Archive for November, 2010

King Of Prussia, PA: Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater

November 15, 2010 by , under Fire Works Masonry News.

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Our clients in King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania have worked for years to retrofit their older home into a modern, zero net energy design. The ambitious plan began with a small addition, improved insulation, and active solar photo-voltaic panels. With these stages complete, it was time to install the clean burning masonry heater into the center of the home.

The homeowner opened the family room floor and built the masonry base to support the masonry heater in the crawl-space below. Once the concrete hearth pad is complete, the masonry heater core and block shell begin simultaneously. The photo below shows the finished high temperature core surrounded by the block heater facing.

The block masonry chimney sits to the left of the Finish fireplace. The masonry chimney transitions to a double wall metal pipe to exit the house.

The block shell is completed after the core. A brick arch spans the bake-oven opening. The travertine bake-oven shelf and mantle are also installed in the block shell. The photo below shows the completed shell and heated bench.

After the heater facing is complete, the two coats of stucco are applied to the heater. Once the stucco sets overnight, the heater door hardware is installed including the loading door, the bake-oven door, ash-box door, and soot clean out doors.

The masonry heater design also includes a large wood storage box to the right of the loading doors.

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Tunkhannock, PA: Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater

November 15, 2010 by , under Fire Works Masonry News.

This old farmhouse in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania has been in our client’s family for over two hundred years. Updating the home to modern standards has been a work in progress for several years. The family improved the insulation, windows, and building envelope. They also added a small addition to fit their growing family. To update the fireplace, the family decided on an efficient masonry heater in the center of their new primary living space.

The Finnish fireplace core was faced with 4″ masonry blocks. The photo below shows the completed rough shell. The blocks will be faced with a plaster coat then the client will apply natural thin stone veneer produced by  a nearby local quarry.

Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater

The loading door for the firebox is on the main living room side of the new addition. The rear bake-oven opens into the kitchen space.

Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater, bake-oven side
Once the block shell is completed, the stucco rough coat is applied. The bluestone heater caps, mantle stones, wood-box cap, as well as the bench tops all came from stone on the farm property. The load bearing timber beam also came from the family’s old barn. The photos below show the first curing fire winding through the heater’s extensive internal heat exchange channels.
Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater
Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater
The rear white bake-oven begins to warm as the size of the curing fires increases.
Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater bake-oven
Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater bake-oven
The stucco heater is ready to warm the updated old farmhouse. When the family’s time and budget allow, they will apply the natural thin fieldstone veneer to achieve the final aesthetic look for their masonry  heater.
Tunkhannock, PA masonry heater
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Tannersville, NY: Finnish Contraflow Masonry Heater Core Installation

November 14, 2010 by , under Fire Works Masonry News.

The owners of this new timber frame home high in the Catskill mountains wanted to build a super energy efficient design to stay comfortable in the hard winters. The timber frame, structural insulated panels, and masonry heater allow them to achieve their energy goals while still building a beautiful home. Once the owner completed the timber frame, SIPs, and as well as the roof the masonry heater core is installed.
Tannersville, NY Masonry heater
The photo above shows the completed Finnish Contraflow Heat Kit core in the center of the timber frame. The base for the heated bench and the base of the masonry chimney can also be seen.
Tannersville, NY Masonry heater with bake-oven
The core is wrapped in a fiberglass blanker to provide a slip gap to the masonry heater shell. The firebrick heated bench and completed masonry chimney base are complete in the photos below. The chimney will transition to a double wall metal pipe above the block height below.
Tannersville, NY Masonry heater with bake-oven
Tannersville, NY Masonry heater with bake-oven
The masonry heater will be faced by the client with stones from their new property.

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