Category Archives: Uncategorized

In With the New Old-Fashioned Kitchen

It really is beautiful. I had a steel fabricator replicate the legs the stove sits on and attach that as a pot rack to the ceiling. And then we made legs for the soapstone sink, too. I haven’t plumbed the … Continue reading

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Building the Rest of the Chimney

Now to catch up with the chimney construction – the last post, about the stove, showed how the stove was tied to the chimney, and this post will show how the heater was tied in. And outside, a beautiful chimney … Continue reading

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Building the Cook Stove, with Oven

The flue from the stove flue damper assembly to the chimney was very carefully done to insure it would never crack and leak exhaust. Angle irons and fiberglass-reinforced concrete made a stable platform for the steel pipe, then the pipe … Continue reading

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We Build the Masonry Heater and It Is Beautiful

The soapstone was quarried in Quebec, got cut and polished in Maine by the Maine Wood Heat Co, and then delivered along with fire brick. The trailer was left for a couple of days as each slab of stone and … Continue reading

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We Pour the Bridging Slab (Hearth) and Build the Cinderblock Wall

We didn’t have a concrete mixing truck for this pour; the masons mixed all the concrete by hand and carried buckets up to the kitchen. The concrete set up over the weekend. Monday, they pulled out the wood framing, and … Continue reading

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Building the Bridging Slab (Hearth)

First, you shift the piping for the forced hot water system, which is being replaced, but is still necessary. When I envisioned building the form for the bridging slab, I figured a piece of plywood would lie across the top … Continue reading

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Building the Piers for the Heater/Stove Bridging Slab (Hearth)

Now that the basement floor is reinforced and can take the weight of thousands of pounds of rock without crumbling, Jeremy and Miguel start to build the supporting walls or piers that will support the hearth up in the kitchen. … Continue reading

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Building the Footings for the Heater/Stove and Chimney

Robert Leet, the structural engineer from Whetstone Engineering, Wendell, MA, says, “Compact the soil!” So we compact the soil. But it’s really grim using a combustion machine in the house. We opened all the doors and windows we could and … Continue reading

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In Which Wooden Structure is Removed, To Be Replaced with Masonry

Basic safety and building code requires removing all flammable material from a certain area around any wood-burning site, whether fireplace, cast-iron stove, or masonry heater, and this area includes the floor under and the wall behind those things. Therefore, we … Continue reading

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In Which Everything Goes Cold and Dark

This is the chapter in the story where everything goes cold and dark, there is great disruption and trepidation, there are delays and blockages thwarting a quick and easy journey, but each reverse makes us stronger; “it’s character-building.” I’m sure … Continue reading

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