The Hewson Family's Eco Firebox, White Mountains NH
This customed-designed Eco Firebox was created for The Hewson family, owners of Steeplechase Custom Homes and Designed Gardens. Used as a primary heat source in their beautiful New England home, located in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, spanning over 2,000 square feet. Centrally located, the see-through design connects the family room and kitchen and the heated benches and bake oven further enhance The Hewson’s enjoyment and use.
A view from the living room. A large see-thru fireplace with absolute black granite hearth caps. An integrated granite table top with firebox hidden inside on left. Eco Firebox masonry heater produces a magnificent fire which requires absolutely no tending.
The opposite side of the living room view, the kitchen view showing the other side of the see-thru fireplace and bake oven above.
A view from the informal side house entrance. The heated bench welcomes the family in from cold winter weather where they can warm up while removing winter gear. The heated bench is a great place to leave hats and mittens to dry and warm for later use. The chimney is located on the far right.
A combustion analyzer plugs directly into a chimney port displaying Eco Firebox’s efficiency and performance allowing us to fine tune as the fire burns its fuel.
The customer lighting one of the first fires in the Eco Firebox masonry heater. When stacking wood and lighting the fires we teach a common practice used with masonry heatrs referred to as an “upside down start and burn”. The larger pieces of wood are placed on bottom, then smaller pieces, kindling and finally paper. The paper burning heats up the flue/chimney then ignites the kindling, then smaller and larger. This helps minimize a smoldering fire at start up which accounts for the largest percent of carbon monoxide being emitted into the environment. It works really well and is much cleaner and healthier than in reverse.
As you can see the Eco Firebox’s exterior is a custom brick veneer with design elements like the one above the firebox and rounded bench corners. This design started out as a mix of brick and tooled/finished concrete however as we progressed through the project it evolved to the design you see here. Only slightly modified to provide the see-thru option, this is the same insert or core that would be placed in most other installations.
A true testament to the design flexibility of the Eco Firebox.
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Eco Firebox, Inc. | Resurrecting a Hidden Fireplace / 08 Oct 2011 / 5:51 am