Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
I think one of the neatest ways to heat a house is
with a circulating woodstove that has a thermostat. A
load of wood lasts all night, and the thermostat keeps
the heat constant, so you don't have to adjust the
damper all the time.
We have an 1892 cast-iron heater, which in past
winters has gone up in several rooms where there was
no fireplace. As a heat source, this stove put our fire-
place, with all its improvements, to shame. But you
can't see the embers and feel the cheer as well as you
can at the open fire. I guess it's just the caveman in me.
Stone Fireplace
Checklist
Lay a reinforced concrete slab as
chimney foundation.
Lay stone in mortar on the slab up
to floor height.
The warming oven was a common feature in early fireplaces. This
metal door I forged is for a kitchen fireplace at Page Meadows.
Extend the slab well into the inte-
rior for the hearth footing.
Line the fireplace cavity with fire-
brick.
Look long and hard for the right
lintel stone.
Use tile above the smoke chamber.
Flash at the roofline to prevent
leaks and decay.
Keep structural masonry two inches
away from logs or framing.
