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In the summer of 2009, the idea came to me to install an alternative heating method alongside the gas heating in our family house built in 2002. We felt the need because, in the winter of 2008, during the gas supply problems in Ukraine, the gas provider supplied gas with a significantly lower calorific value than before. The gas flame burned red instead of blue (due to increased moisture content), and the previous gas price subsidy was also discontinued.
A relatively solid starting point was that, during the house’s design, we built a second chimney in addition to the one for gas heating. I consulted multiple times with the building services engineer about which heating system to install, considering its efficiency and installation cost.

Continue reading Installation of a water-heated fireplace firebox (Norbert Stier) →

I recommend this article to those determined enough to create one of the crowning features of their home: the fireplace. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all readers that I am not a professional fireplace builder, so the materials and techniques I describe come solely from research and not professional experience. Simply put, everyone should use these instructions at their own risk!

Steps Before Construction:

1. First, gather as much information and imagery as possible, and decide exactly what and how you want to create. (shape, color, etc.)
2. Ensure your chimney is properly sized and perfectly positioned.

For my 9kW insert, a 200mm chimney was pre-installed.

3. Select a fireplace insert.

Let’s keep quality in mind!

4. Knowing the dimensions of the insert, we can begin the design work. Let’s create many drawings and take measurements! At the same time, we can start the time-consuming task of selecting the cladding. This is important because it lets us foresee how much work the fireplace cladding will require, and whether we can craft the dreamed-up mantel section. Incidentally, it also helps us determine if we can bring the envisioned design to life using the chosen material.
5. Based on the plans, procure the materials (Ytong, adhesive, stones). I used Murexin adhesive and grout, trusting the factory data and others’ experiences, which say they can withstand temperatures up to 800^oC. I couldn’t find this information for other adhesives.

Continue reading Do It Yourself: Building Your Own Fireplace (Zsolt Béres) →