105 PHR: The Masonry Heater: Part III

Here comes the fun part. The core is finished and it's time to add the brick facing. We had hoped to find salvaged (vs new) bricks and Stephen found some for us in Hudson, New York. We don't know what type of building they came from, but they have lots of character.
Below, you can see the first vertical "soldier" course of bricks and the flues on the backside which will evetually be enclosed with bricks.

This is a full view from the front side:

After the courses of brick surround the firebox, a bluestone shelf is added where the heater narrows in dimension:

The cardboard acts as spacer between the facing and the core while the mortar sets. It's important that the core and facing move independently.

Steve works on a decoration with some granite cobbles we aquired.

The workbench:

Next. the chimney is built around the flues:

Here's the chimney going through the second floor.

Staging is set up on the roof where the chimney will break through:

And Steve finishes it with the chimney cap:

The facing and chimney are finished. The next step is to install the doors to the firebox and cook oven.

A bluestone hearth is added:

The heater is complete!

Stephen meets with us today to light the ceremonial first fire. Many small fires must be burned prior to a regular one. This allows the masonry to dry and cure properly.