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Home , Fireplace, Outgassing

FALL ’99/WINTER ’00 VOLUME 4 NO. 1

STONE TABLET The Tulikivi Family

elcome to autumn. With mantels, fire screens, and fireplace tools. Other modern design with an elliptical profile. Owner the arrival of the - USA stores are planned for Springfield, Walter Moberg, an internationally acclaimed burning season, we are Virginia, and at the Metroplex in Plymouth fireplace designer, has created a display much like pleased to announce several Meeting, Philadelphia, later this year and in 2000. that of a gallery space devoted to artwork. This new distributors. Three For further information, log onto the website at approach is in keeping with the gallery milieu of Tulikivi models (the TTU www.hearthusa.com. the Pearl District and is also mindful of the 2700W with benches, LLU 1250, and TU 1000) are on This year, three existing Tulikivi distributors Tulikivi’s own aesthetic qualities. Sackett display at Dean’s Stove and Spa in Southington, have also opened new showrooms. Olenych Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has added a Connecticut (120 West Main of Bovina Center, New separate showroom at 421 Portage Road, and Street). In Fort Worth, Texas, York, announces a second retail both of their locations display Tulikivi units. Chamber’s Brick Sales (451 space, the Mountain Flame Gallery In this issue, we are pleased to bring you South Main Street) also shows in Shokan, New York (3110 Route information on the “Bratrost” grill, now off a TTU 2700, along with 28), a beautiful Catskills setting not available in America, along with good ideas for several basic units. Hearth far from Woodstock. In addition to wood storage, and news about heating and health. USA, a new chain of retail five Tulikivi units, the Olenyches Readers will also be interested in the story of a stores billed as a “one-stop are showcasing a variety of Virginia family who has built a chemical-free shopping super center” for soapstone products and materials residence, as well as the remarkable tale of a high-quality fireplace, spa, grill, for the , including counters, Colorado couple whose Tulikivi stove survived a MOUNTAIN FLAME GALLERY and products–shown in mantelpieces, , and a soapstone devastating fire that destroyed the itself. “at-home” vignettes–opened September 3 in sink. FireSpaces in Portland, Oregon, has Don’t forget to check the Tulikivi website: Rockville, Maryland. In addition to three Tulikivi relocated to the renovated downtown gallery area www.tulikivi.com. Keep warm, stay in touch, models (TU 1000, TTU 2700, and the Gemini), known as the Pearl District. The showroom (223 and have a great time celebrating the new Hearth USA is showcasing barbecue grills, spas, Northwest Ninth Avenue) features traditional millennium with friends and family around your garden accessories, gourmet foods, cookware, Tulikivi models, as well as the Zefiro, an ultra- Tulikivi fireplace!

n cold weather, when the sun is low and rays are weak, people transpiration helps to protect your skin–and your sinuses–from tend to suffer not only from the lack of direct sunlight, but also drying out, and the soft radiant heat produces a “healing warmth” from the absence of the sun’s natural heating process and its that many say is a natural source of energy and vitality. Radiant related benefits. Whereas the sun produces a radiant heat, heat also stimulates the flow of blood to the skin. As the blood whichI penetrates the air evenly, most man-made heating vessels become larger, circulation improves, making this type of systems–including hot-air,electric baseboard, steam radiators, metal heat particularly good for people with high . wood stoves, and open fireplaces–produce an Radiant heat also has evident benefits for uneven heat. When the surface those who suffer from Multiple Chemical of a cast- or wood stove Sensitivity Disorder (see Notes from the Hearth), increases, for example, so does the air HEATING , colds, sinus trouble, and other respiratory temperature in the immediate vicinity. As this problems, because the reduced convection helps happens, the warm air starts to rise, and cooler minimize the circulation of airborne bacteria and air in other parts of the begins to move in for your dust particles. Moreover, the stove’s material– to replace it.This sets up currents, or a convection soapstone–does not emit the acrid odor of hot system, in which the air is constantly moving, metal that can also be irritating to people. As carrying dust and germs as it does so. long as the stove is never loaded while the fire is Fortunately, a soapstone stove works HEALTH burning, there is no possibility of ash flying into differently, by storing the heat from a brisk fire the air because the hot fire burns completely and then releasing it gently into the room. In this way, the radiant clean. For this same reason the Tulikivi is a safe alternative for heat of the Tulikivi is similar to the rays of the sun. It penetrates the individuals who use wheelchairs: Since the stove is loaded cold, there air of a room evenly, generating only mild air movement in the is no need to open the while the fire is burning.The fireplaces process. The warmth reaches you irrespective of the air can also be set on raised platforms so that the firebox sits chest high, temperature and impacts the skin directly. The resulting making it easy to load from a seated position. Notes from the Hearth

bout 14 years ago Betsy Skelton was diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Mike.To avoid other materials that can also emit chemicals, he says, the are Sensitivity, a disorder that makes her react to , ash, and laid with ceramic and oak hardwood, and there is no carpeting. Even pure wool chemicals such as that are “outgassed” by most ordinary carpet, adds Betsy, is typically treated with pesticides. materials and household products.Thus it is no surprise that Builders also used a special compound to seal the gypsum board, and the health and safety were the primary concerns of Betsy and her husband couple relied on commercially made paints and water-based varnishes that are AMikeA when this Virginia couple began building a new 6,000 square-foot house in manufactured without VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These last were a Jeetersville in 1996 for their family of five. Undertaking the contracting and design welcome time-saving alternative to the homemade organic varnish Mike made for themselves, the Skeltons had the two-story wood-frame and brick structure their previous house by the shells of black walnuts. countertops are constructed with chemical-free materials and supplemented the -thermal crafted of solid , cabinets are of solid wood, instead of being lined with with a Tulikivi bakeoven.“My husband loves a fire and really wanted particle board, fixtures are brass and the pipes are copper. a fireplace, but I initially thought we couldn’t have one,” says Betsy, who suffers According to Betsy Skelton, people who react adversely to synthetic materials asthma attacks when she is exposed to smoke or . A Tulikivi was the perfect and the chemicals used in everyday products, from wallpaper to paper towels, solution.The system of loading the stove cold means Betsy never encounters the experience a wide variety of symptoms, including rashes, spasms, pain, and “brain burning fire, even when she cooks in the bakeoven. fog.” She herself is susceptible to asthma attacks, which have abated significantly In designing the house, the Skeltons relied on the know-how they had since the family moved into their new house two years ago. In addition to the non- accumulated by building a much smaller chemical-free house several years earlier toxic radiant heat, the Skelton’s Tulikivi,which is situated in their , offers in Chesterfield,Virginia, and oversaw the contracting themselves in order to ensure the advantage of a power backup in a country setting where the electricity goes quality.The slab was poured with fiberglas rebar, because the more usual out fairly often. This extra safety benefit was particularly important because the steel rebar creates a magnetic field that Betsy cannot tolerate. Instead of plywood, couple has three children.When the Skeltons lost their power in an ice storm that the subfloors are made of 1 x 6 fir; the framing is also fir and the sill plates are of blasted Virginia last winter, they used the Tulikivi for cooking and heating for five redwood. “There is no pressure-treated lumber, because that would outgas,” says days straight.“It got us through it,” says Mike.

As we discussed in our Autumn 1996 issue of your fireplace. But storing wood inside also raises the driest logs in front and on top of the pile so that the Stone Tablet, using dry, well-seasoned wood is the risk of bringing carpenter ants, powder-post you use those first. If there are any logs remaining essential to a fire that burns safely and efficiently. beetles, and burrowing rodents into your house. If at the end of the heating season, rotate them By setting aside firewood at least a year in the wood was already dead when cut, you will forward and load the advance, you can not only ensure a suitably definitely not want to store it indoors because it is newer wood in back. Economize on your seasoned supply of , but can also theoretically probably harboring some sort of critter. The wood-frame shed next load of cordwood reduce the amount of cord wood you need by half. The ideal option is a woodshed, where you can we show (left) here by buying a large supply of wood jointly with a Above all-keep it dry. This means allowing as store and season your wood, or rotate it in from a measures eight feet group of neighbors, much air as possible to circulate when you stack and seasoning pile elsewhere on your property. A shed wide, twelve feet deep, then renting a splitter store wood. The first rule of thumb is to keep logs off extending over a side or back to your and eight feet high; it and preparing the the ground in order to allow air to flow under them. house allows you to retrieve a load for the firebox can hold more than wood together. The portable pallets that manufac- while staying dry your- three cords of wood, turers use for warehousing products self. However, stacking with space left for a three-foot-wide center aisle to make great platforms; these are often wood against the house make it easier to stack and retrieve logs. Again, the discarded, so check with a local key is to keep the wood off the damp warehouse to see if any are available. ground. To that end, this shed is raised To create additional air pockets about eight inches on a simple platform in a wood pile, alternate the direction of pressure-treated pine, which is of the layers lengthwise and bolted onto concrete footings. Half- crosswise. When storing the wood inch gaps in the rough-sawn pine siding outdoors, orient your stack to catch further promote air circulation, while the sun and prevailing breezes. Keep wood away can also invite ro- lightweight plastic screening, layered from roof or overhanging tree branches that dents that may be between the siding and supporting might funnel rainwater and snow onto the pile. While living in the studs, helps keep out insects. the temptation is to cover the stack with a tarp, be to expand their living quarters into the woodpile. Ron Pihl of Cornerstone Masonry in Pray, aware that a tarpaulin that is too tight can be just as For this reason, it is a good idea to consider a Montana, recently constructed a woodshed (right) detrimental as too much snow or moisture. Use your freestanding woodshed. Such a structure doesn’t made of locally quarried sandstone to complement old worn-out tarps to cover a new one to protect it have to be complicated, but it should be located the client’s house. The masonry structure is made from moisture and damaging ultraviolet sun rays. close to the house and sized to accommodate a of rough-cut stone with a wood shake roof, and is One good solution for keeping wood dry is to season’s supply of fuel. The rule-of-thumb fitted with for ventilation. A layer of store it indoors in a or . This has measurement for one cord of wood (4’ x 4’ x 8’ or gravel covers the floor. Located about 100 feet the obvious advantage of making it possible to 128 cubic feet) is a good starting point; determine apart, the house and shed are connected by a take logs off the pile without having to uncover your shed size accordingly depending on how many wooden boardwalk; measuring 10’ x 20’, the and recover it each time you need a supply for cords you tend to burn in a heating season. Load woodshed holds four cords of wood. IT’S NEW! TULIKIVI OFFERS From the Oven BRATROST COOKING GRILL Tulikivi owners who do not have a bakeoven can now enjoy moist, flavorful oven-baked dishes, thanks to a special cooking insert that makes it possible to bake, roast, and even grill in your firebox. Already widely used throughout Europe, the “Bratrost” has recently become available in the United States. This Nothing tempts the taste buds better than a deep- ingenious insert is constructed of sturdy and comes in dish pie fresh out of the Tulikivi bakeoven. Prepare two sizes (365 x 265 x 140 mm. and the dough while you are heating the oven.The oven 245 x 190 x 140 mm.), specifically designed to slip onto the grate of a Tulikivi firebox. Use the Bratrost when the fire has burned down to the stage for temperature should be about 400°F after the grilling, or slip it into the firebox after the fire has burned out completely to soaking period. If the temperature is too high, the bake or roast. After cooking, the Bratrost insert can be pulled out easily for cleaning. For more information, contact your local Tulikivi distributor. will brown too quickly.Your pie is done when the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling gently (about 30 to 40 minutes). BEATING THE HEAT: A TULIKIVI TALE OF SURVIVAL ulikivi owners Sue and Jim Oates report a tale of fire and survival in the Colorado Rockies that demonstrates the extraordinary durability of soapstone. Their story also has an Deep-Dish Peach Pie T important safety lesson to teach. Last October this Chicago couple was putting the finishing touches on a new residence in Gunnison, For the crust: Colorado, when most of the 13,000 square-foot, four-building complex (main house, three- bunkhouse, garage, and two-story barn) burned to the ground. Jim was out of the country, and the 1 cup unbleached flour family’s two grown sons were also away. Sue, who had moved into the completed bunkhouse only eight 1/4 tsp salt days earlier in order to work on the final details and install furnishings, had gone to bed. She had 1/4 cup butter, chilled just enough time to escape with a few personal belongings as all the family’s possessions, including 2 to 3 Tbsp ice water antiques and photographs went up in flames. Local firemen fought the midnight blaze for six hours and still had to return twice to contend Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut the with the smoldering . It took four days before the premises were cool enough for the family butter into bits and cut into the flour mixture to enter. When they did, all that remained of the complex was the freestanding barn and what had until the texture resembles coarse meal. Add been the focal point of the main house’s kitchen: a Tulikivi fireplace clad with a custom veneer of water until the dough holds together but is Colorado buff sandstone. not sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and inspectors believe that the blaze began by spontaneous , possibly as rags soaked chill it while you make the filling. in oil-based stain–being used to finish the alder trim–ignited in the dusty and fume-saturated air. Adding fuel to the blaze were 26 one-gallon cans of tung oil that were stored in the kitchen in preparation for treating 5,000 linear feet of wide-plank heart pine flooring. The wood was stacked in For the filling: the nearby . It was a bonfire waiting to happen. 3/4 cup granulated sugar The intense heat from the fire, believed to have reached more than 2,000 degrees, had destroyed 1/2 cup unbleached flour the entire fabric of the 7,500-square-foot house, including the steel girders, 48 fir glulam posts, metal 2 Tbsp lemon juice roof, antique barn siding, concrete , and beaten steel and copper detailing–in addition to 3 pounds ripe peaches, burning the bunkhouse (connected by a to the main house) and the three-car garage. Yet peeled and cut into wedges as testament to the remarkable strength of the stone, the soapstone core of the Tulikivi was intact. Sue Oates says that they learned the hard way that building sites can be real fire hazards, particularly Combine the sugar, flour, and lemon juice, during the final 10 to 15% phase of the project, when builders and carpenters are using , cleaning and toss the peaches gently in the mixture to products, stains, and varnishes that usually are not water soluble. This is also a risky period because it coat. Place the peach mixture in a 9-inch is a time when planned-for alarm systems and smoke detectors have deep-dish or ceramic pie plate. On a not yet been installed. “We want everyone who is building a house lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into to know that it is essential to double-check with their contractor,” a 13-inch circle. Drape the dough evenly over Sue admonishes,“and make absolutely sure all safety rules are being the top of the pie plate, trimming to a 1/2- followed for storing and disposing of combustible materials.” inch . Tuck the dough inside at the Now, a year later, the Oateses have just started laying the rim. Place the pie in the center of the foundations in preparation for rebuilding. Once again, the kitchen bakeoven; check after 30 minutes. will feature a Tulikivi soapstone fireplace. “That was what caught everyone’s eye,” says Sue. “Everybody who came through the house loved to look at the Tulikivi. We’re looking forward to installing another one.” If the durability of the first is any indication, it will likely be there for a long, long time. North American Tulikivi Headquarters TULIKIVI U.S., INC. Tel. (212) 896-3898 Reader Exchange (800) THE FIRE North American The Tulikivi Reader Exchange is designed to let Tulikivi owners Tulikivi Distributors share information and to solve problems. Please write to us CHAMBERS BRICK SALES INC. with your questions and tips. 451 South Main Fort Worth, TX 76104 Tel. (817) 429-2930 How do I make sure my is properly maintained? Fax (817) 732-3807 You should have your chimneys inspected by a professional CORNERSTONE MASONRY Box 83, Pray, MT 59065 once a year. Check periodically for signs of weakness. In a masonry chimney, Tel. (406) 333-4383 • (800) 321-7010 these are indicated by cracks and loose mortar. Dark spots (caused by Fax (406) 333-4383 smoke) on the exterior of the chimney are indicators that there is a crack or www.warmstone.com hole in the liner; this can cause a chimney fire. In a metal chimney, any dented DEAN’S STOVE & SPA section should be replaced immediately. Dark or blue spots indicate that the 120 West Main Street Southington, CT 06479 insulation is weak or settling; such discolored sections should be replaced. Tel. (860) 621-5311 One good method for thoroughly inspecting either type of chimney stack is Fax (860) 276-1998 to have it video scanned. Many chimney sweeps offer this service. EUROPEAN MASONRY HEAT 706 California Blvd., Napa, CA 94559 Tel. (707) 259-0208 • (800) 200-0208 (CA only) I know that using seasoned wood is important to getting a good, Fax (707) 259-1806 clean burn, but what actually constitutes good seasoning? www.europeanheat.com FIRESPACES, INC. When you buy cordwood, it really is important to ask a supplier what he 223 NW Ninth or she means by “seasoned.” The wood may have been dried for only a Portland, OR 97209 Tel. (503) 227-0547 • Fax (503) 227-0548 single summer or winter, which really isn’t ideal.A full year is a decent time www.firespaces.com period for seasoning wood so it can cure to its full potential. Remember: HEARTH USA Green wood contains up to one-half of its weight in water. Twinbrook Square, 1800 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Tel. (301) 984-1005 In terms of protecting the environment, is there really any Fax (301) 984-0091 difference between burning wood and burning fossil ? www.hearthusa.com Burning fossil fuels such as gas, oil, or coal releases , a main MID-ATLANTIC MASONRY HEAT P.O. Box 277 • Emigsville, PA 17318-0277 contributor to the greenhouse effect. Burning wood also sends carbon Tel. (717) 854-9398 • (800) 213-0903 dioxide into the air, but there is a difference.Wood is a renewable fuel Fax (717) 854-1373 because it also uses carbon dioxide, which is absorbed from the OLENYCH MASONRY,INC. as a tree grows.That process is part of an ongoing cycle. If the tree was left HC #65, Box 3, Bovina Center, NY 13740 Tel. (607) 832-4373 • (800) 250-6485 to decay naturally, the same amount of carbon dioxide would be released as Fax (607) 832-4561 when the wood was burned. Fossil fuels emit the gas when they are burned, www.olenych.com but they don’t take any of it out of the atmosphere to keep the balance. SACKETT BRICK CO. 1303 Fulford, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 Tel. (616) 381-4757 • (800) 848-9440 Fax (616) 381-2684 Please write: www.sackettbrick.com Comments? TULIKIVI SOAPSTONE HEATING SYSTEMS One Penn Plaza, Suite 3600 OF NORTH AMERICA Queries? Big Lake Ranch Road West New York, NY 10119 Big Lake Ranch, BC V0L 1G0 or fax: Tulikivi 212-760-1088 CANADA Tel. (250) 243-2120