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Bath, Pennsylvania: Fieldstone Double Bell Masonry Stove, Energy Efficient Fireplace
May 5, 2013 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Fire Works Masonry’s latest clients are building a low energy home in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. While researching energy efficient fireplaces, they discovered the clean burning masonry stove. They contacted Fire Works Masonry for a custom, field stone faced masonry heater. The fireplace is a double bell layout, designed for great efficiency.
One of the first curing fires burns in the firebox in the photo below.
The masonry heater has a wood-box to the left of the firebox and and heated bench to the right. The optional bake-oven sits directly above the firebox.
The wood-box, heated bench, and oven shelf are all shaped from colorful slabs of Tennessee sandstone.
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Chadd’s Ford, PA: Custom Commercial 60″ Dome Brick Wood Fired Pizza Oven
February 18, 2013 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Our latest project is a hand-built, custom 60″ dome brick wood-fired oven. You can find the new restaurant, Johnny’s Wood-Oven Pizzeria, in Chadd’s Ford just outside Philadelphia, PA. The photo below shows the completed oven. The oven exterior is a tile mosaic with a brick base finished by the owner.
The oven is the focal point of the new restaurant, directly behind the bar counter. The photo below shows the view directly through the front entrance.
Once the masonry block base and concrete hearth slab are complete the oven begins. The oven floor and walls are built on top of 4″ of load bearing, commercial grade insulation. The photo below shows the firebrick floor and walls underway. The first course of the form free dome construction has begun.
The dome is built entirely of high duty firebrick. Every brick is cut to achieve tight, long lasting joints. The dome is about halfway complete in the photo below.
The arched door opening in the dome is shown below.
Once the dome is complete, 4″ of commercial ceramic wool insulation covers the oven.
The insulation is covered with a rough stucco coat. The oven is now ready for any type of final facing.
The owner, John, finished the oven in a combination of brick, tile mosaic, and stucco. He’s working the new oven in the photo below.
One of the first hot fires rolls over the dome in the photo below. Notice how clean the oven ceiling is, indicating a hot clean fire burning in the oven.
One a the oven’s first pizzas after just a few seconds in the hot oven cooks on the firebrick floor in the photo below.
In about a minute, the pizza is out and ready to eat.
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Glen Mills, PA: Stucco Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
December 15, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Our latest project is a Finnish Contraflow masonry stove in Delaware County, PA. Our clients were building a unique addition onto their existing home. The large masonry heater is both the primary heat as well as the visual focal point for the new space. The owner’s designed the heater inspired by our King of Prussia masonry heater installation. The fireplace has long sandstone heated benches, stone mantel and shelves, a white bake-oven, and a large wood-box for wood storage.
The fireplace starts with the high temperature core. The core is made entirely of firebricks bonded with high temperature mortar. The photo below shows the nearly complete core and the heated bench firebrick lining channels under construction. The combustion exhaust gases exit through the chimney to the far right of the firebox.
Once the core is completed, it is faced with masonry blocks.
After the block shell is completed, the colorful sandstone benches and accent pieces are set.
The entire heater is plastered with several coats of stucco. The first small curing fire burns in the photo below.
The photo below shows some detail of the colorful sandstone bench tops.
The heater has a large wood-box to store the week’s firewood.
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Phillipsburg, NJ: Outdoor, Wood-Fired 36″ Dome Pizza Oven
November 20, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Our latest project is a large backyard wood-fired oven. The hand-built dome oven is constructed entirely of high duty firebricks. The oven floor has a 36″ diameter, plenty of room for a large pizza party or an entire Thanksgiving meal. The photo below shows one of the first hot fires rolling over the top of the oven as it heats the firebrick dome.
The tight brickwork is built form free. The every brick is cut to ensure very tight, strong joints. High temperature refractory mortar provides the joint strength between the bricks. The high quality of the firebricks and construction method assure a very functional, long lasting oven. A well made oven lasts for generations. The photograph below shows the dome nearly halfway complete.
The high mass of the oven works great for cooking but requires a masonry foundation to carry the load. A block foundation supports this oven. The oven is insulated from the foundation by 4″ of industrial, load bearing insulation. The dome continues to roll in as the door opening begins below.
The photo below shows the completed wood-fired oven core. The door opening and chimney throat can be seen on the right hand side of the core in the photo below.
The photo below shot through the door opening shows the completed dome from inside the oven. The smooth firebrick floor is also ready to start cooking.
With the core completed, the oven facing can begin. A simple block shell will be constructed around the core. The firebrick core will also be wrapped in 4″ of industrial quality ceramic wool blanket. This helps lock in the oven’s heat for long lasting, efficient cooking.
Finally the oven is fired and the first pizza sizzles on the hot floor.
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Reading, PA: Fieldstone, Double Bell, See-Thru Masonry Stove
November 18, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
When our clients in Reading, Pennsylvania planned their energy efficient addition to their home, a masonry stove was in the center of their plans. A clean burning masonry heater replaced a drafty, traditional masonry fireplace. The masonry heater sits between the existing living room and new addition, diving the man living space. Their kids stand safely on the heated bench in the photo below as their project nears completion.
At the heart of the masonry heater is the double bell core. It stands completed in the photo below. The masonry heater has a see-thru firebox and heated benches.
The masonry heater core is faced with masonry blocks, filled solid for heat transfer and storage.
The new addition side of the fireplace has an extended heated bench, a long stone mantle and a panoramic door for viewing the fire.
The living room side of the see-thru masonry heater will also have a heated bench as well as a bake-oven above the loading door.
Once the masonry block shell is completed around the core, the natural thin veneer stone facing begins.
The Pennsylvania fieldstone facing is finished and grouted. The photo below shows the completed fireplace warming the nearly finished new addition.
The heater is complete and warming the new addition.
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Galax, VA: Brick Faced, Double Bell Masonry Heater.
July 19, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Our most recent project is a double bell masonry heater installation in scenic Galax, Va. The owners of this new project in the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains were determined to build an efficient home. They decided on a masonry heater for the heart of the design. With no local masons certified in heater building, the owners reached out to Fire Works Masonry. The picture below shows a small curing fire in the nearly complete fireplace.
The double bell masonry stove was sized and designed for the new home. The design includes a spacious firebox and a black-oven for cooking. The completed core is pictured below.
The photo below shows a view of the core during the construction process. The black bake-oven has been completed and is ready to be capped. A temporary form supports the freshly laid arch bricks over the oven door opening. The up and down-draft heat exchange channels are also visible.
The second, or double, bell is then completed above the oven.
Once the core is completed the brick facing began. The photos below show the nearly completed brickwork. A small curing fire begins to dry the new fireplace.
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Hudson, Massachusetts: Custom Commercial Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
June 3, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Fire Works Masonry working with friends at Iron Hammer Stoneworks recently completed a large, custom wood-fired commercial pizza oven in Hudson, MA. The picture below shows the completed oven firebrick core.
The oven begins with an insulated base pad, followed by the start of the firebrick core. The large oven floor measures 9ft wide by 5ft deep.
The oven floor is built using 12″x12″ firebrick tiles. The photo below shows the floor tiles cut to size before installation inside the oven core.
The base firebrick course and oven floor are completed.
The oven walls continue as the vault closes in. Temporary wood forms are inserted to support the vaulted ceiling during construction.
A stainless steel angle iron spans the wide door opening.
The vaulted ceiling approaches the closing final course.
The vaulted ceiling is completed.
The chimney transition is completed. The chimney will transition to a double wall, metal pipe chimney as it exits the restaurants ceiling.
A steel harness is constructed around the oven to resist the outward thrust of the vaulted ceiling.
Once the steel harness is completed, the wooden forms are removed from inside the oven. Below is a view into the spacious oven from the door opening.
The picture below shows the large oven floor space, shot from one end of the oven. The door opening and chimney throat can be seen on the right.
The firebrick core is tightly wrapped with 4″ of ceramic wool insulation. The insulation retains the heat of the fire within the oven core. The ceramic wool blanket is wrapped with metal lathe and then a rough coat of stucco is applied.
Below, the oven core and rough shell are ready for the final facing work.
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Marlboro, Maryland: Finnish Contraflow Masonry Stove Core Installation
June 1, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
We recently completed a Heat-Kit masonry heater core installation in eastern Maryland. Our clients wanted the clean, comfortable efficient heat of a masonry heater in their existing home’s living room. The core is a corner unit: the side heat exchange channels are at 45˚ angles to the front. The core also has a pre-cast white bake-oven. The high temperature core is completed in the photo below, ready for the final facing stone veneer.
The core construction begins in the photo below. The inner wall of the double wall firebox has just begun.
After the firebox is completed, the pre-cast white bake-oven is installed. The hot exhaust gases warm the oven chamber from all sides as they exit the fireplace.
Once the center of the core is finished, the side downdraft heat exchange channels are installed.
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Basking Ridge, NJ: Outdoor 27″x36″ Vaulted Wood-Fired Oven
May 11, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Fire Works Masonry recently completed an outdoor wood fired oven for a bread and cooking enthusiast. One of the first curing fires begins to warm the oven in the photo below.
Th oven firebrick core and insulation are faced with a combination of bluestone and limestone facing.
The wood fired oven compliments our clients new pavilion and outdoor kitchen.
The oven firebrick core has a 27″ x 36″ rectangular cooking floor. The ceiling of the oven is a vaulted arch, with a steel frame for reinforcement.
The picture below shows the firebrick floor and vaulted arch ceiling.
The oven has custom redwood doors for the lower wood storage area as well as for the oven. The upper door is insulated to lock heat into the oven after the fire is out.
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Bridgewater, NJ: Natural Thin Stone Veneer, Dry Stacked Ledgestone Entryway
April 14, 2012 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
Our clients in Bridgewater, NJ were looking to update their home’s entryway. Our friends, Petullo Brothers Builders in Somverville, NJ, installed the custom wood door. Fire Works Masonry then set the colorful natural thin stone veneer ledge-stone veneer in a dry stack style (no visible mortar between the stones).
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