Finnish & Swedish masonry & Soapstone heaters A number of our members have been inspired by experiencing the beauty, warmth, efficiency, etc.. of Finnish masonry heaters - either from visits to relatives in Finland, or actually growing-up in a home having a Finnish masonry heater.Some of these heaters include another feature - a bake oven. Shown below are pictures of IOR members' Finnish masonry and soapstone heaters If you have a Finnish or Swedish masonry heater, or masonry oven, and you'd like to add a picture of it to this web page’s gallery of pictures, email picture(s) to Stew Lyons (contact info listed on "About Us / IOR Board Members" web-page). Below the pictures is more heaters information and links to other web-sites..
Below are pictures from 1977 of Finnish bake ovens in Revonlahti, Finland
Kaisu taking bread from oven
Finnish & Swedish masonry heaters
Below is information from the Alliance of Masonry Heater and Oven Professionals (AMHOP) You may learn further Finnish & Swedish masonry heaters details by visiting the AMHOP website at: http://masonryheaters.org/AMHOPabout.php
Masonry Heaters for Energy Efficient Warmth A masonry heater provides very energy efficient heating for your home or room. The heater provides a very clean-burning method to heat with wood, capturing and storing large amounts of heat from hot clean fires, and provides even, radiant heat for up to 18 to 24 hours at a time, after the fire has gone out. The radiant heat supplied by a masonry heater creates a healthier comfort level that cannot be equaled by convection or forced air systems.
Certified Clean Burning Masonry heaters are as clean burning as EPA-certified wood stoves. As mentioned on the EPA site, masonry heaters are exempt from certification. The key is the short hot fires that achieve very complete combustion of the fuel and then stores the heat in the masonry mass. This allows you to rapidly burn a large charge of wood without overheating your house or chimney creosote buildup. And the masonry surface is not too hot to touch! If you need less heat, such as between seasons when you simply want to take off the chill, you simply burn less frequently. Yet you still burn it quickly and cleanly.
Masonry Heater Models and Kits Masonry heaters range in size from smaller room heaters to larger systems designed to heat an entire house. All masonry heaters are constructed with a masonry or refractory core, but utilize a variety of materials and shapes. There are several types of internal construction, which allow very different designs to the external appearance. The core is surrounded by another layer, which may be a finish material such as brick, tile or soapstone. The simplest masonry heater, often referred to as a contraflow, is similar to a fireplace with downdraft channels. Next in complexity is a multi-channeled heater, sometimes called a Swedish, which has vertical channels up, down and up again. Masonry heaters also come in manufactured units that are site built. Custom designed and engineered masonry heaters may provide maximum efficiency and be sized precisely for your home or room.
Design Considerations Masonry heaters are located directly in your living space to take advantage of the radiant heat. This affords many additional features such as bake ovens, benches, shelving or mantles, and wood storage. Foremost for consideration is the facade material: brick, field stone, soapstone, stucco, ceramic tile, or combinations.
