Masonry Heaters is a complete guide to designing and living with one of the oldest, and yet one of the newest, heating devices. A masonry heater’s design, placement in the home, and luxurious radiant heat redefine the hearth for the modern era, turning it into a piece of the sun right inside the home. Like the feeling one gets from the sun on a spring day, the environment around a masonry heater feels fresh. The radiant heat feels better on the skin. It warms the home both gently and efficiently. In fact, the value of a masonry heater lies in its durability, quality, serviceability, dependability, and health-supporting features. And it is an investment in self-sufficiency and freedom from fossil fuels. The book discusses different masonry heater designs, including variations extant in Europe, and explains the growth of their popularity in the United States beginning in the late 1970s. For the reader who may be familiar only with open fireplaces and metal woodstoves, Masonry Heaters will bring a new understanding and appreciation of massive heat storage and gentle-but-persistent radiant heat. Masonry heaters offer a unique comfort that is superior to that from convection heat from forced-air systems, and more personal than that offered by “radiant” floors. As Matesz demonstrates, the heat from the sun or from a masonry heater is genuine heat instead of just insulation against the loss of heat. Those who are looking to build, add onto, or remodel a house will find comprehensive and practical advice for designing and installing a masonry heater, including detailed discussion of materials, code considerations, and many photos and illustrations. While this is not a do-it-yourself guide for building a masonry heater, it provides facts every heater builder should know. Professional contractors will find this a useful tool to consult, and homeowners considering a new method of home heating will find all they need to know about masonry heaters within these pages.

Simple, easy to read plans allow you to build your own super efficient batch rocket mass heater. Easy to cut and work with, ceramic fiber board allows easy, quick construction of the highest perfomance stove core possible. Easy hardware solutions and clear brick layout simplifies the build. Tested and proven dimensions mean you get it right the first time. Build a warm cozy masonry heater for the center of your home to provide a lifetime of heating, cooking, and memories.

Home heating that's safe, clean, efficient, and uses 70 to 90 percent less fuel than a typical woodstove A rocket mass heater is an earthen masonry heating system which provides clean, safe and efficient warmth for your home, all while using 70-90% less fuel than a traditional woodstove. These unique and beautiful installations provide luxurious comfort year-round. In cold weather a few hours of clean, hot burning can provide 20 or more hours of steady warmth, while the unit's large thermal mass acts as a heat sink, cooling your home on sizzling summer days. Packed with hard-to-find information, The Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide includes: Comprehensive design, construction and installation instructions combined with detailed maintenance and troubleshooting advice Brick-by-brick layouts, diagrams, and architectural plans augmented with detailed parts drawings and photographs for clarity Relevant and up-to-date code information and standards to help you navigate the approval process with local building departments. Earthen masonry heating systems are well-suited for natural and conventional builders alike. A super-efficient, wood-burning, rocket mass heater can help you dramatically reduce your energy costs while enhancing the beauty, value and comfort of your home.

Down and dirty – a complete step-by-step guide to making, installing and living with beautiful, all-natural earthen floors For most of human history, people have lived in durable, comfortable buildings made from natural materials such as soil, sand, rocks and fiber. All over the globe, these ancient traditions persist; a quarter to a third of the world's population today lives in houses built partially or entirely of earth. Conventional Western building techniques using industrial materials may save time and create efficiencies, but these perceived savings come at considerable financial and environmental cost. As well as boasting a unique and beautiful aesthetic, natural building techniques are accessible, affordable and nontoxic. Earthen Floors: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated manual covering the history, use and maintenance of this attractive, practical flooring option. This detailed, fully-illustrated guide explains every part of the process, including: Sourcing and harvesting materials Preparing the subfloor Pouring, finishing and sealing the floor Living with and maintaining your earthen floor. Because information on creating quality earthen floors was not previously widely available, there have been some negative experiences. Drawing on the combined knowledge of the most qualified earthen floor practitioners, as well their own substantial experience, the authors deliver the definitive resource for this exciting technique, perfect for everyone from the novice to veteran builder.

In many war torn and poverty stricken regions, the indigenous architecture has been heavy mud and wattle roofs on thick mud walls. These structures, while cool in the summer, are of very low strength, are maintenance intensive, are time consuming to build, and are largely in massive disrepair. Replacing these mud structures with the light weight roofs of latex concrete produces a permanent architecture significantly more safe and strong, of very low maintenance, and of remarkably low cost, as the roofs can be built by available unskilled labor. The time required for reconstruction is considerably shorter than the time required to replace the older heavy construction, and the self-help characteristic of this new form of construction leads to more rapid recovery from disaster. This how-to-do-it manual teaches people how to build these new roofs.

Offers a comprehensive guide for planning and building a practical, efficient and affordable wood-fired oven. The Barrel Oven offers surprising convenience because it is hot and ready to bake in within 15-20 minutes and is easy to maintain at a constant temperature. Follow this step-by-step guide to transform local, low-cost materials and the sun's energy into good food.