07/09/2019
Last winter Jay was asked to do a "masonry heater" or "masonry stove" in a home that was being constructed locally. A masonry heater is in essence a high-efficiency wood burning stove that's made from brick. Masonry heaters are efficient because they control the burn through a series of doors and dampers, and also because they capture so much more heat from the fire than standard fireplaces and stoves. Plus masonry heaters have so much mass the indoor temperatures remain relatively constant from the radiant heat they produce.
The chamber for burning wood can be seen at the lower left in these images. On the backside of the masonry heater (not pictured) there is an oven chamber for baking from the heat of the fire. The homeowner gathered up native stone, recycled brick, and salvaged blocks to create this one-of-a-kind fixture. We can't wait until the house is finished so we can sit around the fire and eat some homemade pizza!
