Masonry heaters originated in Northern Europe where winters were cold and fuel wasn’t always plentiful. The natural response? Create a wood-fired presence that was at once incredibly efficient and highly attractive, capable of generating abundant heat and ideal for cooking/baking. Masonry heaters are built with fire bricks and utilize their high mass to radiate heat for 12 - 24 hours, a feature which means they only need to be fired once or twice per day. Students in this course will build a classic German or Finnish masonry heater (approx 3’x4’ and 7’ high). Bricks will be laid with clay, rather than mortar, as the heater will be disassembled at the end of class. Students will experience and discuss heater design, sizing options, brick selection, oven integration, door and hardware installation, code considerations, and tool use. An exterior finish of clay brick will be utilized. Stucco and clay plaster options will be discussed, as will smaller heaters capable of heating spaces up to 900 sq. ft., and masonry cook stoves. In addition to designing and building, students will learn to fire the heaters to maximize efficiency and will experiment with student-built masonry oven located on the North House Folk School campus. The materials fee includes a complete resource packet (allowing students to return home prepared to start their own project) and the resources utilized during class for the building process.

The history of masonry heaters can be traced back 1,000 years or more. Beautiful and highly functional, they are built near the heart of a home where their solid and warm presence serves as an ideal gathering point. Design flexibility of masonry heaters enable them to be part of homes of many sizes and incorporate features such as heated benches, baking ovens, or heating domestic hot water.

Dates

02/25/2010-02/28/2010 Course Full - Please call for wait list
08/12/2010-08/15/2010 Course Full - Please call for wait list
01/27/2011-01/30/2011

Course Details

--Select a Start Date-- 01/27/2011