Masonry Stoves: Rediscovering an Old Way of Warming

If you are looking for ideas on how to remodel your fireplace or you're thinking of installing a wood (or other type) stove for heating your home, there are some great books out there on the subject that are worth checking out.  Here's one for anyone thinking of buying a masonry heater:

The Book of Masonry Stoves: Rediscovering an Old Way of Warming

"Within the past decade, millions of Americans have discovered the economic benefits and personal pleasures of heating with wood. At the same time, many have discovered that there are serious problems associated with wood heat and iron stoves: chimney fires from creosote, air pollution from poor combustion, and structural fires caused by faulty stove installation. The masonry stove, widely used in Europe and Asia for centuries, surmounts these problems.

Masonry stoves... provide clean combustion at a high temperature, good efficiency, a high degree of safety, and little or no pollution. Masonry stoves require little care, needing to be fed only once or twice a day. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes from simple to elegant and from austere to gothic. And they are easily adapted to a variety of structures including solar designs."

The book covers all sorts of masonry heaters and may be worth picking up if you are thinking of installing a stove to help heat your home.

The Book of Masonry Stoves: Rediscovering an Old Way of Warming