Magical Masonry Heaters for Green Home Heating

 

Sometimes old things are better than new, like old houses, historic buildings, and castles. The latest trend in home heating fits into that category. Masonry heaters have been around for hundreds of years in Europe, but are just recently catching on in the U.S. And the great thing about heaters is that they are GREEN. People needed to heat their homes in an efficient manner in olden times just as today in order to save their forests. Inefficient open fireplaces took too much of their valuable resources, so another method had to be developed. No one knows who the first mason was who came up with the idea of devising something that would retain heat for long periods of time, then radiate it into the home while using less wood, but whoever he was, he (or she) was a genius.

Masonry heaters have been redesigned and altered over the years, but heaters all have the same characteristics with complex channels to slow down and trap heat from flue gasses, and a mass of masonry to retain that heat, then radiate it to the living space over a period of up to 20 hours. By the time the products of combustion get to the exit of the flue, the smoke is white, and the particulate emissions are very low. One load of wood can usually provide heating for the average size home for 8-12 hours. Compared to even the best high-efficiency wood–burning stoves on the market today, gas and oil-fired furnaces, and certainly inefficient open fireplaces, masonry heaters can’t be beat. Service should be completed annually by a professional chimney sweep familiar with masonry heaters, which are unlike any other wood-burning appliance.

To see technical specifications and testing results, photos of heaters, manufacturers, and a list of heater masons, contact the Masonry Heater Association of North America through www.mha-net.org. There is a chat list set up for anyone interested in masonry heaters at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MasonryHeaters.

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Marge Padgitt is the author of The Chimney & Hearth Pro’s Resource Book and Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking. She is the president of HearthMasters, Inc.  www.hearthmasters.net.

Masonry Heaters are the Best Design for Heating with Wood

By Marge Padgitt

HearthMasters, Inc.

Sometimes old things are better than new, like old houses, historic buildings, and castles. The latest trend in home heating fits into that category. Masonry heaters have been around for hundreds (actually going back to Roman times) of years in Europe, but are just recently catching on in the U.S. And the great thing about heaters is that they are GREEN. People needed to heat their homes in an efficient manner in olden times just as today in order to save their forests. Inefficient open fireplaces took too much of their valuable resources, so another method had to be developed. No one knows who the first mason was who came up with the idea of devising something that would retain heat for long periods of time, then radiate it into the home while using less wood, but whoever he was he was a genius.

Masonry heaters have been redesigned and altered over the years by different masons in Finland, Russia, Germany, Austria, and the United States. But heaters all have the same characteristics with complex channels to slow down and trap heat from flue gasses, and a mass of masonry to retain that heat, then radiate it to the living space over a period of up to 20 hours. By the time the products of combustion get to the exit of the flue, the smoke is white, and the particulate emissions are very low. One load of wood can usually provide heating for the average size home for 8-12 hours. Compared to even the best high-efficiency wood–burning stoves on the market today, gas and oil-fired furnaces, and certainly inefficient open fireplaces, masonry heaters can’t be beat.

Custom granite masonry heater
Courtesy of HearthMasters, Inc.

Another benefit masonry heaters offer is that they don’t require electricity, gas, or ductwork to distribute the heat. In a properly designed home with an open floor plan and the heater in the center of the home, the heat will radiate evenly throughout. Ideally, heaters are built in new home construction, but they can be added to existing homes if the layout is right. Heaters require a suitable foundation to support the massive masonry, which weighs three to six tons by the time all of the firebrick, block, cast iron doors, dampers, and exterior masonry facing is installed.

Heaters can be enhanced with heated benches to sit on, mantels, wood storage bins, and even bake ovens. Pizza and bread from a wood-fired bake oven has an incredible and unique taste that is not to be missed, and entire meals can be cooked in the oven if desired. An experienced heater mason can not only design and build the right size and type of heater for a home but make it beautiful to look at as well. An exterior finish of soapstone, tile, sandstone, or brick can make a dramatic statement. Heater masons will work with the homeowner to come up with a custom design that suits the home or use one of many masonry heater kits that are available from several manufacturers (usually incorporating soapstone) in a variety of designs.

Use of natural non-toxic materials and the renewable resource of wood make masonry heaters the perfect solution for a green home.

The trade is very specialized, with only a few heater masons scattered across the U.S. Fortunately, most of these masons will travel to do installations. Some have even traveled to Japan, China, and South America to build heaters. Often several heater masons will help each other out since these are big projects. In days of old, the heater masons kept their trade secret, even to the point of not leaving the room until the heater was completely finished so no one else could see how the interior was built. At that time, the livelihood of the masons was dependent on this secrecy. The trade is so skilled that the only way to learn is to do hands-on assistance with an experienced heater mason, and that is part of the reason the Masonry Heater Association was formed. The older masons do not want this to become a lost art, so they help train others. The Certified Heater Mason program was developed by the experienced MHA members in order to assure that the knowledge is not lost.

In the U.S. many people are not yet aware of masonry heaters, so it is a challenge for a heater mason to make a living out of just building heaters. Most heater masons also build other types of projects such as fireplaces, chimneys, outdoor bake ovens. Some are timber frame or log home builders or own brickyards. Most are very aware of the green building trend and are interested in sustainable living. Many heater masons will travel to build a heater because they love doing it and love the satisfaction they get out of building something that is very specialized.

Pricing for heaters is what most would consider being on the high end, and a long-term investment. The average cost a homeowner may expect to pay is from $15,000 to $30,000, with price depending on the complexity of the heater, material costs, and labor. The expected time to get a return on your money is approximately 10 years. The time to build a completed heater may be up to four weeks or more, depending on how many skilled craftspeople are working. Many homeowners will elect to be an assistant on the job in order to lower their costs. In some cases, if a heater mason is traveling the homeowner will put him up at their house or a local hotel. When traveling the masons usually work long hours in order to get the project done sooner.

Mark Twain discovered masonry heaters while traveling through Europe and wrote about them: "All day long and until past midnight all parts of the room will be delightfully warm and comfortable … Its surface is not hot: you can put your hand on it anywhere and not get burnt. Consider these things. One firing is enough for the day: the cost is next to nothing: the heat produced is the same all day, instead of too hot and too cold by turns… America could adopt this stove, but does America do it? No, she sticks placidly to her own fearful and wonderful inventions in the stove line. The American wood stove, of whatever breed, is a terror. It requires more attention that a baby. It has to be fed every little while, it has to be watched all the time: and for all reward you are roasted half your time and frozen the other half... and when your wood bill comes in you think you have been supporting a volcano. It is certainly strange that useful customs and devices do not spread from country to country with more facility and promptness than they do."

Find out more about masonry heaters, including technical specifications and testing results, photos of heaters, manufacturers, and a list of heater masons, contact the Masonry Heater Association of North America through www.mha-net.org. There is a chat list set up for anyone interested in masonry heaters at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MasonryHeaters.

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Marge Padgitt is a past board member for the MHA.  She is president of HearthMasters, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri. Her husband, Gene Padgitt, is one of only 32 Certified Heater Masons.

HearthMasters Publishing announces the release of Wood-fired Heating and Cooking

HearthMasters Publishing announces the release of Wood-fired Heating and Cooking: How to choose, maintain, and operate a wood-fired appliance

Kansas City, Missouri, November 4, 2021

Wood-Fired Heating & Cooking is a guide for homeowners, preppers, and homesteaders who are planning to install a wood-fired heating appliance, improve their existing masonry fireplace, or install a wood-fired cooking appliance. Industry veterans Gene and Marge Padgitt explain how each type of appliance works and how to properly locate, operate, and maintain them.

Heating appliances covered in this book are masonry fireplaces, Rumford fireplaces, circulating fireplaces, furnaces, wood-burning fireplace inserts, freestanding stoves, masonry heaters, and rocket mass heaters. Wood selection and preparation is included. Cooking appliances discussed are wood-burning indoor cook stoves, indoor and outdoor brick ovens and oven kits, Tandoori ovens, grills, and campfires along with cooking tools and utensils.

The authors provide references and suggested reading, online groups, and educational resources. A bonus section contains delicious recipes for cooking with a wood-fired appliance by the authors.

The release of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking comes at a time when people are thinking about being self-sufficient and prepared for any disaster or power outage. The book is an excellent resource for persons who need help trying to navigate through all of the choices available to heat their home or cook with a wood-fired appliance.

Marge and Gene are available for radio interviews. 

Contact:

Marge Padgitt
hearthmasters.office@gmail.com
816-461-3665

Tis the Season for Chimney Fires

 

By Marge Padgitt

Chimney Fire: Source: Marlboro FD, VA

It’s that time of year again – the season for chimney fires. As a chimney and fireplace service company we see the results of the lack of proper maintenance and improper installation that can cause fires and destruction of property, and in some cases injury or death. Chimney fires are preventable and should be avoided because of the risk that they could escape the chimney and catch the house on fire.  

All types of wood – even hardwood- creates creosote when burned. It accumulates on flue and smoke chamber walls and must be periodically removed. Chimney sweeping should be done by a professional chimney sweep who has the proper equipment to do the job right. First, tarps and a vacuum are set up. Then the sweep brushes the flue with wire brushes for masonry flues, or poly brushes for metal flues, and removes the creosote from the flue and fireplace or wood stove. Next, the sweep should run a chimney camera through the chamber and flue to inspect it and make sure there are no broken flue tiles, missing mortar, or blockages, or in the case of a manufactured fireplace or stove, that all of the metal pipe seams are solid and unwarped. The chimney sweep will then do a visual inspection of the interior and exterior chimney, check for proper clearance to combustibles and proper installation of components, then provide a report on its condition.

Chimney sweep  Source: Adobestock.com

It is very common for repair issues to arise with any type of chimney. Regular maintenance is
needed in order to keep the system functioning properly. Exterior masonry repairs should be done in the spring or summer, but if the chimney needs a new flue liner this can be done any time of year. Chimney fires can cause costly damage to a masonry or metal chimney system. If relining is necessary, it will cost thousands of dollars. Fortunately, chimney fires are covered by homeowner’s insurance. However, it is best to avoid a chimney fire in the first place.  

According to the U.S. Fire Administration there were 83,300 house fires caused by heating in 2018.  The National Fire Protection Association’s latest press release dated November 22, 2010 estimates that 66,100 home fires caused 1.1 billion in property damage, 1,660 injuries and 480 deaths in 2008, which was a 0.5% decline from 2007.  15,200 (23%) of all home heating fires are creosote fires, which the NFPA calls “failure to clean” fires that were confined to a chimney or flue, or involved solid-fueled space heaters, chimneys, connectors, and fireplaces.  See the entire news release at www.nfpa.org

Tips:

1.       Never burn a dry Christmas tree in a fireplace.

2.       Only burn dry, seasoned hard or soft cordwood in a stove or fireplace

3.       Only burn one piece of hedge to two pieces of other types of wood.

4.       Have the chimney inspected and swept annually, or twice per season if using a wood stove.

5.       Have a Draw Collar installed for hard-starting wood stoves.

6.       When purchasing a new home have the chimney inspected by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep prior to closing so you know what you are getting into.

7.       If you hear a whooshing sound, or freight-train like sound, or the room fills with smoke, get out of the house and call the fire department. Go outside and see if flames are shooting out the top of the flue.

 

See more information about chimney and fireplace maintenance and how to choose an appliance in Marge and Gene Padgitt’s new book Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking: How to choose, maintain, and operate a wood-burning appliance at Amazon.com or hearthmasters.net.

Firewood Allergies? Yes, it’s a Thing.

By Audrey Elder

 

The massive chunk of walnut sat nearly a year next to the woodpile before we gave up on the idea of turning it into a new kitchen floor. Our woodpile consists of whatever fallen trees come our way. This particular behemoth was once part of a massive tree that fell on a friend’s farm property with no where to go but my yard. It was finally time for gloves, glasses and a chainsaw. The freshly cut chunks were quickly split into perfectly sized pieces for the woodstove. They smelled wonderful as I stacked them onto the pile, although my nose burned a bit with each whiff I took. Once alit in the living room, my sinuses reacted with vengeance. As it turns out, different kinds of firewood can create allergic reactions for different people. One might notice a sensitivity to oak while I sit on the other side of the room when burning walnut. 

There are a large range of allergic reactions or sensitivities that can be brought on by wood including a sinus reaction or rash from touching wood. Nearly all woods have the potential to cause a reaction in some people. Unfortunately, there has been little research done on how different woods can cause a reaction when burned. It is unknown if having a known allergy to a specific wood based on a physician performed allergy test also means you will have a reaction to burning that wood. If you have a known allergy to mold however, make sure you are not burning firewood with mold present. If you have experienced sensitivity to your fireplace or woodstove keep a journal of what type of wood you are burning and if that particular wood is bothering you. If a type or types are confirmed this way try to avoid sitting close to the fireplace or stove or discontinue using that type all together.

It is also important to note that smoke never has a place in the home, it should only be going up the chimney. We often tend to think of keeping our chimney clean for the sole purpose of preventing a chimney fire. Where avoiding chimney fires is an obvious top priority, a dirty chimney won’t allow for a good draft to take place. It makes it harder to start a fire and keep all that smoke where it belongs. If you are still having trouble getting your fire to draft, it could be an issue of negative air pressure or just super cold air. Consider having an outside air supply, draft inducer, or whole house ventilator installed to fix this issue.

So far, walnut has been the only wood I have to avoid burning. I was overjoyed last summer when my husband announced a friend offered him a fallen….oak! An entire winter back in my favorite spot in the house, next to the woodstove was happily in my future. May your home be warm and your sinuses happy!

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Audrey Elder is an historian and writer living in Independence, Missouri. She works for HearthMasters, Inc.