Blog Entry
Pottsville, PA: See-Thru Brick Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
July 25, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owners of this new home discovered the warmth and beauty of a masonry heater while visiting a completed project of their prospective timber framer, Aaron King. They visited Fire Works Masonry’s clients near Kutztown, PA. The new owners wanted a fireplace in their home design and were excited by the prospect of installing a clean burning and efficient masonry heater.
The combination of the open floor-plan and superior insulating properties of the structurally insulated panels (SIPs) wall elements creates an ideal match for the slow and steady energy output of a masonry heater. The open floor plan is ready for the start of the Heat Kit masonry heater core in the photo below. The concrete pad provides the structural support for the heater and chimney.
The clients desired a simple, rustic brick fireplace and chimney. The bake-oven side of the heater splits the dining room and kitchen.
On the opposite side of the masonry heater is the living room. The heater is see-thru, with large clear loading doors on either side of the firebox. The fireplace is capped with local Pennsylvania bluestone.
The large open peak of the timber frame highlights the clean run of the brick chimney.
A small curing fire burns down in the firebox, viewed from the kitchen.