It's Been Quite a Year!

It's been quite a while since my last post.  I have been utterly swamped with work for over a year and it's been very difficult getting anything else done - including updating my blog!

Anyhow, as follow up to the last post from last year, here are some photos of the completed soapstone/sandstone project:

A New Maonry Heater Starts Here

As built.

Original AutoCad Rendering

In my January 11, 2011 post I show photos of a recent project.  As I pointed out both in my book and in my blogs, projects like this are one-of-a-kind.  No one else on Earth has built this heater before.  There is no pre-made, pre-designed, pre-engineered kit for making this masonry heater.  Every aspect, right down to the size and configuration of the firebox as well as the spacing and size of the shelving are completely unique to this project.  You won't find this heater in some manufacturer's catalog and, chances are, this heater will never be built again.

When someone comes to me and wants a custom masonry heater, I don't just look for a different way to wrap a factory-made inner heater core (called the "inner life" in my book, Masonry Heaters: Designing, Building and Living with a Piece of the Sun) with a new combination of masonry materials.  Rather, I try to discover what it is the person really wants.  Do they want something unique, interesting, unusual?  Do they want or need something short? Tall?  Skinny? Broad?  Do they like modern or minimalist design?  Do they like rounded shapes or boxy shapes. Do they want something that looks soft and organic or hard and crisp? More importantly to me as the "salesman" of a masonry heater, do they understand that the masonry heater will become THE PLACE that they will want to be in their house during the winter?  Therefore, do they want seating areas?  If so, how much?  It is from gleaning information like this that arises designs for a truly custom masonry heater.

The next step is to translate the apparent desires of the owner-to-be into a design.  But how can the new owner know if he likes the design if he or she cannot properly visualize it?  Now, I have seen some designers, who are more artistic than myself, do pencil sketches of masonry heaters for their customers.  In mere moments they can draw a representation of what they have in mind for the masonry heater.  This enthralls and fascinates me.  I can do drawings and sketches by hand, but they never seem to reach the level of artistic expression some of these designers can attain.  But I have found a different way.

When I do a design project, I begin by drawing the concept using AutoCad professional computer design software.  This is the same software used by engineers at Fortune 500 companies to design and detail everything from soda bottles to the volume control knob on the radio of  an automobile.  It is also used by architects for designing homes and skyscrapers.  It's used by civil engineers to design bridges and roadways.  I use it to design both the inner life and the exterior appearance of masonry heaters.

As built

Original AutoCad Rendering

Using AutoCad, I first design the "container" - the outer, visible appearance of the masonry heater - in an attempt to capture what my customer wants.  Sometimes I get it largely right the first time.  Sometimes I have to try many different styles before I strike a chord with the owner-to-be.  In order for a decision to be made, my drawings must realistically portray what I intend to build.  The more realistic I can make it look, the better the customer understands what to expect.

The Illinois project described below is such an example and within this text are two preliminary views of how this heater was designed.  I think you can see from the pictures that the preliminary drawings well portrayed the way the heater would look.  We did make some subtle changes from these renderings as the project moved toward actuality, but the flavor and scope of the design stayed very true to these original AutoCad renderings.  This is the start of a custom masonry heater.

Current Projects/Better Photos

As noted in my post below, better pictures were in order.  My client thankfully has a better camera than I and graciously provided these shots - and with a fire burning no less!  As you can see, this heater is unique from all perspectives.  The upper photo shows a chaise lounge styled sitting area, two different shelving units and decorative soapstone pieces.  There is no shortage of warm places to sit on this one-of-a-kind masonry heater.

Current Projects

In my book, Masonry Heaters: Designing, Building, and Living with a Piece of the Sun,  I sought to explain that a masonry heater is the most versatile wood burning appliance ever imagined.  While wholly maintaining high heating efficiency, it need not be any particular shape or size.  In short, it can be virtually anything the homeowner wants it to be.

My latest project is a good example of this principle.  The above picture is of a project in Illinois after its first coat of stucco.  While some people think a masonry heater is represented by a large box (see article from October 2011 below), projects like this one reveal that a masonry heater is not something so easily defined - or confined.

The owners of this heater formerly had a wall separating their kitchen (seen beyond the heater) from the living room (from whence this photo was taken).  They wanted a masonry heater, but they wanted a relatively unobstructed view from one room to the next.  My solution for them, depicted here, is a masonry heater that is never taller than about 4' - 6" anywhere in the line of site between these two rooms.  It is true that there are "standard" masonry heaters (you know, the rectangular box style?) that are short - even as short as this.  But this couple wanted a heater that has the potential to heat their whole home - about 2500 square feet.

This heater is designed primarily as a 7 kilowatt (approx. 22,000 BTU) heater, but has the potential to output more than 30,000 BTUs - which is the maximum heating demand of this house according to conventional HVAC principles.  As I discuss in my book, heating with radiant heat actually requires less BTUs for the same comfort level.)

The far left, tall element acts as a wall defining a hallway separating the living room from a library and leading to the more distant bedrooms of the the house.  This taller element has wood storage here on the living room side that is about 20" deep.  The rest of that construction contains flues and will be a heating element of this stove. The middle section is all seating - roughly 5 feet of it - with heated seat backs.  Next is the firebox followed by, at far right, a wood storage area..  The opposite side is completely different from this side but has additional heated seating, shelving, and a tall, narrow viewing window into the firebox.  I'll post a photo that later.

I admit that the photo is of relatively poor quality, but I wanted to get this posted as an example of what is being done right now here in the United States.  Masonry heaters: Get what you really want and be warm!

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The Incredible Masonry Heater

A lot of people who have discovered masonry heaters first discovered them as a box, like the heater at left. What I mean is that, chances are, they read about them somewhere (other than my book) and the accompanying photo or drawing was of a big, rectangular box. I call it the refrigerator. I find it disappointing that most people's first exposure to these amazing appliances leads them to believe that, if they want a masonry heater, they need to find somewhere in their home to fit in a big, clunky box.

Now, don't misunderstand.  I built that box that you see here.  And it works just great thank you very much.  And for all of you who love red brick and rectilinear shapes, I'm sure you find this very attractive.  But I still think that this rectangular red brick box should not be the way people are introduced to masonry heaters.

The picture below proves that it is not the case at all that you have to have a box to have a masonry heater.  This wonderful sample (and you can find even more such samples at http://www.kachelofen-stoisser.at/kacheloefen.php where this photo was pulled) of how masonry heaters become artwork, fun, and a centerpiece while also being the true heart of the home. Here, free-formed plaster tree branches meld with the heater in every direction and colorful, handmade tiles create visual interest without destroying the soft lines of the rounded surfaces of the masonry heater. Most of us, when we think of tiles, think of square, uniform, flat surfaces. A handcrafted masonry heater like this proves that everything is not always what we expect.

Masonry heaters do not need to be big boxes. They don't need to be intrusive behemoths in the living space. Quite the contrary, they should be a magnet for people. Think about your own human body. Can you point to any distinct, sharply defined rectangles or squares on the surface of your body? Obviously not. The whole human form is a continuum of rounded soft forms. But more importantly, in addition to its soft roundness, the living human form is warm. Most people eventually find a mate who is attractive to them. What is attractive about one's mate is both their form (physical) and their warmth (physical, emotional, and intellectual). Masonry heaters, too, can (and should) hold that attraction. Someone who wants a masonry heater should choose the form most appealing to them. If you are attracted to big boxes made of bricks, then certainly that is what you should get. But if gentle curves and organic shapes are more appealing to you, you're in luck because masonry heaters can be that, too!

As I explain in Masonry Heaters: Designing, Building and Living with a Piece of the Sun, a masonry heater can be almost any shape. I start with a container that is appealing to the owner-to-be. Then my job is to fill the container with the parts that will turn that appealing form into a living, breathing and warm masonry heater. There is nothing else like it in the world of space heating.

Is This a Masonry Heater?

If you visit websites in the United States and Canada for masonry heaters, you are almost guaranteed to find a picture of a Finnish contraflow masonry heater. These are characterized by their tall, upright appearance. Often, they are around seven feet tall. The body of the heater is primarily symmetrical. The loading door and bakeoven door (if equipped) is centered on the mass.

For many people, this is a very pleasing appearance. Many people love symmetry. The Finnish contraflow also has some resemblance to what is commonly thought of as a fireplace in North America. However, all masonry heaters are not Finnish contraflows. What's more, Finnish contraflows lack some versatility.

Note the above picture. Yes, it is a masonry heater. But there definitely nothiing symmetrical about it! Nor is it at all upright. This demonstrates the unique quality of versatility truly available in the masonry heater world. The picture itself is from the website of Creatherm (www.creatherm.de/). I encourage readers to take a look at this website and browse the gallery. You will begin to really appreciate the wide range of possiblities in masonry heaters.

Masonry Heaters are the Healthy Heating System

One of the many reasons a masonry heater is so good for you is that infrared radiant heat – that which comes from a masonry heater - is basically the same heat with which the human body has evolved over thousands of years. In our modern age, it is easy to forget that electronically controlled central heating systems are only about 50 years old. Meanwhile, for thousands of years, mankind has lived as part of the natural world. As such, the heat to which he is most accustomed is radiant heat. This radiant heat always came from either the sun or a fire.

The human skin and circulation system is profoundly affected by radiant heat. Anyone who has lived with a masonry heater can attest to this. And we get the resulting reaction all the time when someone walks into our showroom and feels the heat.

What you can literally feel is the penetrating warmth of this kind of heat. The air temperature can be surprisingly low to some people’s standards, yet they report that the feeling of comfortable warmth goes deep. I personally have lived with a masonry heater as my primary heat source for over ten years now. What I find is that I am much more comfortable in my home with an air temperature of 65 degrees F. than I am in someone else’s home with forced air heating at 72 degrees F.

The difference, of course, is the radiant heat and how our bodies react to it as opposed to moving warm air. The human skin is very sensitive to moving air. And the automatic physical reaction the body has to moving air is to constrict blood flow. Recall that moving air is the natural way that our bodies cool off, not warm up. So when the body senses moving air and the body is right on the borderline temperature between warm and not-warm, its reaction is to constrict blood flow to minimize the chances of cooling the blood, and thus, the rest of the body. So the natural reaction of your body to a forced air heating system is for it to reduce circulation. This not only makes you feel colder, but it also means the other health oriented tasks of blood circulation are reduced, making you more susceptible to colds, flu, and other illness.

On the contrary, a low-level radiant heat source provides just the bodily reaction we need when we want to be warm and comfortable. Gentle infrared radiant heat actually penetrates deep into the skin and warms every cell. The natural bodily reaction then is to open blood vessels wider, increasing blood flow to every part of your body.

Increased circulation, of course, enhances the function of the blood and all the systems of your body, resulting in a stronger constitution and lower susceptibility to illness. Increased blood circulation increases respiration and overall makes you feel more alive. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys being illness-free (um, and who isn’t?), then perhaps you should consider having a masonry heater in your home. Look for this column in future issues to find out other reasons masonry heat is healthy heat.