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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.
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Carlisle, PA: Natural Thin Stone Veneer Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
July 4, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owners of this new home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania have dreamed and planned for years about building a net zero energy home. The design includes structural insulated panels for very high “R” value walls and ceilings, passive solar home alignment and window design, an active solar system on the roof to generate electricity, geothermal heat exchangers to lower the heating/cooling load on the active system, and a clean burning masonry heater as the warm centerpiece of their home.
The masonry heater thin stone veneer is nearly complete in the photo below.
The passionate homeowners has a detailed blog of the home’s design and construction: http://carlislegreenbuild.blogspot.com.
The masonry heater is located in the main living area for the new home. The heater also acts as a room divider, separating the family room and the master bedroom.
The heater construction starts with the high temperature core, pictured below. This heater is a Finnish contraflow design. The heater will have two down draft channels on either side of the core as well as a long heated bench wrapping around the front of the core. The exhaust gases will exit into a masonry chimney to the left of the core.
The rear wall of the masonry heater core will warm the master bedroom, pictured below.
After the completion of the high temperature core and heated bench, the masonry facing begins. This heater’s shell consists of bricks and 4″ blocks. The block shell will provide the thermal storage for the fire’s energy and act as the structural base for a natural thin stone veneer application. The shell and chimney are nearly completed in the photo below. The brick facing for the long heated bench is just getting started.
Below is a view of the nearly completed shell from the open walkway above on the second floor.
The rear wall of the heater warms the master bedroom. Below we see the completed heater shell from the bedroom doorway.
Once the masonry shell is completed, a scratch coat of plaster provides the base for the natural thin stone veneer facing.
Viewed from the second floor catwalk, the thin stone veneer is nearly complete. The limestone bench and capping stones are in place.
Check back for more photos and updates as this job continues.
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Allentown, PA: Fieldstone Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
July 4, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owners of this new home in Allentown, PA designed the house to accommodate their growing family, reduce their energy bills, as well as include a fireplace as the centerpiece of the main living area. After researching clean burning, efficient fireplaces they decided on a masonry heater.
This masonry heater is an an ideal place: roughly centered in the home, dividing the kitchen and main living area. The kitchen side is faced in brick while the living room is faced with natural, local fieldstone. The kitchen will have access to the rear white bake-oven. the living room side will have a long heated bench and a convenient large wood storage area.
Viewed from the balcony above the living room, the masonry heater’s design includes brick for the bench and heater cap, granite for the mantle and wood box cap, and local Pennsylvania fieldstone for the facing material. About a quarter of the stones used were from the property’s excavation. The chimney will transition to a metal pipe above the masonry, carrying the fireplace exhaust gases safely through the home.
The masonry heater’s white bake-oven is opposite the firebox, centered in the kitchen.
All masonry heaters start with the high temperature core. This Finnish contraflow design uses a Heat Kit core. The core below is wrapped in a fiberglass blanket. The blanket acts to provide a paper thin slip gap between the hot core and the heater’s stone facing. The firebrick heated bench and block chimney base are also completed, awaiting the 4-5″ thick stone veneer application.
Once the core is completed, the brick facing in the kitchen is completed.
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Old Bridge, NJ: Double Bell Masonry Heater Core, Natural Thin Stone Veneer
March 21, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owners of this home have been remodeling and updating for several years. After a storm badly damaged the existing masonry chimney, they decided to update and improve the fireplace as well. After researching efficient fireplaces they settled on a clean burning masonry heater. The existing fireplace was in an ideal spot for the family to enjoy the masonry heater, dividing the kitchen and living room.
The existing kitchen’s cabinet layout as well as the limited footprint size restricted the masonry stove’s layout. The unique double bell heater core was designed by Alex Chernov of Stove Master.
Once the existing traditional masonry fireplace was demolished to its foundation, the high temperature masonry heater core is started. Below is a photo of the base courses from above. The firebox base supports are to the left, divided by the ash dump channel. To the right of the photo are the heat exchange channels. The top channel is the downdraft transitioning into the smaller updraft channel below.
The core continues. Above the firebox, the black bake-oven starts. Below is a photo if the bake-oven floor. The throat from the firebox is open on the left. The exit from black back oven starts on the center of the photo. The hot gases travel from the firebox throat, heating the black oven and enter the downdraft channel.
The black bake-oven and downdraft channeled are capped with high temperature firebrick tiles. The wooden template supports the arch for the side bake-oven door.
The heater will also be rough faced with a firebrick outer shell. The start of the firebrick facing can be seen below. The completed firebrick masonry shell will be faced with natural thin veneer facing stone.
Once the firebrick shell is completed, the natural thin stone veneer gets underway.
The thin stone veneer continues to the ceiling, arching over the side bake-oven door.
Once the stone is completed, the loading, bake-oven, ash box, and clean out doors are installed. The bench is ready for the marble capping stone.
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Perkiomenville, PA Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater: Heat Kit Core, Heated Bench, and Chimney Installation
February 21, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owner of this new home in Montgomery County, PA is realizing a life long dream: designing and building a low energy home. The design includes a geothermal system, passive solar heating, high R value insulation, a trombe wall, and a clean burning masonry heater.
The owner placed the heater in the best location possible, roughly centered in the home’s floor plan. He also took advantage of the heater’s thermal mass in the passive solar design. The home and heater are positioned for maximum solar gain during the winter months. The sun’s path tracks over the living room and heater almost the entire day. The masonry heater’s completed Heat Kit core is catching the late afternoon sun in the photo below.
The space above the heater opens to the second floor bedrooms. A photo of the heater’s core. firebrick chimney liner, and heated benches seen from the upstairs catwalk.
The completed brick heater will have a heated bench in front and a heated wood box to the right side of the loading doors. The firebrick liner for the heated woodbox is pictured below. The Heat Kit core is wrapped in a fiberglass blanket to allow for thermal expansion.
Below is a photo of the heater’s chimney liner, built with firebricks. The chimney liner, and entire heater, will be wrapped with a brick facing.
The firebrick lining the bench and chimney will add to the thermal mass of the system and increase the heat transfer form the hot exhaust gases. The opening for the simple slide chimney damper can be seen near the top of the firebrick chimney liner in the photo below.
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West Chester, PA: Fieldstone Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
January 30, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
This project is a large stone masonry heater in a West Chester, PA home. The family’s old natural gas boiler was due for an expensive repair and servicing or complete replacement. The family decided to go for clean burning masonry heater instead for the home’s primary heat source.
After several design consultations the location and layout of the heater and chimney are determined. The first design was for a basic stone heater with a short bench.
After some deliberation, the family opted for a large stone heater with long bench runs. This heater would aesthetically and functionally better suit the space available.
The heater layout is finalized in the space. The heater’s rear wall will replace a load bearing beam so special design attention is placed on structural considerations as well as meeting or exceeding building codes.
The job begins with some demolition. A non-load bearing framed wall and flooring are removed to prepare for the heater installation.
A load bearing, steel reinforced concrete pad is tied into the existing concrete floor. This will be the base for the new heater construction. The heater starts with a load bearing block wall behind the heater. This will serve as the rear wall of the heater as well as support the floor above.
The heater’s core begins next. The construction goes quickly with the use of a Heat Kit core.
The core is completed as well as the base of the chimney up to the chimney shut-off damper. The chimney is lined with firebrick splits.
Next the internal masonry for the long heated benches are constructed. The benches are built using 8×12″ clay flue tile liners as well as firebrick channels for the more intricate bench turns. The multiple ash clean-out doors are visible.
With the core and heat exchange channels completed, the stone veneer starts.
The pictures below show the completed side stone panel as well as the bake-oven arch and large bluestone door lintel.
The heated benches are faced and capped in stone.
The heater doors are mounted to the stonework.
The colorful completed stone chimney.
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Valley Forge, PA Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater: Heat Kit Core, Chimney & Bench Installation
January 27, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
The owners of this great room addition designed the new space with energy efficiency in mind. This includes high R value wall insulation and windows, maximizing the solar gain from the southern windows and a clean burning masonry heater fireplace.
The client’s researched wood burning fireplaces online and decided to build a masonry heater. For the core, they were impressed by Masonry Stove Builders’ Heat Kit contraflow core.
From the loft, the high temperature concrete capping slabs are visible as well the masonry chimney to the rear. This is a “corner” unit with 45 degree downdraft channels on either side of the loading doors. The clay flue liners in front will be a warming bench. The rectangular holes in the flue tiles are “clean outs” providing seasonal access to clean fly ash out of the heater channels. the masonry chimney is visible behind the heater core.
The flue tiles provide additional heat transfer from the fire’s hot exhaust gases to the masonry stone veneer. The block chimney is located behind the heater. The masonry chimney will transition to a class “A”, double wall metal pipe above the top of the heater.
The Heat Kit’s white bake-oven is located directly above the firebox loading doors. The oven is warmed as the hot combustion gases pass over and under the pre-fabricated oven floor and arched top.
The heater will be faced with 4-6″ native Pennsylvania ledgerock.
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Pipersville, PA: Natural Fieldstone Retaining Wall
January 6, 2010 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
This long, decorative natural fieldstone retaining wall surrounds the large greenhouse above. The wall replicates the many fieldstone walls on the property, some dating back to the 1700’s.
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Florham Park, New Jersey: Fieldstone Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater
December 19, 2009 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
For the client’s desired aesthetics, the heater was built on a 45′ angle to the living room and kitchen. The corner of the heater dividing the two rooms is pictured below.
The far opposite end of the heater radiates into the bedroom and bathroom at the end of the hall. Below is the view of the heater’s stonework from the rooms.
Below is a photo of the start of the Pennsylvania fieldstone facing. The 5″ thick stone facing will absorb and store the fire’s energy for up to 24 hours.
The heater is in an ideal location for any home: dividing the kitchen and main living space. The firebox and viewing doors will warm the living room while the bake-oven will open to the rear into the kitchen, next to the heated bluestone countertop.
Below is the far end of the heater stone work proceeding to the ceiling.
The heater starts with the high temperature core built on a masonry foundation. The core is hand-built from firebricks. Below we see the firebox side of the heater core. The masonry chimney venting the heater exhaust gases stands to the left of the core.
- The rear side of the core opens into the kitchen. The rectangular opening on the back of the core is the white bake-oven for cooking.
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Florham Park, New Jersey: Exterior Natural Fieldstone Home Veneer
December 15, 2009 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.
View of the client’s home after a major home renovation. The natural fieldstone stone veneer wraps around the porch providing a focal point for the home’s new look. The new stone chimney is also visible. The chimney vents the new masonry heater warming the home.
The porch top is Pennsylvania bluestone in a random pattern.
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