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.


Ei enjoys the moment (and thinks about someday having a nice cushiony rug where she's sitting):


We love our masonry heater:

The Masonry Heater: Part II

The "core" is the functional part of a masonry heater. It's made out of fire brick, and is only visible when the heater is being built. Core kits are available, but Stephen wanted to build ours from scratch. When completed, the core is faced with decorative material, which could be brick, stone, soapstone, tile, or stucco. Our facing will be brick.
Here's the start of the core construction. The open space in front is the firebox.


Openings are created for the heat to circulate around the bake oven.


Soapstone is very good at retaining and then slowly releasing heat. For that reason it makes a good material for the construction of the bake oven. Mason and Stephen placed large slabs at the bottom, sides and back of the oven.


More firebrick and heat circulation chambers are added above:


The bake oven:


Here, the core is nearly complete:


Air chambers can be seen looking from above:


Stephen and Mason place slabs of firebrick to cap the core:


The completed core:


The bricks are delivered, stacked, and ready:


Playing with decorative design ideas:


Our next post will show the brick facing.

The Masonry Heater: Part I

We've joked that our primary reason for wanting to build a house is so we could have a masonry heater in it. Masonry heaters date way back in history. They are fueled with wood, and their function is to store the heat in a thermal mass which then radiates into the house slowly and evenly. One very hot fire is built and burned at a time. No wood is added during the burn (as with wood stoves). The masonry is never too hot to touch. The size of the burn is determined by how cold it is outside and how much heat is anticipated to be needed within the next 12-24 hours. They come in many forms.

• To see a visual example of how masonry heaters basically work, visit:
  http://www.boston.com/interactive/graphics/masonry_heater/


• To learn everything about masonry heaters, visit The Masonry Heater Association of America website:
  http://mha-net.org/index.htm

After seeing some of his work, and discovering that he lives locally, we dreamed that if we were to ever build a masonry heater, we would want Stephen Bushway of Deer Hill Masonry in Plainfield to build it. Well. . . . we got lucky! We first met with Stephen last fall, and now he is building ours. It will be the primary source of heat for the house.

• To see some of Stephen Bushway's impressive work visit:
  http://www.ultimateridgehook.com/deerhill/recentprojects.html


• And here's a news article on him from The Boston Globe:
  http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2009/01/11/extra_touch_of_warmth/?page=1

Beginning a few weeks ago, Stephen and his aptly named son Mason arrived. They're ready to start. Here's Stephen unloading the first load of material:


Remember the large footing we poured in the basement last fall? Here, the cinder block foundation is being assembled upon it. The block foundation will support the heater:


Mason mixes one of many batches of mortar:


The basement level is about done. One of the two flues is for a wood stove in the basement. We decided to install the wood stove for transitional (spring, fall) weather, when only a small amount of heat is needed, and for supplemental winter heat in the basement.


Now it's up to the first floor. Mason and Stephen discuss details:


Insulation and concrete cap the base. This keeps the heat upstairs, and provides a solid base for the heater.


The bricks start to arrive and are stacked around the room. This carrying tool looks like it has seen many a load of bricks.


More equipment also arrives. This is a diamond blade wet saw used for cutting the brick:


In the next post, We'll see the core assembly.