing list to stay updated.

Beautiful Sculptural Custom Masonry Heater

August 19, 2025 / Leave a Comment / By Max

“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 […]

The River Rock Masonry Heater

July 17, 2025 / Leave a Comment / By Max

“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

Now selling Pisla hardware!

July 3, 2025 / Leave a Comment / By Max

In line with our continued commitment to providing masonry heater builders with all of the necessary specialty items they need to execute their projects with ease, we have begun importing hardware from the Finnish manufacturer Pisla. Pisla is a global leader in masonry heater and oven hardware. The company’s designs are technical, functional and beautiful.

Now selling Pisla hardware! Read More »

Codes & Standards for Masonry Heater Construction

January 28, 2025 / 2 Comments / By Max

A synopsis of codes and standards for masonry heater construction, including information regarding their efficiency for home owners and building officials.

Stone-Faced Masonry Heaters

December 19, 2024 / 3 Comments / By Max

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 »

Custom Masonry Heater Design System

August 23, 2024 / 3 Comments / By Max

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

Philip Godfrey’s 5-Run Masonry Heater

December 11, 2023 / 3 Comments / By Max

In the summer of 2023, we provided Philip Godfrey of Quebec, Canada with design services and hardware for the masonry heater he was planning to build. Philip was a DIY homeowner who had done a lot of research on masonry heaters and brought a wealth of industrial design and manufacturing experience to his project. He

MHA 2023 Annual Meeting Workshops

September 28, 2023 / By Max

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

Compact Contraflow Masonry Heater

February 23, 2023 / By Max

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

Cooking in the Bali Wood-Fired Oven

January 16, 2023 / 3 Comments / By Eva

We love cooking all kinds of dishes in wood-fired ovens! Along with making some of the best pizza and bread; cooks can also roast meats and vegetables, make hearty stocks, delicious pots of beans, your family’s favorite pies, grill, sauté, dehydrate and so much more. Here are some photos and videos of a recent trip back to Bali to cook in a wood-fired oven which we built in 2012.

Cook in Your Fireplace!

November 4, 2022 / By Max

Ever looked at the fireplace in your house and wondered what useful function it serves anymore? Why not cook with it! Especially in the shoulder seasons when it’s not quite warm enough to BBQ outside, cooking in your fireplace is a wonderful way to increase the fun and coziness factor while getting dinner on the table! Cooking with fire is definitely an art, and one that is mostly learned through experience. So let’s get started!

Cook in Your Fireplace! Read More »

Masonry Heater Hardware Development

March 30, 2022 / By Max

We have put a lot of effort into developing additional hardware to complete our catalog of hardware for masonry heaters. Since we have been custom masonry heater builders for almost 20 years, we know how helpful it is to be able to count on all the hardware you need for a project.

Journal – Patterns for Fire