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Our address:
Keystone Masonry Ltd.
P.O. Box 3861
Redwood Post Office
Winnipeg, Mb. R2W 5H9
Canada
Phone: (204) 781-0517
Fax: (204) 586-1726
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Diagram of typical smoke path in a masonry heater. The intense heat created in the firebox is channeled through many feet of maze-like flues. The heat is then absorbed by the masonry mass, which stores it and then releases it, putting a gentle radiant heat into your home. The surface temperatures in most heaters rarely rise above 150 deg. F – truly huggable heat! |
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TONS OF HEAT |
THERMAL MASS HEATERS |
The Gentle Giants |
More than a Woodstove
More than a Fireplace
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What is a Masonry Stove or Heater? |
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A masonry heater allows you to heat your home in a unique way. It's main distinction is the ability to store a large amount of heat. This means you can burn a large charge of wood without overheating your home. The heat is stored in the masonry thermal mass, and then slowly radiates into your home. By burning the fuel rapidly, it has become clean burning. If you need less heat you burn less wood, but you still burn it fast. The surface area is never too hot to touch. You have a premium radiant heating system with a comfort level that cannot be equalled by forced air systems. |
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Radiant Heat is electromagnetic energy, the same as visible light. The only difference is in the infrared spectrum, with a longer wavelength which is more comfortable than the short wave. A good example is when you're outside on a calm sunny day. You know, you know you can wear a t-shirt even though the temperature might be only 15 deg. C. Step into the shade and you'll soon feel cooler even though the temperature hasn't changed. The presence or absence of the sun changes the radiant environment dramatically. Radiant heat is therefore more comfortable because it heats objects of mass. It's heat that you can feel!
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Advantages:
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Beauty Masonry heaters can be faced with brick, stone, tile or plaster in a limitless range of colours and design.
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Utility A masonry heater is by far the most effective and efficient wood burning appliance you can use. This results in a very dramatic decrease in the fuel consumption. Optional add ons such as a bakeven or a domestic hot water coil increase the heaters performance capabilities.
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Ethics Environmentally, masonry heaters outshine all other wood burners and some even every other heating system with the exception of solar. Masonry heaters produce significantly less particulate and carbon monoxide emissions than that of conventional woodstoves. Renewable sources of energy such as wood heat do not contribute to the green house effect.
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Low Maintenance & Safety Because the masonry heater burns at such high temperatures, you get clean burning, virtually smokeless and no creosote accumulation. The relatively low surface temperature of the heater won't cause burns if accidently touched.
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Comfort & Healthy The heat stored in the masonry mass provides a gentle radiant heat that maintains a comfortable warm home for many hours after the fire is out. Radiant heat does not dry the air or circulate dust such as in forced air systems.
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Masonry heating is not a new concept. The Romans heated their famous baths this way. The Chinese and Koreans have used masonry heat for centuries, often heating beds or entire floors this way. Europeans began developing masonry heaters about 400 years ago. Russian & Scandinavian immigrants were building them over 100 years ago on the prairies, where winters are long and cold and fuel is scarce.
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Mark Twain, travelling through Europe, discovered the virtues of masonry heat. Here's a little of what he wrote about it.
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"To the ininstructed stranger it promises nothing. It has a little bit of a door...which seems foolishly out of proportion to the rest of the edifice. Small-sized fuel is used, and marvelously little of that. The process of firing is quick and simple. At half past seven on a cold morning the servant brings a small basketfull of slender pine sticks and puts half of these in, lights them with a match, and closes the door. They burn out in ten or twelve minutes. He then puts in the rest and closes the door...the work is done.
All day long and into the night all parts of the room will be delightfully warm and comfortable...it's 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 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 than a baby. It has to be fed every little while, it has to be watched all the time; and for all the 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 devises do not spread from country to country with more facility and promptness than they do." |
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We have been supplying and installing masonry heaters in the area since 1996. There are 3 types or brands of masonry heaters we have installed. All are the "finnish-contaflow" design. They are:
The "Heat-Kit" system developed by Masonry Stove builders of Quebec. (see example Gerl Heater)
The "Tulikivi" all soap-stone heater imported from Finnland. (see example Marley Heater)
And the "Tempcast" system from Toronto. (see example Bucheli Heater)
For more information on the above "brands" the links at left will take you to the respective web-sites.
We also build non-branded “Russian and Kachelofen” heaters.
*NEW* We are now making our own castings and can offer a comparable system to the “heat-kit” passing along any savings to our customers.
If you are interested in having a masonry heater built in your home we invite you to contact us with your questions and needs. We can recommend what will work best for you and give you a quote based on your specifications and budget. We suggest that you contact us well before you build while you are still in your planning stages.
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