Additional Resources

Just like when you turn over a rock in a field, you find something new. Turning over our rocks here at Solid Rock Masonry will not answer every question you might have about masonry heaters, but we are happy to provide as much information as possible so you can make the most educated decisions. Below is the list of rocks we recommend you turn over in your search for good information.

Masonry heater how-to guides

Step-by-step guides showing exactly how we build and finish a masonry heater at Solid Rock Masonry. We add to these as we complete more.

• Building a Masonry Heater Against a Wall: Back Wall & Wing Walls – Laying the 4-inch solid concrete block back wall with a rigid-foam spacer, tying it into the wing walls with wire, and the air flow vents.
• Swedish-Style Tile Stove (Kakelugn): Building the Schabel Kakelugn – Building a Swedish kakelugn tile stove from the ground up.
• Stucco Finishing on a Masonry Heater (PDF) – Applying an EIFS stucco finish over a masonry heater.

Masonry heater associations and builder resources

• Masonry Heater Association of North America (MHA) – The trade association for masonry heater builders, manufacturers, and retailers. It sponsors research, shapes codes and standards, and educates the public.
• MHA Certified Heater Masons – The directory of masons who have earned MHA certification. Solid Rock Masonry is listed here.
• Masonry Stove Builders / Heat-Kit (Norbert Senf) – A long-running Canadian masonry heater resource with galleries, technical notes, and a large links directory (see the bottom of this page).
• AFPMA – A European professional association for masonry heater builders. They also publish a heater-sizing fire calculator.

Heater manufacturers and tile suppliers

• Tulikivi – Finnish soapstone masonry heaters, fireplaces, and bake ovens. Solid Rock Masonry is a Tulikivi dealer and installer.
• German Ceramic Stoves – German maker of ceramic kachelofen tiles and heat-storage stoves, including electric heat-storage options.
• Lindholm Kakelugnar – Swedish source for antique kakelugn (tile stove) restoration and reproduction tiles.
• Stovemaster – No longer an active business, but the site is still online and has good information on Russian bell (Grundofen) heater design.

Stone, tile, and finishing materials

• Natural Stone Institute – The leading authority on natural stone standards, selection, and care.
• American Clay – Natural clay plaster finishes. Clay plaster looks beautiful on a heater and can develop fine cracks over time, which is a normal characteristic of masonry heating.
• Dryvit (EIFS stucco finishes) – Used for EIFS stucco finishing. EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) is a latex-based finish that flexes instead of cracking, which is why it holds up well as a stucco finish coat on a masonry heater.

Wood heating, safety, and building science

• Hearth.com – A large online community and forum covering wood, pellet, and masonry heating.
• Wood Heat Organization – Practical, safety-focused information on heating with wood.
• EPA Burn Wise – The EPA program on cleaner, more efficient wood burning.
• Buckley Rumford Fireplaces – A reference site on efficient Rumford fireplace design and history.
• BuildingGreen – Independent green-building news and product guidance.

Masonry heater research and technical papers

We have gathered a reference library of masonry heater research and technical papers. Many are preserved from Norbert Senf’s HeatKit archive and shared here with his permission. Norbert built the largest technical database on masonry heater science and performance in North America.

How masonry heaters work

• The Flow of Gases in Furnaces (Grum-Grzhimailo) (PDF) – The early hydraulic theory of gas movement in furnaces, which treats hot gases as a buoyant fluid. This “free gas movement” principle is the foundation of bell-type (kolpak) masonry heaters and the Russian bell heater tradition.
• A Short Course in Masonry Heating Systems (Senf) (PDF) – A clear overview of masonry heater science and how these heaters work.
• Defining Masonry Heaters: A Discussion Paper (Senf, 1997) (PDF) – Establishes the technical and legal definition of a masonry heater versus a fireplace, which matters for building code discussions.
• Designing Improved Wood Burning Heating Stoves (Aprovecho) (PDF) – A design manual on clean combustion: combustion chambers, heat exchangers, and insulation.
• A Short Course in Masonry Heating Systems (PDF) – A clear primer by Norbert Senf on how masonry heaters work.

Emissions and performance

• Summary of 101 Masonry Heater Emissions Tests (Senf & Chernov, 2010) (PDF) – The largest masonry heater emissions dataset in North America.
• In-Home Performance of 5 Masonry Heaters (Barnett, OMNI, 1992) (PDF) – EPA-audited field emissions data from real installations.
• Short Course on Masonry Heater Emissions Testing (OMNI, 1991) (PDF) – How masonry heater emissions are actually measured.
• Technical Assessment of Hi-Mass Masonry Heaters (Zaloum, NRCan, 2007) (PDF) – A Canadian government performance assessment of high-mass heaters.
• Residential Wood Combustion Technology Review (Houck & Tiegs) (PDF) – A broad review of wood combustion technology and where masonry heaters fit.

Combustion air and house pressure

• Outside Combustion Air for Masonry Heaters: A Technical White Paper by Solid Rock Masonry Heaters (PDF) – Our industry white paper reviewing the research, the wind-induced draft-reversal hazards of direct-connect outside air ducts, and practical solutions for tight and ultra-tight homes.
• Air Requirements for Masonry Heating Systems (Senf, 1994) (PDF) – The core study on how much combustion and house air a masonry heater draws, showing that well-designed heaters stay within safe house-depressurization limits.
• Fireplace Air Requirements (CMHC / Sheltair, 1989) (PDF) – The earlier CMHC study on outside air for fireplaces that preceded the masonry heater work.
• Outside Combustion Air Seminar with John Gulland (PDF) – Why a dedicated outside air duct often does not reduce spillage risk, and how Canada’s code came to treat it.
• House Depressurization and Fireplace Flow Reversal Seminar (PDF) – A field case study on diagnosing and solving house pressure problems.
• R-2000 Makeup Air Guidelines (PDF) – Makeup air guidance for tight, energy-efficient (R-2000) homes.

Codes and standards

• Masonry Heater Building Codes (Solid Rock Masonry) – Our own guide to how masonry heaters are handled under IRC Section R1002 and ASTM E1602.
• MHA Position Paper (PDF) – The Masonry Heater Association’s consensus regulatory position on masonry heaters.
• Masonry Heater White Paper (HPBA-MHA-EPA, 2008) (PDF) – A formal white paper to the EPA summarizing North American emissions data and arguing for class recognition.
• Building Code Coverage of Masonry Heaters (PDF) – An overview of how different code jurisdictions handle masonry heaters.

Historic preservation and Nordic culture

• National Park Service Preservation Briefs – Technical guidance on historic masonry, including Brief 2 on repointing mortar joints.
• Duluth Preservation Alliance – Local historic preservation in the Duluth area.
• American Swedish Institute – A Nordic cultural center in Minneapolis with handcraft and cultural programs, and a good window into the Scandinavian kakelugn tradition.

Workshops and hands-on learning

• North House Folk School – This is where Eric teaches two to three masonry heater building workshops a year in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Go to Programs and search to see the current listings.
• Solid Rock Masonry workshops – Our own masonry heater and oven workshops.

Solid Rock Masonry guides and downloads

• Masonry Heater Planning Guide – Our guide to designing, sizing, and finishing a masonry heater.
• Solid Rock Masonry 2026 Product Guide (PDF) – Our full product and pricing guide covering the SR Core models, configurations, options, and current pricing.
• Solid Rock Masonry Heaters Owner’s Manual 2026 (PDF) – The complete manual for operating and caring for your Solid Rock Masonry heater.
• Solid Rock Masonry 5-Year Warranty (PDF) – Our five-year warranty on Solid Rock Masonry heaters.
• Stucco Finishing on a Masonry Heater (PDF) – Our guide to applying an EIFS stucco finish over a masonry heater.
• Masonry Heater Care and Feeding Instructions (PDF) – How to operate and care for your Solid Rock Masonry heater.
• MHA Homeowner Safety and Burning Manual (PDF) – Safe operation guidance from the Masonry Heater Association.

A deeper directory

For a broader collection of building-science, wood-heating, and sustainable-construction references gathered over many years, see Norbert Senf’s Masonry Stove Builders Links Page. It is an older page, so some links have gone dark, but it remains a rich starting point.